The Monticellonian., 1918-03-22
LIFE AT ITS WORST
Wild Orgies in Mushroom Towns
 Along Union Pacific.
Scenes That Can Only Be Described as ReVerslon of Mankind to the Savage, Common in the Early
 Days of the West.

Travellers who whisk across the country in luxurious trains today lit- tie realize the vision, the Soil and tae sacrifice that made possible the steel foad over which they roll along. In the building of the first railroad across the continent is te he found the theme which has thrilled Zane Grey in The U. r. Trail"
 Among the pictures drawn hy Mir. Grey ef the scenes aud incidents at tendaut upon the building of the Union Pacific one Of the most vi1id is that of night following pay day in Benton, one of the towns of the type that spraHe tip iii the wake ef the road in the days during Its construction, an eS- change says:
 Life indoors that night in Benton was monstreus, wonderful and hideous. The gold that did not flow over The bars went Into the greedy hands of the cold. swift gamblers CT into the clutch ing fingers of the Wild-eyed women The big gambling hell had extra liehts extra attendants extra tables; and there round the great glittering mir ror=blazins bar struggled and laughed and shouted drink-sodden mass of humanity. And all through the rest ef the big room groups and knots of men stood and sat around tahles. intent absorbed. obsessed. listening with strained ears, watching with wild eyes, reaching with shaking hands-onlY h gasp and throw down their cards and push gold toward cold faced gamblers. with il muttered curse. This was the night of the golden harvest for the laek-garbed. steel-nerved. cold-eyed card sharps They knew the breVity of time and of hour and of life.
 "In the dancing halls there was Il maddening Whfri. m immense and th- credible hilnrity, Il wild fling of un- leashed. burly men, m honest drunken spree. But there was also the hideous red=eyed drunkenness that did not spring from drink: the unveiled pas sion, the bra2en lure, the raw, corrupt and terrible presence of had women h absolute license Ut wild and bahefui hour.
 "The scene Tt midnight was unreal, livfd, medieval Dance of cannibals. dance of sun worshipers. dance of Apaches on the warpath, dance of cliff dWellers wild over the massacre of Il dreaded foe-only these orgies might have been comparable to that wild whirl of gold and lust.
 Might wore on and the hour of dawn approached.
 "The lamps were dead the tents were dark the music WIS stilled; and the low, soft fear WAS but q hollow moekery of It's earlier strength.
 Like speeters men staggered slowly and wanderiugly through the gray streets Cray ghosts. All WIS gray. \ vacant laugh nealed out and I strident curse. and then again the low mnrmHr prevailed Benton WAS going to rest. Weary drunken, spent nature sought ohliyiOn-on disordered beds. on hard floors and in dusty corners. An im= mense and lowering shadow held the tents and halls and streets. Through this opaque gloom the silent and the
 
 CT yaiees broke the spell only for an instant. Death lay in the middle of the main street, in the dust-and ne passing man halted. It lay as well down the side streets. in sandy dtches and on the tent floors, and behind the bar of the gambling hell. Likewise death had his counterpart in hundreds of prostrate men who Thy in drunken stupor, asleep. insensible to the dust in their faces.
 "Bnt the dawn would not stay back in order to hide Bentons hideousness. The gray lifted out of the streets. the shadows frightened, the east kindled and the sweet, soft freshness of a des- ert dawn came in on the gentle breeze. And when the un arose, splendid and golden. with it's promise and beauty. 1t shone upon q ghastly. silent notion less, sleeping Benton"