Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1888-02-16


mills must go too, for all they stood now so
cold and proud The smoke grew thinner in
the window where Philip stood, so he could
look down on the sweaty faces and bending
forms Of the men at the brakes. Everything
depended ON them, and how strong they sent
the water through the hose he held, and
forced back the fire inch by inch from its
prey. II they could only keep it up few
moments more the mills would be out of
danger. Each stroke of the brakes made the
hose throb against his side almost like a
giants pulse. God grant them strength a
few moments more.
Suddenly he heard loud voice raised
above the murmur of the crowd.
"Wise boys ye be, to clench the nails in
yer own cofins. Amt this mill yer Jail and
its bosses your jailersl Is there a fool of ye
all, but knows old Breton who grins so nice
tonight on We, but knows him for tyrant,
who grinds us to powder"
Philip saw a short, burly man whose hair
was cropped close to his round head, shout
ing and gesticulating wildly, as he made his
way up to the engine and then leaped upon
it. The brakes stop moving and the fire
sends up new tongues and leaps along the
smoking beams and rafters in fresh fury,
while the men listened breathlessly to this
stranger. The women too gather nearer, and
look in curiosity at their husbands and
brothers who drink in so eagerly his poisoned
words.
~ s'pose ye thought ye didn't work long
enough for yer ninety cents a day. But ye
hev. Ay, boys, that big heap o brick stands
for that old mans meanness; it's the machine
t. crush ye. It's the way he bleeds ye. But
how sweet he is tonight. Ye never noticed
it before did ye! HISS seed you starvin'
on the wages he paid, and yer purity darters
gone to the bad for the want of few things
all gals kinder like. Some on We, too, has
got old and cripples in his service. He amt
ever guv a mite, has he9 Now it's your
turn"
And the man shouted loud above the hiss
ing, cracking flames that leaped out of
dozen windows in wild glee. "Let his mills
burn fur warnin' to such as he who make
so much sorror and misery in this ere purity
world that if Satan tortured their cruel souls
foreverlnore, it wouldn't be feather in the
balance. Let him know the despair of
poor man for once"
1t was almost madness that glittered in the
fellows darting eyes, and his voice grew
hoarse and terrible as he pointed his thick
fingers at the mill half hid in smoke, Lit up in
spots with forks of fame.
"Let every plank of it go. It's only served
to make him richer each month, and ye
poorer. Such machine as that don't de-
sarve to stand. Let his riches he's used so
poor turn to ashes this night. Tears and
prayin' couldn't git equal rights for US; the
fire will do it, though"
Ezekiel Breton elbowed his way into their
midst.
He had lost his hat, and stood pale in his
agony in the presence of the men who
thought he had wronged them. He was con-
scious of no guilt; he had only made his
money es others made theirs; fairer, indeed,
than mere money lenders, who added moth
ing to the worlds productions. He knew, of
course, the poor suffered, but a man can't be
too squeamish, and the same road was open
to them that he had taken. And as for
wages, who could blame a man for getting
help as cheaply as he canl That is business
Mr.. Breton knew but one argument for
them.
"Ii you want pay" he shouted, "here is
money, dollar an hour to each man."
But not face relaxed; he looked fearfully
from one to another, and then up at the
grinning face of the stranger, "only save
my mill" The old man put up his hand to
his white hair in piteous gesture as he
glanced at the sheets of fame and lurid
smoke that shut off the sky above his devoted
mill
''See the fire grows every second, we are
lost unless you go to work will pay ter
dollars an hour
The brakes began to move slowly up anc
down Philip felt the water throb through
the hose as it touched his side, but it wa:
only one fitful squirt, for the stranger, who
seemed to hold the mills at his mercy, haC
found his voice again.
keep yer money, old man; you will neeG
every penny of it, for you've cheated yer last
out of yer help in them mills. Yer mill hei
got to CO."
Philip saw his father turn toward his milk
the pride of his life, and look as fordly al
their grim walls as man on the woman h'
loves, and the tears of futile agony wet hi
cheeks That moment the young man aget
ten years.
The crowd fell back again, and another
speaker mounted the strange rostrum. HI
looked young for such crisis, but there wal
new suggestion of power in his lips and th'
sullen crowd wondered what he thought ht
could say to persuade them.
II suppose" began Philip slowly, as i
every minute might not be worth a fortune
~ presume, and his voice sounded dry ant
hard, "you will want your wages as usual
next pay day. Is there any one Of you fool
ish enough to imagine you will get them i
the mills gop'
Then the young man glanced at the hurl!
| stranger, who, clearly enough, was takei
Possibly this broad shouldered friend o
yours is going to find a living for you. Yol
| have got to find it somewhere, and you won
have particularly good characters to recon-
| mend you to new tyrants.
"Mind, men, don't say but it is quit
| fair, but mill owners manage their busines
| about the same way. 1t is all very well II
| complain, but the first necessity is place d
work; if there isn't that, you surely can
have any rights. may as well tell you, th
mills are heavily insured, and you can't quit
have the rare satisfaction of seeing that oh
| man ruined. But doubt if he will care t.
| put any more mills under such extra risks
Some Of your women and ignorant people
who don't see the fun Of starving, may thin
| you have done poor nights work"
The stranger had disappeared, and th
faces Of the men, clustered about their er
gine, had lost their sullen cast. The youn
mans black eyes glistened in the new ecstas
of an orators triumph.
"One thing will promise. I will do wha
can in your behalf know the lines G