The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-11-19
m m N N M N N N N ~ IA I'M
HUNGRY HILL =.
BY WALTER JOSEPH De. n
lANEY. ~

was not a misnomer. Certainly ther
were hungry people there, men. Won
en- and children to the number of owe
4 hundred, housed In ramshackl
structures that had not seen paint 10
q full decade, with leaky roofs an
loose windows und doors and fast &C
ing to decay and dlsintegrauon.
Elsdon was not MANUFACTURER
town, but ten years back a rascal
promoter had raided the place, plnus
IDLY affecting to turn the busy wheel
of industry and bring trade and prob
to the wealthy citizens who were In
.duced to invest in the stock Of the ex
ploitation. A site was donated, Ion.
rambling one-story factory building
was constructed and the River Novelt!
company came into existence. FIT!
workmen and their families were In
duced to move from the East nnt
houses were built for them. The plan
manufactured hardware novelties
started, halted for lack Of capital. ant
AZ was then learned that the promoter
had appropriated most Of this and hao
absconded.
The old investors refused to put In
another dollar. The plant was locked
hIp and the workmen were left strand
led. Some of them sought work else
where. The majority, however, re-
manned. Some Of the old workmen
found desultory work at road making
throughout the district, some became
Iitinerant chore men, doing odd Jobs
about Elsdon. Some did not work at
,lall. Everything was deplorable, from
Tito raising of poorly nourished chill
'dren to the loss of ambition among the
stranded castaways. They were more
than that-taboo, to the highly civilized
better class of the lower town.
Hungry as were the denizens Of Hun
cry Hill, they were not too famished
to ignore an unfortunate human dere-
lict who drifted their way one cold
wintry evening, man poorly clad and
with a face expressive OF pain and de-
lprivation. He had slipped across a
hummock Of ice on the ill-kept street
and had sprained his ankle. Kindly
hands carried him to the nearest house.
II was that of widow with four chill
dren.
Mrs. Martha Boyd wSs buxom,
heartsome creature whose husband
had died, leaving her with no means.
The neighbors had dubbed together
and had gathered up enough to start
her IN a very limited grocery business.
The two elder children, boys Of
eleven and thirteen. picked up occa-
sional dimes and quarters doing odd
chores about Eisdon. The mother was
thrifty. popular and always happy
tempered.
+ Matt Waldron, rover half-tramp, was
cared FOR pityingly. He told Mrs. Boyd
he was homeless and had seen better
days. So he was given a room in the
house and became fixture In the busl
ness. The children liked him and his
respectful ways won the esteem of the
widow.
Matt took a vast interest in all the
poor souls about town. He tidled him
self up at his best. There was a meet
ing Of the selectmen at Edison and be-
fore them he appeared. He told them
of the INDECENT and Ill at Hungry Hill.
He showed them how 1t would not take
much TO fix up the old plant. Osjers |
and reeds grew all along the river. He |
knew considerable about basket weav- |
ing. If the town would put In certain |
and turn over a free lease I
Of the plant and the tillable land adj |
Joining It to the community. he would
answer for working up business that
would give lucrative employment to
the poor souls around him and lift
them from the mire.
If you won't do that" added Matt, /
when he noted the Indifference In the
faces OF his auditors. turn over the
vided find some one willing to put up
The capital 10 operate It."
There was no objection to this. The
original investors were glad to get rid
" an elephant on their hands. They
doubted his ability to produce results,
but agreed 10 help him out
And now Matt Waldron, the roust
about, the ne'er-do-well. began to de-
relop. His hacker was a methodical
I'D man who left the direction of of.
airs 10 Matt. TO whom he had taken a
yreat fancy.
The machinery was ordered, the old
,lant renovated. Gangs were sent (
Town the river to cut the material y
leeded. a fatboat purchased to float
he finished ware to market and first
en-. then twenty and finally fifty hands .
we're employed at good wages at the
liant. .
"Mr. waldron. you're regular ma. g
Ician ~ declared the widow. as Matt 4
bowed her over the plant, alive with
he buzz and hustle of practical indus "a
~.
"And what IL that?" she inquired. as
nth shining eyes Matt took up black =
Iumsy lump from his Office desk. a
New luck. grand luck, Mrs. Boyd" /,
reclaimed Matt. with an exultant ring {
d his tones. "Coal, tons of II. thou l,
ands OF tons. BY accident in digging
well struck vein ten feet down on o
be factory grounds. Hungry Hill is y
asst coal bin and we're rich-my part :.
er-the whole communication all =,
hall share in the fine fortune q kind ii
lte has sent TO us"
II was true. and Hungry Hill bios oil
,med from idleness into industry and y