The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1886-05-05
MIR. POWDERLN AT HOME.
His Views on the Strikes the Eight-IIour sys-
tenn, and some Other Matters Now Agitating
the Lnhoring People Of the Country.

His Views on the strikes the Eight-Hour sys.
tenn, and some Other Matters Now Agitatiny
the Lnhoring People of the Country.
(From the New York star)
Although General Master Workman
Powdcrly of the Knights of Labor is an
advocate of reasonable share of rest for
the worlds workers, he deems the entire
twenty-four hours too brief for his own
daily task. The click of the typewriter
is heard late into the night in the COW
little back Office of his unassuming resi-
dencc III the Hyde Park section of the
city where the labor chief makes his
homo. When the correspondent of the
Star called to sec the master workman
he found him hard at work in this Office.
The way was led by modest, courteous.
attentive and intelligent little lady, who
stands between the labor chief and
the hundreds who arc continually callino
to see him. This is Mrs. Powdcrlv. and
she Is wonderful assistance to her hus-
band IN the performance of his cXacting
duties. Having introduced the visitor.
she withdraws, and the folding doors
which separate the front parlor from the
oiiicc library are closed. The workshop
IN which the general master workman
labors is crowded with books and DaDcrs.
but ncatncSS, order and method are ap-
parent i'll the arrangement of every
article, from the glass paper weight TO
the pile OF bound volumes that contain
copies OF all the important letters he has
written i'll the discharge of his official
duties during the six years that he has
been at the head of the greatest labor
organization in the world. a mass of
letters, brought i'll one days mail, rises
from the carpctcd floor ahnost as high
as the chair upon which he is seated,
and Mr.. Powdcrly is carefully going
through these and making such notes of
Their contents as he thinks they deserve.
"Iou must receive as large Il mail as
the average exchange editor" said the
correspondent after the first friendly
greetings were over.
"Wcu, don't know how much of a
mail an exchange editor generally gets"
said Mr.. Powdcrly, "but this is a fair
specimen of what comes to me every day
through the mails, and my Geographic
correspondence IS not much less As q
general thing the assemblies of the
knights Of Labor select intelligent sccrc
taries, and their letters are always in ex-
cellcnt shape, but | receive some epistlcs
that would puzzle an expert calling for
decisions on knotty questions that would
stagScr Solomon himself. There is work
enough i'll my Office to keep six men fully
employed, and yet | am expected to do
1t and at the same time have sufficient
leisure for philosophical essays on scicn-
tlflc and economic problems that would
tax the wisdom and scholarship of n John
Stuart Mill. Then it is astonishing how
quickly am taken to task for the use of
some learned phrase or expression that
conveys the most direct meaning can
think OF Mt the time am always anx-
lous to give my IDEAS the simplest form
OF expression possible, SO that there may
be no misunderstanding of what L say or
write. Such simplicity requires study,
and as 1 have no time for study or reaec-
ton, the thought must be taken on its
own merits without regard to the setting.
what with sickness, worry and work j
have had busy time of it lately, and |
see no let up in the near future. Our
order is increasing with amazing rapidi-
ty, and as general thing new members
are more likely to misunderstood its mis-
sion than the old ones. IL ought 70 be
generally known that ttne order of the
knights Gf Labor is emphatically OPP
posed to strikes until all other means of
securing q settlement of the matters in
dispute have failed But find that some
of those who want to Join us have quite
a different impression, and appear to be-
lieve that we are organized for the pur-
pose of conducting instead of preventing
strikes"
"Was the general executive board cog
nizant of the fact that there was going to
be strike in the Southwest prior to the
strike taking place?"
eve knew that the men there had glie-
yances, but wo were not quite certain that
the matter would eliminate in strike.
There was great dissatisfaction among the