The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1880-08-06
6, 1880.


of payment, and amount. Some sign with
heavy. wavering. horny handed sigma
ture Others ask the new clerk to sign for
them. while they, like the barous of old,
add the ciivairic sign of the cross now
and again one wieisls his pen with rapid
| and easy grace. and leaves behind him ali
| autograph ancestrally know in science.
commerce, and letters. As they sign their
| names each takes his check, chances it
over. tucks it away in his pocket. and
walks heavily OFT. The great stamps go
| on and on, roaring and jarrIng. The men
are paid up for tile month. They have
gone. and left the clerk to his books. his
spider like solitude. and the long, rolling
monotone of the mill.
Day after day, often into the night. the
new clerk, amid the continual noise. pllr-
SUES his silent task. Nov and again ne
locks his office doors. pass Into the mill
| and around among its bewildering move
ments, asiling questions of and speaking
| to the men concerning their various EN-
ploymentS. At first they answer him
coldly, even moroSely; then. by and by,
more checrfully and. after time, more
or less cordially. Little at a tine ne picks
up the meaning of things. till gradually
there awakes within him the latent me-
chanical lore OF his race then, like a
vision, the whole business dawns upon
Fin. Every wheel and crank, journal
and boxing, pulley and belt. cog wheel
and lever. tub, settler. battery, ngine
| furnace an II retOrt, becomes his intimate
friend. He knows them all. Outside the
| mill lie knows each driver and each mule
by name-ihe capacity and present con-
dition of every wagon. Nothing of the
business is unknown to him save the
cause of it all-the deep, dark delvings of
the miue-over which, thus lar Blethers
is king.
Several times our hero has gone to the
mouth of the mine, inside of the building
| IFlk
ell the hosting machinery bringing up
| refuse rocks and precious ore-watclfed
| the coming up and going down CT tile men
as they changed the gangs, or shifts but
| at no time has lie asked TO be taken down
| INTO the mine. or in any way seemed to
manifest any undue curiosity as to what
might he gong on below the eartb's sur
| face. Thus mouths passed away. He be-
/ gan to be looked upon as a very neat.
cleanly. orderly, harmless young fellow.
and polite. gond clerk. The men looked
! pleasantly upon him Oh the pay-Clavs in
! the office. and salutcd him ctecrily when
| ever he met them ; even Blethers seemed
| to abate some ot his luftiness i'll his pres
| ence.
One day. shortly after the latest payday.
| WHEN the weight of the preceding months
| business vas well off his hands, he locked
| his office doors and Strolled leisurely up to
| the mine, where he found ''Cussin' jack
| out OF doors, engaged in hewiny heavy
ti'nbers. He sat down upon the hewn
surface of the log, and fell into Conversa-
tIun With the newer.
BE yo' getten' to feel whoaIn -loike up
'ere i til Iiloines -
Yes. | like It first rate.''
We'll T. boys be comm to loike yo'
bit
well, 1 like the boys
''Yo' dew -
Yes
"Why dosr tina nivver cnam out an TAX
dram wi em or smoaS poipe ?''
Il do not drink
Nor smoak ?'' asked Jack, as he still
hewed t" the black line ne had struck
upon the log.
II can smoke, but 1 do not fancy
| tobacco -
Tina rt a rare un. r. boys think tha'rt
bit stiff an Ugh tony l. thy ways
Il d" not mean to be stiff and bigh-to.v.
work for my wages the same as they do
We are all in tho same boat -
We'll z'iid. lad. well zaid.'' and he
st"pped hewing. put the po:ut of his
Droad-axe on the log. and. crossing his
arms. leaned upon the end of the handle.
whlie lie put one foot upon the timber.
and asked ID yo' want to know 'ow
10 put feither i thy cap wi t. boys l. this
| ere camp -
Yes. - said Norman, Il would like to
help the bovs.''
Aye, | believe tina - then he looked
| az ftbptL Iills ifODpcu Ms axe on the
| timber. lifted his black leather belt with
one hand, and with the other hand fiShed
out OF his fob-pocket his last months
check banded iG to Norman. and, resunl-
ing his axe. went on hewing.
This check is all right. il it not -
said Norman, when he had it unfoltletl.
'.fhere's hOwt amiss wi Z check.
There Oe'ent no better check az I knows
| on
''What is the matter. then ?''
'Wcll, if yo'k loike to gi' vo'rsen lift
| wi = boys, stop payin' checks an gil 'ns t
| cash.:
| rs not rhe check as good as cash ?''
Nav. it be'ent not ere. " store
keeaper slaives il. ivvera body shaives it
bnt t. cash. lad. gi' us t cash. I be'ent
gossip talkeE. Go thy ways but doant
| forgotten as I've telled tia to put a
| feither i Thy cap"
Il viii remember it, said Norman,
haunting his clirck back to him.
''Go thy ways. AM tha gettest l.
trouble i the cash bissens, moind | tell tha.
| tia hast friends i the house o. Pharaoh"
Norman bade the hewer good-day,
strolled about the mine. mouth and ore
house short time, and then went back to
his office, where he wrote letter to his
patron, from which the following is an
extract /:
81 think I am beginning to grasp the
Sitttdtipls nave hcl'lF ou any S&dIlttia.
ton of the mine. Have not yet made any
demand tor il. because / have wished to
see my way in broad daylight first. be-
fore trying the darkness. The men still
complain that their checks are shaved un-
mercifully by all to whom they present
them. but most severely by the store,
whici, the men call the company store
They also complain that they are called
upon. when working by contracr, to re-
ceipt for more money than they receive,
etc, etc. These latter matters (which
will report more at large by and by can
not now be affected by my present power
bnt if you will enable me to pay the ,nen
in h-coin or gol.i-nntes--altogether In
cash or half cash and half checks. 1t will
Distribute the wages of the men into more
hands, make the inen feel more indepen-
dent, aud therefore slightly weaken the
hold which the present management has
upon this people,"
The letter had its effect. When the
men came In to sign the psy-rolls of the
succeeding month. they took their halt
cash with pleasant chaff and merry good
humor. The outside stoTe-keeper and
other dealers did better paying business