erhaps an old quilt to cover up
with. This costs a nickel; in some places we get a 'claim' on the floor
for two cents."

"You say a 'claim' on the floor; you don't pay for sleeping on the
floor?" said Chiquita, drawing back in amazement.

"Yes, we have to pay for everything but air in Chicago. We pick out our
claim, first come, first served, and put down a newspaper for bed, cover
up with another, all for two cents; but I don't like the floor. The
other fellows step on you when they come in late."

"Are these places clean?" timidly inquired Chiquita.

"Not very, ma'am; not like the hospital."

"Well, my poor fellow, here is a quarter; I hope it will do you some
good."

"Thank you, lady."

Instead of going to the hospital Chiquita made a pilgrimage to one of
those well-known better class lodging houses, not far from the Board of
Trade. Here she saw every chair of a hundred or more occupied by men
similarly dressed and evidently looking for work. Of the numbers
accosted all told the same tale of misfortune and all emphasized the
deplorable condition of the great manufacturing industries throughout
the United States. There was no work to be had at any price. Large firms
reduced their forces to the lowest capacity possible. Many curtailed the
working hours of all rather than discharge half the number, while one
colossal corporation ran their works at a loss, despite the wide
spreading distrust prevalent during the panic, which crippled every
occupation, profession and calling. Banks closed their doors, regardless
of the suffering inflicted, business houses, shorn of their credit,
dropped all attempts to sustain relations with the world, and armies of
men thrown out of employment had to provide for themselves and their
families as best they could.

Money could not be borrowed. Even the gold-bearing bonds of the United
States fell under the ban of suspicion; and nothing but gold, gold,
gold, had any intrinsic value. The new word which wrought such dire
disaster was _Coin_, and the bank notes presented day after day by
Wall street sapped the gold of the treasury until repudiation seemed
inevitable. The one man upon whose shoulders the burden of disaster
fell, took the oath of office as President of the United States, on
March 4th, 1893, the responsibility of a bond issue being thrown upon
him by the outgoing administration. The new official refused to declare
his policy. Wall street wanted knowledge positive as to th