John Passos - The 42nd Parallel

riots and streetblockades mark opening of teamster’s strike

WORLD’S GREATEST SEA BATTLE NEAR

Madrid police clash with 5000 workmen carrying black flag

spectators become dizzy while dancer eats orange breaking record that made man insane

and we played the battle of Port Arthur in the bathtub and the water leaked down through the drawingroom ceiling and it was altogether too bad but in Kew Gardens old Mr. Garnet who was still hale and hearty although so very old came to tea and we saw him first through the window with his red face and John Bull whiskers and aunty said it was a sailor’s rolling gait and he was carrying a box under his arm and Vickie and Pompom barked and here was Mr. Garnet come to tea and he took a gramophone out of a black box and put a cylinder on the gramophone and they pushed back the tea-things off the corner of the table Be careful not to drop it now they scratch rather heasy Why a hordinary sewin’ needle would do maam but I ave special needles

and we got to talking about Hadmiral Togo and the Banyan and how the Roosians drank so much vodka and killed all those poor fisherlads in the North Sea and he wound it up very carefully so as not to break the spring and the needle went rasp rasp Yes I was a bluejacket miself miboy from the time I was a little shayver not much bigger’n you rose to be bosun’s mite on the first British hironclad the Warrior and I can dance a ornpipe yet maam and he had a mariner’s compass in red and blue on the back of his hand and his nails looked black and thick as he fumbled with the needle and the needle went rasp rasp and far away a band played and out of a grindy noise in the little black horn came God Save the King and the little dogs howled

I met my love in the Alamo

When the moon was on the rise

Her beauty quite bedimmed its light

So radiant were her eyes

during the forenoon union pickets turned back a wagon loaded with 50 campchairs on its way to the fire engine house at Michigan Avenue and Washington Street. The chairs it is reported, were ordered for the convenience of policemen detailed on strike duty

FLEETS MAY MEET IN BATTLE TODAY

WEST OF LUZON

three big wolves were killed before the dinner.

A grand parade is proposed here in which President Roosevelt shall ride so that he can be seen by citizens. At the head will be a caged bear recently captured after killing a dozen dogs and injuring several men. The bear will be given an hour’s start for the hills then the packs will be set on the trail and President Roosevelt and the guides will follow in pursuit

three Columbia students start auto trip to Chicago on wager

GENERAL STRIKE NOW THREATENS

It’s moonlight fair tonight upon the Wa-abash

OIL KING’S HAPPYEST DAY

one cherub every five minutes market for all classes of real estate continues to be healthy with good demand for factory sites residence and business properties court bills break labor

BLOODY SUNDAY IN MOSCOW

lady angels are smashed troops guard oilfields America tends to become empire like in the days of the Caesars $5 poem gets rich husband eat less says Edison rich poker player falls dead when he draws royal flush charges graft in Cicero

STRIKE MAY MEAN REVOLT IN RUSSIA

lake romance of two yachts murder ends labor feud Michigan runs all over Albion red flags in St. Petersburg

CZAR YIELDS TO PEOPLE

holds dead baby forty hours families evicted by bursting watermain.

CZAR GRANTS CONSTITUTION

From the fields there comes the breath of newmown hay

Through the sycamores the candlelight is gleaming

Go it go it said Mr. Linwood the headmaster when one was running up the field kicking the round ball footer they called it in Hampstead and afterwards it was time to walk home and one felt good because Mr. Linwood had said Go it

Taylor said There’s another American come and he had teeth like Teddy in the newspapers and a turnedup nose and a Rough Rider suit and he said Who are you going to vote for? and one said I dunno and he stuck his chest out and said I mean who your folks for Roosevelt or Parker? and one said Judge Parker

the other American’s hair was very black and he stuck his fists up and his nose turned up and he said I’m for Roosevelt wanto fight? all trembly one said I’m for Judge Parker but Taylor said Who’s got tuppence for ginger beer? and there wasn’t any fight that time

BUGS DRIVE OUT BIOLOGIST

elopers bind and gag; is released by dog

EMPEROR NICHOLAS II FACING REVOLT OF EMPIRE

GRANTS SUBJECTS LIBERTY

paralysis stops surgeon’s knife by the stroke of a pen the last absolute monarchy of Europe passes into history miner of Death Valley and freak advertiser of Santa Fe Road may die sent to bridewell for stealing plaster angel

On the banks of the Wabash far away.

Next morning soon after daylight Fainy limped out of a heavy shower into the railroad station at Gaylord. There was a big swag-bellied stove burning in the station waiting room. The ticket agent’s window was closed. There was nobody in sight. Fainy took off first one drenched shoe and then the other and toasted his feet till his socks were dry. A blister had formed and broken on each heel and the socks stuck to them in a grimy scab. He put on his shoes again and stretched out on the bench. Immediately he was asleep.

Somebody tall in blue was speaking to him. He tried to raise his head but he was too sleepy.

“Hey, bo, you better not let the station agent find you,” said a voice he’d been hearing before through his sleep. Fainy opened his eyes and sat up. “Jeez, I thought you were a cop.”

A squareshouldered young man in blue denim shirt and overalls was standing over him. “I thought I’d better wake you up, station agent’s so friggin’ tough in this dump.”

“Thanks.” Fainy stretched his legs. His feet were so swollen he could hardly stand on them. “Golly, I’m stiff.”

“Say, if we each had a quarter I know a dump where we could get a bully breakfast.”

“I gotta dollar an’ a half,” said Fainy slowly. He stood with his hands in his pockets, his back to the warm stove looking carefully at the other boy’s square bulljawed face and blue eyes.

“Where are you from?”

“I’m from Duluth… I’m on the bum more or less. Where are you from?”

“Golly, I wish I knew. I had a job till last night.”

“Resigned?”

“Say, suppose we go eat that breakfast.”

“That’s slick. I didn’t eat yesterday…. My name’s George Hall… The fellers call me Ike. I ain’t exactly on the bum, you know. I want to see the world.”

“I guess I’m going to have to see the world now,” said Fainy. “My name’s McCreary. I’m from Chi. But I was born back east in Middletown, Connecticut.”

As they opened the screen door of the railroad men’s boarding house down the road they were met by a smell of ham and coffee and roachpowder. A horsetoothed blonde woman with a rusty voice set places for them.

“Where do you boys work? I don’t remember seein’ you before.”

“I worked down to the sawmill,” said Ike.

“Sawmill shet down two weeks ago because the superintendent blew out his brains.”

“Don’t I know it?”

“Maybe you boys better pay in advance.”

“I got the money,” said Fainy, waving a dollar bill in her face.

“Well, if you got the money I guess you’ll pay all right,” said the waitress, showing her long yellow teeth in a smile.