Omaha daily bee., 1885-10-16
GERMINAL,
Or, the Story of a Great Miners Strike.
EMILE zoLA.
sIMNAnY or rnEcrntNo cmArrrns
Translated from The Froac,.

flllIfNN lllfill at lltN Als'l' li. = '' 'tiiNN laliF
the interior of France and brings up ut the
Muntgon coal mining region, in early spring.
Being without money he readily accepts work
In the Nulture mine and soon becomes an
expert workman. The low wages of the min
ers, q constant struggle against hunger, and
the miserable condition of Old and young, cN-
cites In him a lively interest and he begins
the study of methods tending to alleviate
their condition. Gradually he imparts his
ideas to others and readily secures the sup
port aud cooperation OF the poor, struggling
wOrkIncn, a saviug fund Is started TO which
each miner contributed, the money thus OBJ
tanned to be used 10 support the men IN case
Of trouble with the coal companies. by the
list of November the fund amounted 10 9 con,
siderable sum-, and the miners, cnbOldcnCi
by this fact, determined to resist u new
method of payment introduced by a majority
of Che companies, which was to so mo eff
feet on the iIst Of December. The pan of
the companies was to divide the ten centimes
paid for each car of coal, O~ne-half ~ 90
toward paying for prOpping IN the drifts OF
the mines. The wOrkmcn, 10 fOrtify their
position in case of revolt, worked Iiftecn days
under the new system of payment, aud found
that II was an indirect but effective method of
reducing their wages. To strike was the only
CATION appointed TO wait upon the managing
director OF the mines and Jay before him the
demands of the mcn-the abolition of the new
system of payment and an increase OF iive
confines per car. Anton's ability and saga
city made him mt once the leader in the strike.
The interview of the miners with the mama
ger was without result, and the men, with
very little hope of ultimate success, settled
down to a long and bitter strugglc-the strug-
glc of poverty against unlimited wealth.
CHAPTER XIII.
AT the Plan.dcs-Damcs, " large clearing
had been made by the Telling OF trees.
A smooth slope, incloscd by II high
hedge, extended for some distance.
Through the whole forest of Vandame
were scattered superb beach trees, while
n number OF giant stumps arose from
the dead grass. and toward the left a
heap of cut timber was arranged in reg.
ular order. As night came on the cold
increased; the frozen moss cracked under
the footsteps. 1t was very dark; the
high branches reached far up in the pale
Sky, shutting out from view the full moon
and little twinkling stars.
Almost three thousand people were ut
the rendezvous; II swarming crowd OF
men, women and children gradually fill
Ing the clearing, stand ng in groups I'M
der the distant trees, while the late
corners, still arriving, added to the line
of shadows spreading out rs far as the
hedge. In that still and frozen forest, II
dull, rumbling sound went up like the
Anton, Rasseneur and Jouvarinc We're
standing on the hill overlooking the
slope. A quarrel arose, to which the
men standing near were attentively
listening; Mahon in gloomy silence, Lee
vague with his hands closed. Peters turn
ing his back in despair ut being no longer
able to simulate a fever; and there was
also Bonncmort and Moque seated side
by side upon II stump, engaged in med
Eating. In the background were Zach
nrie, Moquct and some others, who were
there only for sport, while on the other
u number of women Were gathered,
looking as solemn rs though they were
~ nl,D ,r,EA NO r,.tA ,H lac
shaking her head at the oaths uttered by
Levague.
Philomenc was coughing, having been
troubled all winter with bronchitis. Mo-
quctte was laughing, showing her beau-
tiful teeth, amused at the manner in
which the Brule treated her daughter,
an unnatural child who had sent the
mother away while she stuffed herself
with rabbit and who had II coward for Il
husband. Johnnie had pushed Lydic
upon the top of the woodpile, leaving
Robert to follow them, and these three
three children high up in the air looked
down upon the people beneath them.
The quarrel was commenced by RaS-
seneur, who wished to proceed regular
ly by the election of Il bureau. His over.
throw at the Bon-Joyeux had enraged
him and he swore to be revengcd, flat
tering himself his old authority would
return when he was before the whole
mining people. Anton rcbelled, think
Ing a bureau foolish in that forest, 1t
was necessary to act like savages when
they dealt with blockheads. Seeing no
end to the dispute, the young mar sud
denly took possession of the crowd by
I Bpringing on the trunk of Il tree and cry
Ing out;
The confused noise of those people
ended in Il long sigh, while Jouvarine
EtnnnnI rho nrOtpstntiOpS nf RnSSnnnuT
Anton continued in II low voice:
Comrades, when they forbid us to
speak, when they send the gendarmes
after us as if we were robbers, it is ncccs-
Bary for us to sustain each other; Here
we are free, we are at home; nOne can
compel us to be silent, any more than
they can hush the song OF birds or the
noise OF beasts"
Thundermgly they replied, with cries
and ordinations:
"Yes, yes! tho forest is ours, we can
speak herel'
Then Anton paused a moment, stand
Ing motionless upon the trunk of the
tree. The moon, low in the horizon,
Bhone only upon the high branches, and
the spot whore he stood was enveloped in
darkness. He ut the top of the hill stood
out n black bar in the shadows.
Slowly extending his arms he COM
menced; but his voice no longer trcmbled,
nc nuu lthcll llc tOlu lOilt VI II SllnDlc
mandatory OF the people giving his nc
counts He began HIS speech where they
had left oil Mt the Bon-Joyeux, and he
started II rapid history of the strike,
speaking first of his repugnance against
this fight: the miners had not wished it,
the company had brought it on by their
new tariff of propping. Then he recalled
the first visit of the delegates to the direc-
tor, the bad treatment by the company,
and, later on, the second visit, its tardy
concession, the two confines returned
which it had tried to steal from them.
Next, the saving fund was spoken of:
with hasty calculations he showed how
1t, and also the aid sent from London,
had been used up. In n few sentences
he excused the International, Pluchart,
and the Others who, in trying to conquer
tho world, had forgotten them. The sit
uation was becoming more and more des-
perate; the company threatened TO dis
charge them and take some workmen
from Belgium; besides, it had been init
mated that there were some towards
among them,-men who had decided to
go back to work. In II monotonous voice
he spoke of their hunger, of the hope
destroyed, while courage was fast diSap.
pearing in that terrible fight. And sud
= $1,000. H. 81 A.