The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1917-12-08
N "a - ~ - ~ ID Nh - @ VA - ~
!. HUNGRY HILL =
M ~
"a BY WALTER JOSEPH DE-n
a LANEY. ~
NJ ----Hy
- m - IN - "a Nh - "a "a mW

w - - - - - "a IN - "a "a - W
They called the elevated stretch just
north of Elsden Hungry Hill" and It
was not a misnomer Certainly there
were hungry people there, men, wom-
en- and children TO the number of over
a hundred, housed in ramshackly
structures that had not seen paint for
a full decade, with leaky roofs and
loose windows and doors and fast go-
ing to decay and disintegration.
EIsdOn was not a manufacturing
| town, but ten years back a rascally
promoter had rafded the place, plaus-
IDLY affecting to turn the busy wheels
| of industry and 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-stery 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-
NAMED. Some of the old Workmen
found desultory work at road making
| throughout the district, some became
itinerant chore men, dong 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 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 dIsfted their way one cold
wintry evening, a man poorly clad and
with a face expressive of pain and de-
, privation. He had slipped across a
and had sprained his ankle. Kindly
hands carried him to the nearest house.
1t was that Of a widow with four chill
dren.
Mrs. Nc tha Boyd was a 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 Elsdon. 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 BUSH
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 tidied him.
| self up at his best. There was q 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. Osiers
! and reeds grew all along the river. He
/ knew considerable about basket weav-
| ing. If the town would put in certain
machinery and turn over free lease
of the plant and the tillable land adj
| joining ft 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
plant and its 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 his 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 methodical
old man who left the direction of af-.
fairs to 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 fatboat purchased to float
the finished ware to market and first
ten, then twenty and finally fifty hands
were employed at good wages at the
| plant.
'Mr. Waldron, you're a regular ma
| gicianr' 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 black
clumsy lump from his Office desk.
New luck, grand luck, Mrs Boyd r.
proclaimed Matt, with an exultant ring
In his tones. "Coal, tons of it, thou
sands of tons. By accident in digging
| a well struck vein ten feet down on