Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-03-26

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to forget it, except when we are driven to
make fuss now and then. BY your talk
of the wages, reckon you've thought
how little 1t takes to keep US quiet and
contented-lke. It's only a snug home in
Two or three rooms. chair apiece for the
old folks and the children, II matter of pO-
atoes, and bread. and fish, with taste Of
meat off and on, and little sup of tea or
coffee, bit Of IL fire in the cold weather,
and decent dress for the women folk. It's
not much, is it, sir? Do the fine gentle
men that talk about capital and labor, and
such like, know what living on ten, or
eight, or six dollars week means, to a
family of five? And when the ten dollars
is made five, or the eight four, do they
know what that meansP think not,
Master Harold, or they couldn't help but
care! 1t means only an hours fire in u
day in the bitter winter, and sometimes
not that it means feeding the young ones
on meal and porridge, day after day, and
seeing 'em grow paler and thinner, dying
by inches under your very eyes, starving
in land of plenty! When the pinch
comes, we had better be machines, for
then we should have care to keep us run
ming, or animals, for the society with the
long name to look after us and prevent
cruelty! There's screw loose somewhere
when man can't starve his COW or abuse
his horse for fear of the law, but can hire
workmen at eighty or ninety cents II day.
because there's others willing to work for
starvation wages!'
The laborer had warmed up with his
subject, and stood talking to the capitalist
as man to man, with fire in his eye and a
clcnched hand.
You are right, Rogers said Harold,
with emotion he was too manly To conceal.
The world can't know, or it would care
more for your side of the trouble. But if
you'll sand by me I'll stand by you, and
Wen see what can be done in one mill :"
and with friendly hand grasps the first
conference in NIilltown ended.
There was rejoicing in hundreds of
homes that night. The two or three dol
lars added to the weekly wages meant, in
many Of them, the difference between
comfort and suffering, between content
and perplcXity, between happiness and
misery.
After month had passed, two of the
hardheaded directors who had protested in
vain against the sentimental notions - of
the new president, began to get uneasy.
IL say, Bacon, have you heard the re-
ports from the mill?" asked Brown, us the
two met one day at little club lunch,
that only cost each of them n sum Of /.
workngman wages for II week. Brown
was one of the larger stockholders. and
had been obliged to "cut down" his
household and personal expenses 10 fifteen
thousand year, on account of the hard
times.
N-aa," said the other with the latest
English drawl, "what nonsense has the
young luny b, en- up to now?'
"Why, they say the men are working
almost us if they owned the mill; never
turned out such stock, nor at so little cost.
And Fletcher is doing all the selling, with
the help of one clerk. in place Of poor
Robbins, who misses his twenty thousand
as agent most deucedly. They say he's
actually had to take Il place ut three thou
sand, down town"
"Ah.h. vewy good returned the other
viewin. the brolled bird before him crit
ically, Utopia, and all that sort of thing.
Kingdom come, CGtera-cctcra. We'll
Mister Brown, | like poetry and moon
shne-in their proper place. But when
the stock stops paving twcnty.six pei
cent, us it must, You know, mine goes tc
he broker haven any money to risk
ON acrelcrating the approach of the mil
lennum
Just my fix, laughed the rctrenchin9
director, as he emplied the second bottle
of his iavoritc wine, and mellowcd W
r,,,i,ll,, ,,t,l,,. i,sH E,l
hit it, 'zac Iy CupiIll idea! millennium
mill He. he! SO they work sharp, eh
Glad of that. Old Flctcher's lash or young
Fetcher's oats, it is all one to us 50 long
rs tie work comes But no 'lcnniuuI below
twenty-SiX Cad, Bacon, you've said it,"
Having demonstrated that II policy o
Justice could be made TO pay ten per cent
but not twenty six, Harold Fletcher bough
the stock Of the discontented shareholders
who were afraid Of Fastening the millen
mum, and proceeded to cry stallize into
fact Il few more of his theories.
He began with the homes of the work
men. From his private funds lie crecteC
one hundred model cottages, with II pretty
yard and garden for each, and ample pro
vision for drainage, pure air, plenty o
water. and cheertulneSs and convcnienc,
for work in the house. lie rented then
for five per cent on their cost, which
brought them within the means of all in
dustrous and temperate men; and sucl
the workmen had to be, if they remained
When the ten per cent was paid, it wa
received and applied as purchase money
making ii possible for frugal managers
soon to own their own homes.
lie established II workingmen saving!
bank, and provided that one-lhird of tn,
board of directors should be from thei
own number; that no deposits should b.
received in excess of one thousand doIar
II year from any individual, SO that lht
bank could be easily, chcaply and safel,
managed for the benefit Of the class 70
whom it WAS designated; and that all in
vestmentS should be made in government
or state bonds, IL high rate of interest no
being desired so much us absolute security
and ready convenibiity into money with
out loss.
lie opened a store on the communit'
principle, and put IN experienced ant
competent man ut the head of it, who ha,
no interest except to earn his salary faith
/ fully, and keep the accounts 50 that Mr.
EltlCllcI lillISGlI' WIlli II vi
patrons, could see each month that every
/ thing was straight; duty which he neye
deputized nor shirked. At this store eacl
) family could get all that it needed to pur
chase Of the best quality, ut cost prices
and the saving was equivalent to an in
crease of fifteen per cent in the wages.
) 4 I've, um was opened in II town hal
, built and equipped by subscriptions secuI
: ed by Mr.. Fletcher which he headed wit
one.half The cost. There was an cXcellen
free library and reading room attached
and weekly lectures on practical topic
were given during the winter, with II fire
. concert, or other entertainment. plentiful
spiced with fun on Saturday nights,
competent woman was also engaged t.
give lessons in tho various arts of house
wilery. In II surprisingly short time, b
the aid of this instruction and the printe
tracts containing recipes and directions
| nearly all the women could make goo
soups, and prepare many new and whole
some dishes, ut a cost far below til
Y wasteful cooking OF their previously is
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