Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 158, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 July 1914 — BROADWAY JONES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BROADWAY JONES

FROM UK PLAY OF GEORGE M. COAM

by EDWARD MARSHALL

iWITM PHOTOGRAPHS FRO/1 <SCTO lit IBt PLAY . QQPYHfGHT; err

14 - SYNOPSIS. Jackson Jones, nicknamed “Broadway” because of his continual glorification of Hew York’s great thoroughfare, is anxious to get away from his home town of J&nesvllie. ,Abner Jones, his uncle, is very angry because Broadway refuses to settle down and take a place In the gum factory* tn which he succeeded to his father’s Interest. Judge Spotswood Informs Broadway that $250,000 left him by his father is at his disposal. Broadway makes record time in heading for his favorite street In New York. With his N«W York friend, Robert Wallace, Broadway creates a sensation by his extravagance on the White Way. Four years pass and Broadway suddenly discovers that he is not only broke, but heavily In debt He quietly seeks work without success. Broadway becomes engaged to Mrs. Qerard, an ancient widow, wealthy and very giddy. Wallace learns that Broadway is broke and offers him a position with his father's advertising firm, but it ts declined. Wallace takes . charge o. Broadway’s affairs. Broadway receives * telegram announcing the death of his Uncle Abner in Europe. Broadway ishis sole heir. Peter Pembroke of the Consolidated Chewing Gum company offers Broadway $1,200,000 for his gum plant and Broadway agrees to sell. Wallace takes the affair fn nand and insists that Broadway hold off for a bigger price and rushes hjin to Jonesville to - consult Judge Spotswood. Broadway finds his boyhood playmate. Josie Richards in charge of the plant and falls in love with her. Wallaee Is smitten with Judge Spotswood’s daughter, Clara. Josie points out to Broadway that by selling the plant to the trust he will ruin the town built by his ancestors and throw TOO employes out of work. Broadway decides that he will not sell. Broadway visits the plant and Josie explains the business details to him. He decides to take hold of the work at once.

CHAPTER Continued.

“Great Scott!” he said, aglow with genial satisfaction. “Talk about excitement I The whole plant is in an uproar.” "What is it, judge?” the owner of the plant Inquired. “Why, didn’t you send a message out there by Higgins?” , “Er—yes, I did.” , “Well, that’s what they’re cheering about. The men are yelling themselves hoarse and the boys are dancing with joy.” The judge was beaming like a full moon with gray tufts of hair above its ears. “You’d think Bedlam had broken loose. They're yelling for you. Broadway. Come out and let them see you.” Broadway was in a state of panic, of blue funk, of sheer, unspeakable affright. He ducked and looked about as if endeavoring to find that avenue through which escape would be easiest. "No; not now, please,” he begged ” p 1 tifully. They might have let it go at that had not the cheering within the works broken out afresh. “Listen to that,” the judge adjured him, and urged him with a happy hand upon his elbow. His wife went to his assistance. “Oh, do go out and say something, Broadway!” “Yes,” the judge insisted, "come and make a speech.” “I can’t say anything,” said the miserable and frightened Broadway. “I never made a speech in my life!” Josie, smiling gently, turned from them. When again she faced them she held in her hand the paper she had thrust so recently into that sacred, secret place. “Read this to them,” she suggested. He took it, but he did not see whence it had been extracted, although Mrs.

Spotswood did. The eyes of matrons of her age are sympathetically attuned to elans of this sort, seeing them when others miss them. Rhe smiled at Josie, Josie caught her eye and blushed' furiously. “Oh, come on." The judge now took a firmer hold on him. “It will make them all feel good.” His faithful wife went to his aid. She took the other arm of the acutely miserable youth, and between them they propelled him from the room, through the short length of a wide hallway stacked on either side with boxes full of chewing gum already packed for shipment, through a breathlessly hot engine-room, and into the main room upon the factory’s ground floor. Their appearance was the signal for Mi uproar of applause. The loudest

cheering of the previous outburst was surpassed so notably that, by comparison, it had been whispering. In the enthusiasm of the moment men, women and the younger workers of the force lost all sense of reserve. Broadway ceased to be that terrible thing, a new and untried boss, who must be looked at carefully, addressed with caution and regarded with respect made up principally of fear. He was young; he had been fair to them; he was their economic savior.

Tlfey went mad, and, at first permitting him no opportunity to make the speech which he so feared, seized him as if he had been the winning player at a football game and bore him round the great room of the factory upon their shoulders.

There was affection in the strong arrrsof the men who lifted him; there were tears in many women’s eyes which watched. Not only was this youth the boss; he was the young boss. They knew he had been plucky in his loyalty to them, rumors of the splendid offer which tbe trust had made had been circulated freely. He was accredited with that intention most admired by real Americans, and these workmen, in this old New England mill, in this old New England village, were principally native sons. He was not content to be an idler; he insisted upon buckling down to a man’s job. And had he not decided to take up the burden of gum-manufac-ture largely through his feeling of responsibility to them and to the town? Financially the offer of the trust must certainly hpve been more tempting than the prospect of commercial batitle which, even Should it win, would inevitably involve a long, expensive and intensely wearing strain! Would they ride him round and round upon their shoulders? Would they cheer him till the blood rushed to their heads? Would the woman want to kiss him and the youngsters look at him as if he were a species of superior being? Verily, they -would. And verily they did. In the meantime, in the office, Clara was left quitd alone. She may have been aware that Interesting things were happening in the factory, things which she would very gladly have witnessed, but beyond doubt she felt that something far moreinteresting—towit, the arrival of Bob Wallace —was likely to occur at any moment in the office. She preferred the smiles of

Wallace t© the ©beers of working-peo-ple. and she waited for them. Wallace was not long delayed. She greeted him with cordial liking. “You didn’t expect to find me here, did you?” “Well, hardly. This is an unexpected pleasure.” “Mr. Jones will be back in a few minutes. He went out in the works to make a speech.” - ...... She gave this information with the air of one explaining commonplaces. To her everything, in deed, was commonplace, save Wallace. She held him the most extraordinary thlng on earth. But he was utterly amazed. “To make a speech!” He burst into a roar of laughter. “Well, what do you think of that!” She smiled at him. She cared nothing for the cheering, but she would tell him about it, because she liked to talk to him on any subject. “Well, you should have heard them cheering! They’ve made more noise than this old town ha»ever heard before.”

“Yes, I dare say it is," he granted, as new cheers burst forth. But he did not go to see the demonstration, which indicated to him that he must find something most attractive in this village belle’s company. What other woman could have held him f|om the sight of Broadway Jones in his first effort as ah orator? “Funny,” he remarked, and smiled at her; “I Was thinking of you as I passed the drug store just now.” She laughed, delighted. “That’s strange. I’ve been thinking of you, too!” “Have you really?” “Yes. Oh, those chocolates were fine! I ate them all before I went to bed.” Then, reproachfully, “but you shouldn’t be spending your money the way you do!" He was unconscious of any mad expenditure of which she could be cognizant and, therefore, was surprised. “What?” j \ “Mr. Jones told me that you were a regular spendthrift.” This from Broadway, the most famous spendthrift of New York’s recent years! “When did he tell you that?” he aaked, lend eavoring to hide the meaning of his smiles. “Just a little while ago. He said you spent over twenty-five dollars one night!" £ For a second this extraordinary statement almost choked him. He had been with Broadway when that sum would have been regarded as a modest tip for a head-waiter. “Oh, did he tell you about that night?” he asked, still carefully en-

deavoring to conceal the nature of his smiles at least: * And as he smiled, it came upon him that for reasons which he did not understand as yet he should be sorry to have this particular girl Hearn details of some nights which he and Broadway Jones had passed together on the famous street they knew so well. “Yes,” she said, prettily admonishing, “and. you mustn’t waste it in that way any more.”

She shook her finger at him playfully, but with a serious light of eyes behind the playfulness which seemed to indicate proprietary interest in him. I| amused him —but he found It unmistakably pleasant, too. ■ The excited Sam came in. Sam always seemed to come at just those moments which without him would have been more interesting.

“He’s shaking hands with everybody,” he volunteered. "Who?,/Mr. Jones?” asked Clara. “Yes Gosh! He was —afraid to make a speech I • I bet —I - wouldn’t —be afraid! If ever I amount to anything the first thing to do is to make a speech about myself!” Wallace laughed. “You’ve got the right idea, Sammy.” "You bet — rve got the right idea! I've got darned good ideas if I ever get a chance to use ’em! ” Clara was reproving. "Sammy, stop this constant talking about yourself!” “Stop your oWn talking! You don’t understand me. I’ve got brains I have!” “No one can tell,” s,aid Wallace. “Maybe he has.” “I’ll surprise —You all some day!” ■ ' Clara smiled at Wallace. "Ain’t it funny. He really thinks he’s going to be a big man.” “Well, maybe he will,” said Wallace, considering Sammy’s bulk reflectively,

“and then, again, he’s liable to Tall away to almost nothing.” She laughed, delighted at his humor. “Oh, I see what you mean! You’re always joking, aren’t you?”- , “Aren’t I the cut-up, though?”, he gently guyed her. It was very silly, and he knew how very silly it was, but, none the less, thq city man enjoyed the persiflage with this red-cheeked rural maiden. In the extraordinary ebullition of his spirits he reached out his hand for hers, found it, and stood swinging it. She blushed, he laughed. He was really burlesquing a flirtation, but she did not know it, nor was the impulse of his foolery entirely burlesque. He was very much confused when an amused cough from behind them told that Josie had come In.

Ho whirled. “Oh, good morning, Miss Richards!” “How do you do, Mr. Wallace?” She smiled with definite satisfaction. “Mr. Jones is causing* quite -a sensation* in the works.” “So I understand.” “Shall I tell him you are here?” asked Clara. “I wish you would, if it isn’t too much trouble. Miss Spotswood.” “Not at all. I’ll be only too pleased.” She smiled at him. “Nobody me anything but Clara.” Wallace felt that he was most em phatically in clover. 'fOh, you Clara!” He was a'large young man, with a large, smooth-shaven face, particularly broad. It was one happy smile. She was giggling as she hurried toward the factory. “I’ll tell him, right away.” Wallace turned to Josie. "Has Mr. Pembroke called?” “No; Mr. Jones was saying he expected him at eleven o’clock.” —L

“Well, it isn’t quite eleven, yet" “He told me of the advice you gave him. We have a good deal to thank you for. I’m sure of that.” “I don’t see why,” he protested. “He’s only doing what is right. Any man with a conscience would do the same. Of course my influence may have had some bearing on his decision, but, believe me, his mind was made up When you got through with him last night.” *• - She was very earnest. “Oh, It means so much to so many!” “Any way, I think he’d be a fool to. sell.” “You do?” “Certainly. A proposition which showed the profit this did last year—without any advertising! , Why, it’s wonderful! I know what I’m talking about. I’m with the biggest advertising firm in New "York city.” “But we Couldn't afford to advertise, except in a small way,” she said in explanation of what he evidently thought

their lack of enterprise, “and the big firms wouldn’t take a petty contract.” “Why didn’t you try the Empire Agency?” She shook her head. "We did. They refused to handle us at all. They do most of the Consolidated’s work, you see. I guess that was the reason.” He was quick to deny this. He did not wish anyone to think that the great Empire Agency would favor one concern to the extent of shutting out another in fair competition. “Oh, no,” he confidently asserted, “we don’t make that sort of agreements. No corporation can dictate to us. The Empire’s my firm. ' My Guv*nor’s its president” "Oh, well, then, perhaps, you know all about it.” She evidently did not care to be so firmly contradicted. This daunted hini. “You say they refused to handle your work?” “Absolutely.” For a moment he stood lost in thought, then suddenly reached a resolution of Importance. “May I use your ’phone?" he asked. “Certainly.” "Give me long distance,” he demanded of the operator; then, while he was waiting, he turned back to Josie, saying almost angrily: "That’s a pretty rotten trick, if it’s so—to squeeze the little fellow out like that You’re absolutely sure it was the Empire?” “Yes; we tried all tha big advertising firms.” “There isn’t any other big advertising flrm,”he valiantlydeclaimed.Hls business patriotism was unquestionable. “If there was we’d whip it over to the Empire in pretty quick shape.” The receiver, which he held at his ear, showed signs of life. “Hello, I want New York,” he told the operator. Then, to Josie: “What’s this number?” “Two-two Main.” “This is two-two Main, the Jones plant,” he informed the operator. “All right. Get them for me as quickly as ygu can.’’ ~ ■ After hanging up the receiver he turned gravely to Josie. “There must be some mistake about this,” he assured her. Evidently he was seriously worried about the charge of favoritism brought against his firm. “I have all the correspondence, if you’d like to see it” “I’d like to very much.” “I’ll have it here in a very few minutes. Excuse me.” • Fortunately for his telephonic endeavors there had been a period of quiet in the outer factory. Blit how, as the crowd approached across the vast workroom adjoining, from a visit to the other portions of the plant, the roar of cheering was renewed. He went to the door and opened it, looking into the workroom. Almost at the door were the Judge and Mrs. Spotswood and, just behind them, Broadway. They were smiling happily and proudly. He was som&what wilted, but elated. He rushed forward, grasping Wallace’s hand, greatly to the latter’s surprise. • “I’ve shaken hands with everybody in the world,” said Broadway.

CHAPTER XII. The celebration over, the mill one© more settled down to that industrial peace which is accompanied by the deafening roar of machinery, the clamor of the busy hammer bn The nail, sinking home in packing boxes, the shouts of workingmen and women forced to thrust their words above the strident medley which surrounds them. There was new life in the old mill, new confidence had taken place of fear and fierce antagonism in the hearts of hundreds, an esprit de corps had been bom suddenly such as had not existed In that factory for many years. In one happy sentence of his bashful speech Broadway had struck a keynote. He had said: “And —er—now, you fellows, keep your brains—er —busy with this situation. I hav? bucked the Trust. I’ve bucked the Trust for you and the old town. Now if you don’t help me beat it to the ropes, stagger it, blind it, pulp it, put it down and eut as the allpowerful force in the gum-industry, it’s going to wipe me off the map, and when I’m wiped you’re wiped. Tve fought for you, and lots of folks will say I am a fool for doing it

If you start in and fight for me; ts we both fight heart and soul and night and day to win against the wildest competition that was ever known in chewing-gum, we WILL win. Anything else means our sponge in the air and a call for doctors and an ambulance, or more likely, undertaker, for Jones’ Pepsin Gum, its owner and the men who work for him.” These words had struck home. The workmen had all understood their truth; furthermore, they fully recognized the justice of the burden Broadway laid upon them. Workingmen are fair; they are fairer in old. little towns like Jonesville' than they are in great industrial centers, where the element of personality has passed out of industry and the worker is a cog, while the owner is an unseen and mysterious power. The men had shouted wildly that they all would help and m&ant it. After he had left the shops they had -reiterated among themselves the pledges of their fealty, and they meant them then. Sweethearts, that day in the Jones plant, would have scornfully rejected sweethearts who showed any sign of treason to the young proprietor; fathers would have thrashed a son who sneered at Broadway; mothers would have chided daughters (more likely would have spanked them fiercely) who offered slurs upon what had occurred. The capacity of mixers, cookers, drawers, molders, cutters, stackers, wrappers, packers, boxers, ship pers increased as if by magic. For

their hearts were in their work; they were hustling for the boss who had declared his firm intention of hustling for his workers. , Therefore in the works everything buzzed and hummed and banged and clattered with a pleasurable and contagious enthusiasm. In the office there was a warm glow of satisfaction, but Broadway’s smile, after the ladies had departed, Clara and her mother to make calls and pass the joyful news about the town triumphantly, Josie to attend to necessary details of her duties, became somewhat weaker, than it had been. lie had gono into the fight, but was he going to win the fight? It was fine to fight, undoubtedly, but it would be painful to get licked. His knowledge of the business world was amply rep resented by the figure “0." The Trust’s knowledge of the business world was represented by the figure “0” and then another figure “0,” the two preceded by the figure “1.” They knew 100 per cent, of that game of which he knew absolutely nothing. He had defied them, shied his hat into the ring, and now was obliged to chastise them drastically. He sighed, thrust his peck out stiffly, and said, trying to be cocky, but, now that the excitement had died down, realizing that it would be easy to be gloomy: “Funny Pembroke isn’t here.” He proposed to scorn that person, he was ' ?yed up to a mighty candlepower of hot contempt, but he wanted to get at it, get it over with, before his energy had oozed away. “He’ll be along,” said Wallace. “Is it eleven, yet?” .L “Just.” He was even rather nervous. “What are we going to say to him when he gets here?” “Remember that yog promised to let me handle him," said Wallace warningiy. "He thinks I’m your secretary.” The judge saw that they were worried. “If you boys want to talk things over I’ll skip along.”. “No, stay here, judge,” Broadway urged. “We may need a lawyer.” The Judge’s face glowed with his satisfaction.

(TO BE CONTINUED.)

“They're Veiling for You, Broadway."

The Judge Beamed Happily.