The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-10-03

.&SS5Ad e9&sI4G Jones. He was,
and is, for he
still lives, the
proprietor OF one of the numerous hos
telries in the vicinity of the Grand
Central depot.
Although Jones is far from being rich
himself, he nevertheless has great
veneration for those who are. In fact,
the Jones family had been rich, and he
himself was born with a silver spoon in
in his mouth; but rcverscs came, and he
went into business in order to find
something to cat with the spoon.
Jones is an individual of marked con-
servGtivo tendencies, and he regards
what he is pleased to call the clover
classes" as a dangerous element that is
liable by strikes and similar labor
demonstrations to knock the keystone
out of the arch upon which rests our en-
tire social fabric. Jones is the friend of
capital, which he invariably spells with
largo c. Socially Jones, although not
millionaire, is capital follow. The
tired look on Jones' face, and to which
l have already alluded, was caused by
note about to fall due, to meet which he
was somewhat unprepared. Tho truth
is Jones hotel is not very popular. In
tho language OF competing landlord,
cas- competent hotel it stands without
arrival"
While Jones was sitting in the car
waiting for the train to start another
middle-aged gentleman. entered 1t was
Smith, who is moderately prosperous
and who lives at Mount Vernon.
Smith is, and has been, strong per-
sonal friend OF Jones' There is only
one point on which they disagree, and
that is in regard to the rotations of cap
ital and labor. Smith, although no Of
fice-scekcr, is the friend of the laboring
man, or, rather, was, tho friend of the
laboring men. Why he no longer is
the friend of labor will appear if the
reader will make an earnest effort to
keep on reading this sketch.
On this occasion Smith. the chum, so to
speak, of horny-nsted toll, was extreme
ly anxious to reach his home in Mount
Vernon, as he had an appointment
that evening with q man appropriately
named Wrigglcs real estate agent,
of whom Smith wanted to buy a vacant
lot adjoining the Smithsonian mansion.
There was another party in Mount Yer
".
Smith tthe delay of the train was almost
sure to result in tho defeat of his most
cherished scheme.
Smith. the radical friend of toll, took
the vacant scat by the side of conserva-
tive Jones, and they conversed pleasant
ly about the leading topics of the day
until they reached that of the cloak
makers strike. Smith said that the
striking oloakmal1ers were fully justified
In reslsJlng tnelr employers, while Jones
maintained that no matter what conces-
sions were made to them they would still
ask for more, and in an abrupt and inso-
lent manner. Owing to their tendency
to gnsh and spout and create bad odor
flare up and go off when they amt load
cd, these strikes remind me very much
of gas WE'LL" remarked Jones.
when it comes to Strikes" said
Smith, improssively, 'you will almost
always find that the strikers have real
grievances that fully justify them in
quitting work."
''In my opinion" retorted Jones. the
advocate of capital, "moro trouble is
caused by men who can get work, butre-
fnso to work, than by those who want
work, but can not get it."
"My sympathics," replied Smith, care
invariably with the strikers, and l am
not only willing, but anxious, to assist
them against tho grinding monopolies
and bloated bondholders"
Grinding monoplies!'' sneered Jones;
"the only grinding monopoly I ever
knew was when the Italian organ
grinders in New York got up com
bine.' And as for bloated bondholders,
I've seen lots of bondholders who held
plenty of stock and were not bloated at
all, while it has been my misfortune to
have known men who never held any
thing except whisky, and who were
really bloated. Smith, do you know
that at times think you are littlo
off?'
"Of course I'm off, because I'm OPP
posed to monopolies," replied Smith,
peevishly.
ga monopoly" resumed Jones, with a
cynical smile, sis the rival establish
ment over the way, but, as soon as
you get possession of it, it mysteriously
ceases to be monopoly. The anti
monopolist is often the fellow who
would like to put himself in the place
of the millionaire. My dear sir, there
are lots of millionaircs who work hard
err than their clerks
''That's the way it should be, when
you take into consideration how much
moro pay they get" said Smith, scoring
q point.