Gunnison news-champion., 1921-05-13


terrible One stumbled on bodies
e'ery where. Some were not yet dead
And even as you looked you saw men
siak down with the death fastened
upon them There we're numerous
fires burning in Berkeley. while Oak.
land and San Francisco we're appar-
emily being swept By vast conragra.
tons The smoke from the burning
filled the heavens. 20 that the midday
vas gloomy twilight. and. in the
shifts Of wind. sometimes the sun
shone through dlmly. a dull red orb
Truly. my grandsons. Il vas Ike the
last days Of the end OF the world
There we're numerous stalled motor
cars, showing that the gasoline and
the engine supplies OF the garages had
given out ] remember one such car
\ man and a woman lay back dead in
u" seats. and on the pavement near
Il acre two more women and a child
Strange and terrible sights there were
on eVery hand People slipped by 81
lently. furtiyeIy. like ghosts-WhIte-
faced women carrying infants in their
arms: fathers leading children by the
hand: singly. and in couples. and In
families-all fleeing out OF the city
OF death. Some carried supplies OF
food. others blankets and yaiuables.
and there were many who carried
nothing
There was a grocery store-a place
where food was sold The man 10
whom II Belonged knew him we'll
n quiet sober, but stupid and obstinate
fellow. was defending Il The win.
dows and doors had been broken IN.
but he. inside. hiding behind coun.
ter. was dIscharrlnr his pistol at
number OF men on the sidewalk who
were breaking IN In the entrance
were several boilrs-of men. decid.
ed. whom he had killed earlier in the
day Even as looked on from a dis.
tance. saw one OF tho robbers break
the windows Of an adjoining store, a
place whore shoes we're sold. and de-
liberately set FIRE 10 Il, did not go
to the groceryman's assistance. Tho
time for such acts had already passed
Civilization was crumbllng. and II WAS
each for himself
Il went away hastily. down a cross
street, and at the first corner ! saw
another tragedy. Two men OF tho
working class had caught a man and
a woman with two children. and were
robblng them. knew the man by
sight, though had not been intro
duced to him. He was a poet whose
verses had long admired. Yet did
II a..
! came upon the scene there was
pistol shot. and | saw him sinking To
the ground The woman screamed,
and she was felled by fist blow by
one OF the brutes. cried out threat
enlngly. whereupon they discharged
their pistols at me, and ran away
around the corner Here was blocked
by an advancing connngration. The
buildings on both sides were burning.
and the street was filled with smoke
and fame. From somewhere in that
murk came a woman's voice calling
shrilly for help. But I did not 20 to
her. A mans heart turned to iron
amid such scenes. and one heard all
too many appeals for help.
" 1Alt 1oAhtis
the two robbers were gone. The poet
and his wife lay dead on the pave
ment. II vas shocking sight The
two children had vanlshed-whither
could not tell. And | knew. now. why
It was that the fleeing persons en-
countered slipped along SO furtively
and with such white faces In the
midst OF our civilization. down In our
slums and labor ghettos, We had bred
q race OF barbarians, OF savages; and
now. IN the time OF our calamity, they
turned upon us like the wild beasts
they were and destroyed u.s. And they
destroyed themselves as well They
infiamed themselves with strong drink
and committed thousand atrocities.
Quarreling and killing one another In
the general madness. One group OF
workingmen saw. of the better sort,
who had banded together, and. with
their women and children In their
midst the sick and aged in litters
and being carried. and with number
of h0ses pulling a truckload Of pro
visions, they were fighting their way
out OF the city. They made nne spec
tacle as they came down the street
through the drifting smoke. though
they nearly shot me when first ap-
peared in their path. As they went
by, one of their leaders shouted out
to me in apologetic explanation He
said they were killing the robbers and
looters on sight, and that they had
thus banded together as the only
means by which to escape the prowl-
ers.
TT was here that saw for tho
first time what I was soon to see SO
often. One Of the marching men had
suddenly shown the unmistakable
mark OF the plague. Immediately those
about him drew away. and he. without
. remonstrance. stepped out Of his
place to let them pass on. A woman.