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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 26, 1889)
WEST SHORE. 211 almost ominous explosion. He had attempted to hold up his fore finger in a warning gesture, but the insecurity of his position he was astride a rolling cask forced him to abandon the idea. " Pshaw, Sam," Mr. Grillis exclaimed in some irri tation, " our men don't live in forty-dollar a month tenements ; of course they can't on the pay they get. I s'pose they ain't got carpets on their floors, but they don't want 'em, man. They wouldn't know what to do with carpets. They warn't brought up to 'em. We don't employ any skilled labor to speak of; most of our men could be duplicated in a short time. It's just the samo with labor as with manufactured articles, there's times when the Bupply exceeds the demand, and this in one of the times. We pay the men all we can afford J to. We're running for the future, for the present it is a dead loss to us every time the men go into the mills and the machinery starts up. If we curtailed as we'd ought ter, why, some o' the men would have ter git along on nothin'. You're talking nonsenso, I tell you, Pain." " Well, perhaps I be," said Sam, though he con tinued to shake his head and did not seem in the least convinced of the fact. " But I've been tellin ye jest as I hear it. Bob Bairs, an eddieated man, an' Bill Mun my well, Uill ain't eddieated, but he's got good boss sensethey go over the turnpike every day, an' of course they see an' hear a good deal. Now there's Old Tom oh, I ain't sayin' as he's the kind aB gins Bob and Bill information "as Mr. Grillis gave an excla mation of anger and disgust. " Old Tom's a tramp an' a vagabond for all I know or care, but lie tells hard stories about how the men live. Sometimes I think he ain't got much sympathy for 'em, though. He's a cute robber, Tom is. What do you s'pose lie's took to now? lie goeB up to the city every Saturday and tends meetings all day Sunday. He always goes to the church where Mr. Ooldthurst carries on meet in's, an' it's jest queer to hear him tell what lie hears. He says Mr. Goldthurst's the handsomest man atop o' the earth." " (ioldthurst ought to feel flattered," answered Mr. Grillis with a contemptuous smile. "He is a good looking man. Do you remember, Hawkes, how I asked him to iH-t with me on the collego ball game? I forgot he was a deacon. How ho did set down on me! " Mr. Grillis was now laughing heartily. " Tom says he's jest spellbound when Ooldthurst talks," continued Durkee. " ' GoldthurBt's so good, an' says things so simple an' easy like. I understand jest what he means,' sayB Tom. Mr. Ooldthurst shook hands with the old ragamullin once, an' he's mighty proud of it. It's curious how Tom gits a livin'." " He works for us sometimes," said Mr. Grillis, " but he ain't to be deluded on. He's a worthless chap. I'll have to tell Ooldthurst about I .1 new con vert. Brigham and I have done considerable business with Ooldthurst. Hawkes is acquainted with Gold thurst's daughter Alice," with a sly glance toward Fred Kipp. " Yes, and I'm acquainted with other friends of yours," Hawkes said, Hushing slightly. " I knew Old Tom ; 1 met him two or three times at Kingston dur ing my school days. Tom seems to be attracted to the Ooldthurst family, lie used to call on Mrs. Kopes, Ouldthurst's siBter, in Kingston. The lady evidently pitied the old tramp, for she used to feed him. The first time I ever saw him, though, was at Fred's house in Ooldlirook, just before Mrs. Kipp's death. I went down with Fred to spend vacation, and Old Tom was working alsiut the place. If Tom is the kind who does the complaining about the mill operatives, I shouldn't put much thought to the matter. Even Derinot couldn't stand Old Tom." "That makes mo think," interrupted Mr. Grillis. " How happens it that Derinot was at Kingston acade my with you boys? " " Mr. Brigham gave Derinot the three years at Kingston," answered Fred. "Derinot saved Arthur from drowning." " And mighty ill Arthur has used him during the three years," put in Hawkes, "twitting him at every opportunity of his low birth. It was unfortunate, hut Kittie Brigham, who is the sweetest, kiixlcst girl m the world, allowed Derinot to I hi her escort on our llrst commencement day. Arthur was furious alsmt it, and has many times since snecringly referred to the ' beg gar who so far forgot his place as to look at my sis ter.' Derinot is n Bed lliller. His eoplc are among those whom Old Tom says are starving; but I've beard Derinot say often that Old Tom was a shiftless liar." " I wasn't lucky in hittin' on Old Tom," said Dur kee, who was somewhat inclined to laugh, now that he was worsted, but lie added, with another shake of his head, " howsomever, you wait ; Hob says he's afraid there'll be trouble, Well, pVa.s there will an' p'raps there won't, time Ml tell. Here's M r. Burrows, so let's quit arguin' an' git along toward the creek." Ed had started across the field, and the rest of the party embarked in Joe's largest boat. Mr. Burrows seated himsrlf near Mr. Grillis and opened a lively conversation on the mysteries of stock Heculation, di lating with considerable emphasis and with a certain persuasiveness of tone on the enormous prollts to he derived from insignilieant ventures. " It wouldn't Is- any use for me to try it," said Mr. Grillis, though his smile told that the samly-fueed broker interested him. " I'm not lucky enough. I've had to work hard for what I've got, an if I was to go into stock sp.rulatin' now I'd come out pretty small.