Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1917-11-29
HUNGRY HILL
~ BY WALTER JOSEPH DE- p
n lANEY. n


They called the elevated Stretcn just
north OF Elsden Hungry HILL" and 1t
was not n misnomer. Certainly there
were hungry people there, men, wom-
en- and children to the number of over
hundred. housed In ramshackly
structures that had not seen paint for
full decade, with leaky roofs and
loose windows and doors and fast go
ing to decay and dlslntegration.
Elsdon was not q manufacturing
town, but ten years back a rascally
promoter had raided the place, plaus-
IDLY affecting to turn the busy wheels
of Industry aid bring trade and profit
TO the wealthy citizens who were In
duced to Invest in the stock Of the ex-
ploitation. A site was donated, long
rambling one-story factory building
was constructed and the River Novelty
company came into existence. Fifty
workmen and their families were In
duced to move from the East and
houses were built for them. The plant
manufactured hardware novelties,
started, halted for lack Of capital, and
It was then learned that the promoter
had appropriated most Of this and had
absconded.
The old investors refused TO put In
another dollar. The plant was locked
up and the workmen were left strand
ed 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
itinerant chore men, doing odd jobs
about Elsdon. Some did not work at
all. Everything was deplorable, from
the raising Of poorly nourished chill
dren to the loss Of ambition among the
stranded cnstaways. They were more
thnn that-tnboo, 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 face expressive Of pain and de-
prlvatlon. He had slipped across a
hummock of Ice on the lll-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 was buxom,
heartsome creature whose husband
had died. leaving ner with no means.
The neighbors had cluibed together
and had gathered up enough TO start
her In n very limited grocery business.
The two elder children, boys of
eleven and thirteen. picked up occa-
slonal dimes and quarters doing odd
chores about Elsdon. The mother was
thrifty popular and always happy
tempered.
Matt WGldron, rover, hulf-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 a fixture In the bust
ness The children liked him and his
respectful ways won the esteem of the
widow.
Matt took vast interest in all the
poor souls about town. He tidied 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 I'll at Hungry Hill.
He showed them how II would not take
much TO fix up the old plant. Osiers
and reeds grew all along the river He
knew considerable about basket weav-
tn no IN, cot,
machinery and turn over free lease
of the plant and the tlllable land adj
Joining II 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 I'm the
faces of his auditors, turn over the
plant and It's ten-acre site to me- pro-
vided find some one willing to put up
the capital to operate IT,"
There was no objection to this. The
original investors were glad to get rid
of an elephant on their hands. They
doubted hts ability to produce results,
but agreed to help him out.
And now Matt Waldron, the roust.
about. the ne'er-do-well, began to de-
velop. His hacker was a methodcal
old man who left the direction Of af-
fairs 10 Matt, to whom he had taken a
great fancy.
The machinery was ordered, the old
plant renovated. Gangs were sent
down the river TO cut the material
needed, a flatboat purchased To float
the finished ware To market ana first
ten, then twenty and finally fifty hands
We're employed at good wages at the
plant
MIR. Waldron, you're a regular ma
gicianl' declared the widow. as Matt
showed her over the plant, alive with
the buzz and hustle OF practical indus
try.
And what is that?' she inquired, as
with shining eyes Matt took up n black
clumsy lump from his Office desk
New luck grand luck, Mrs. Boyd r.
proclaimed Matt with an eXutonr ring
in his tones Coal, tons Of ii, thou
sands Of tons. by accident IN digging
a well l struck a vein ten feet down on
the factory grounds. Hungry Hun Is a
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