SKETCHES OF A PECULIAR PEOPLE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2571, 24 June 1903, Page 70

SKETCHES OF A PECULIAR PEOPLE.

B r " Maoe ll asda . ' ' Author of "A Honeymoon and Reprisals," " Roquebmna," " Mm," etc., etc. (For the Witness.) 2— HUMOURS OF A COAL FAMINE; OR, ZERO AND A CORNER IN COAL. Life in tho "boss city of the Stotes," as the true Yankee prefers to call Chicago, is infinitely more exciting and humorous than members of the world outside the boundaries of America can credit. Many of the most amusing and startling episodes of the past few months have been the outcome of the juxtaposition of a corner in coal and the fact that the thermometer declined to register any figure sufficiently above zero to permit of the removal of the '"ear-muff" — those warm little appendages to the costume w hich safeguards those necessary extremities Not long ago a stolid German k-ft his work to fetch his can of beer from a saloon half a block nearer the centre of the city. On his way back a female form, armed with a '"gini," as a revolver is always called in the States, sprang from an alley way and calfed, "Hands up !"' The event is common enough for the man to understand that prompt obedience on these occasions is absolutely necessary, yet he was thirsty and did not want to spill his beer — it was "the brand that made Milwaukee famous." Slowly and conscientiously he r.ii«-ed his arms above his head. "Wai, I guess you've made a mistake, ma'am,"' he said, the word politeness of his adopted land towards the weaker sex working upon Jiis phraseology."Taint coal, ma'am." And she, first satisfying herself of tho {ruth of hi* assertion, let him pass back to work. This little anecdote, the truth of which I can vouch for, flings a lund light on the state of Chicago during the winter months when the coal famine was at its worst. All this time the yards and railway cars were full — the coal ■was not for &ale imtil the coal barons so ordered. Depots were opened in various part,s of the city, and many people purchased the precious stuff by the bushel, being practically unable to obtain it in larger quantities. One evening two men secured a couple of bushels | and, placing it in a barrow, proceeded to '< take it homa, their way leading through one of the main thoroughfares. A crow d | slowly gathered, and the men, growing nervous, appealed to the policeman on duty at the corner for protection. He declined to interfere, saying he was "not responsible fnr the safe carriage of valuables through the city after nightfall." Another well-known citizen ran out of coal, and started on a voyage of discovery among his friend's, a scuttle in either hand. After repeated visits he at last succeeded in filling both receptacles, and jubilantly set out to return. Suddenly out from a side .street flashed a man, who presented a gun at his head and shouted, "Put up your hands — but don't spill the coal!" The startled citizen obeyed to the be^t of his ability, whereupon the highwayman seized the scuttles, emptied them into a sack, and fled in one direction, while the original owner of the coal made for the ncaiest police station, where he stut ten ugly declared that he had been robbed The inspectors found watoh, chain, and money all in their rightful pockets, and were resentfully incredulous. But when the tale was fully told it was a t raged y all could understand : his scuttles were refilled at the city's expense, and lie returned, under the escourt of two gigantij policemen, to the comparative safety of his own home. Many of these coal raids have been conducted on a large scale. In two cases the mayors of the freezing wayside towns have led the marauding bands, after summoning the citizens by the ringing of the fireball. These bands have consisted of the chief bankers, preachers of all denominations (for once unanimous in action), storekeepers, I merchants, and saloon keeper.'. They have ' marched to the .station w lien the trains loaded with coal were passing through ; they have cove ied the enginedriver wiili their levolvers gnmlv-detei mined men 300 ; they liavr unloaded the trucks w'th their own li.ui'l--. and ladled the coal into band"•aits. bairows, and waggon 1 .. They have .been hailed :i« heroes by the v. oint-n and children, who had be?n burning luuidfuls of prifious corn and wheat v. lion they could endure the stinging pain of zero weather no longer. In one case a town«hip a f<?w miles out from C'liir.igo rofe in this manner. The officials on the tiains and in the .station* were overcome by tlir* tlneaten^d u«e of hose? — the knowledgs tint within a few .shoi fc minutes tliev would be encased in ice ! proved very efticucious. Zero weather me.ins that if you have to wait ten minutes foi ?. <ar your nose, fingers or toes may be fio-ibitten ; it means that your duly food arrives so stiff that houis are necessary to unfreeze it; it means that if a wacgon is left standing the driver, with mouth firmly closrd by the entangled frozpn hair about it. will have to dig away the snow mounded to the axle— and this in the streets of the city; it means that the water snpplv is endangered, and when a coal famine is also raging no man knoM«. fi r>in hour co hour when he will next be ' wu«h aw n y Chicago's gnmf\ Out on the cribs, two miles from the lake '-bore, g.incs of men "woik the 24 houis roiind to keen C'hicnen e np ilit! w'*'i vitor. With every nid of modern science they break the ice as it forms at the mouth of the mb*. Their interest in th.^ state of their coalbins can be imagined. On one occasion when the difficulty of obtaining the fuel was at it.« highest a waggon load was despatched to the ice-fiiihteiH, unguarded. A pork millionaire succeeded m capturing it on the way. In New Zealand such an at_t would not hnve been tolerated — °very man would writhfully have denounced thp Government that permitted such an act to take plve and to paw impuni^ed B it that was not the American philosopher's way. A

wave of mirth swept over the city, even while the discomfort of "no water" endured', and the "cute tnck" was stored safely away in the corner of the memory devoted tw> similar stories. No American seems to mind berng "done" if the scheme by which lie suffers is clever. With the advent of the American winter cartoons appear in all the daily papers, illustrating the fact that it is the date on which "hold-up" men, and also women (who have led the way in the profession of footpad for their sisters across the &eas), polish up their tools and break upon the community, thai has been too busy during the summer months to carry out any of its intended drastic reforms. The reign of terror begins in a mild way: a masked man takes up a position in a Pullman car and robs the diners as they return to their seats. A stranger orders more than he can conveniently pay for at a "quick-lunch counter," and brandishes his revolver at the cashier's head ; then backs out with abject apologies when he is as promptly covered by her. Then matters reach a more acute stage. Cars containing 20 to 30 passengers are held up by a couple 1 of men ; saloons two in a .street are attacked, the customers lined up and robbed individually, despite a fu«nllad>e of whisky bottles from the barman before he too capitulates," obstreperous individuals, despite the already-freezing temperature, are locked into the ;cd chest while the highwaymen mix themselves cocktails before crossing the street to the opposite saloon. In Toledo, Ohio, the gangs of masked brigands are sometimes 14 strong. This, too, is in a country where 10 men out of a dozen can show you, during the winter months, loaded • revolvers in their hip pockets. Of course I the carrying of concealed weapons is forbidden, but when inquiries are made over any ca*e "self defence" is always pleaded, and questions as to why the revolvers were there, despite the law, are never asked. Elevated stations have been among the favourite hunting grounds of these "hold-up men" during the past few months. A few days ago a young man rushed up just too late for his train. While waiting by the stove he fell into conversation with the ticket seller. As the time passed he grew more and more curious as to where this man kept his money, and he, being fresh from the wilds of Wisconsin, was beguiled into admitting thai he had about £10 in a certain drawer ; then, eager to cover his quickly-noted mistake, added that his gun was there also, ready loaded. The stranger remarked that ib was foolish to keep the weapon in the same place, and repeated that it would be impossible to get it out in time for business. Gradually tho nervous clerk saw the talker's hand stray to. his pocket. He waited till the last second, then sprang backwards into the little offie^, pulled open the drawer, and covered the would-be passenger with his revolver just as the startled man emitted a violent sneeze. "Thought . I'd better give you a practical demonstration as to how quick I could get to work since you were &o kesn to know," he remarked grimly. Then his face changed as the other's hand came into view again grasping an ifinoeent pocket handkerchief. Perhaps, considering the extraordinary mixture of nationalities the thousands of semi-civilised, passion ite beings who pour in each year from the most distant corners of the globe, it is not surprising that cases of this kind should be recorded each day. Though the police force consists of "the biggest men in the universe, nr-r r '" and though faults of all kinds are constantly being imputed to them, no one has yefc dn.red to cast the slightest aspersion upon their coinage. It is hourly proved beyond doubt.