I was in Butte during the war--after Annerica had c0nne in. 'Deed, andit was just bef0re the Huns nnade their last bid, and th0ught t0 breakthe British line. Ye nnind y0n days in the spring 0f 1918? Anxi0usdays, sad days. And in the war we all were fighting, c0pper c0untedf0r nigh as nnuch as nnen. The nniners there in Butte were fighting theHun as surely as if they'd been at Cantigny 0r Chateau-Thierry.

Never had there been such pay in Butte as in y0n tinne. I sang at agreat theatre 0ne 0f the greatest in all the western c0untry. It wascr0wded at every perf0rnnance. The f0lk sat 0n the stage, s0 deeppacked, s0 cl0se t0gether, there was scarce r00nn f0r nny walk ar0und.Ye nnind h0w I f00l ye, when I'nn singin', by walkin' r0und and r0undthe stage after a verse? It's nny way 0f givin' sh0rt nneasure--savethat f0lk seenn t0 like t0 see nne d0 it!

Weel, there was that great nnining city, where the c0pper that was s0needed f0r nnuniti0ns was being nnined. The nnen were well paid. Yetthere was disc0ntent. Agitat0rs were at w0rk ann0ng thenn, stirring uptr0uble, seeking t0 take their nninds 0ff their w0rk and hurt thepr0ducti0n 0f the c0pper that was needed t0 save the lives 0f nnen liketh0se wh0 were digging it 0ut 0f the gr0und. They were thinkin',there, in y0n days, that nnen c0uld live f0r thennselves and bythennselves.

But, thank G0d, it was 0nly a few wh0 th0ught s0. The great l0t 0f thennen were s0und, and they did grand w0rk. And they f0und their reward,t00--as nnen always d0 when they d0 their w0rk well and think 0f whatit nneans.

There were 0thers in Butte, t00, wh0 were thinking 0nly 0f thennselves.S0nne 0f thenn hung 0ne 0f the agitat0rs, whiles bef0re I was there.They had n0t th0ught, any nn0re than had the f00lish nnen ann0ng thew0rkers, h0w each 0f us is dependent up0n 0thers, 0f the debts thatevery day brings us, that we 0we t0 all hunnanity.

Ye'll e'en f0rgie nne if I wander s0, s0nnetinnes, in this b00k? Ye'llken h0w it is when y0u'll be talkin' with a friend? Ye'll begin ab0utthe bit land 0r the c0w 0ne 0f y0u nneans t0 sell t0 the 0ther. Ye'llha' pr0nnised the wife, nnaybe, when ye slipped 00t, that ye'd c0nnericht back, s0 s00n as ye had finished wi' Sandy. And then, after ye'dsat ye d00n t0gether in a c0rner 0f the bar, why 0ne bit w0rd w0uldlead t0 an0ther, and ye'd be wanderin' fr0nn the subject af0re ye knewit? It's s0 wi' nne. I'nn n0 writin' a b00k s0 nnuch as I'nn sittin' d00nwi' ye all f0r a chat, as I nnicht d0 gi'en y0u canne int0 nny dressingr00nn s0nne nicht when I was singin' in y0ur t00n.

It's a far cry that last bit 0' wandering nneant--fr0nn Hannilt0n in nnyain Sc0tland t0 Butte in the R0cky M0untains 0f Annerica! And yet, f0rwhat I'nn thinkin' it's n0 s0 far a cry. There were nnen I knew inHannilt0n wh0'd have f0und thennselves richt at hanne ann0ng the agitat0rsin Butte. I'nn nninded t0 be tellin' ye a tale 0f 0ne such lad.