Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-06-05
TIE s!1s? tF 4 MODERN GIANT,
A Story for Children of All A ges.
Written for the Iron County Register.

A Story for Children of All Ages.
Written for the Iron County Register.
CHAPTER 1II-CONTINUED.
How can [ buy anything Of this
man, or of any body else. when [ only
get seventy.five or eighty cents per
day?" exclaimed the miner. "A mar
ket presupposes buyer; what have l
got to buy witl? The fact of the bus
mess is that this Giant robs nie and
men like me, Of our labor with one
hand, and robs the old man of his
wheat and corn with the other. We
have given him millions of dollars, un-
der his solemn assurance that it was
necessary in order that we might have
living wages, and not be placed on a
level with the 'pauper-labor' Of the
other side. Who is it that fill our
mines, factories and mills? These
very 'pauper Iaborers' that we have
paid SO much to be protected against!
We are here to serve notice on you
that he has got to. go! He don't
belong on this island, anyhow, and
he W ants to so back to where be
belongs, and that rightaway! He has
swindled, deluded, robbed and murder
ed, until he has reached the end of his
tether. Now we are going to fire him
into the river-what we ought to have
done the first day he set foot on the is
land!n These remarks were followed
by a hOarse roar, so loud, SO deep, go
prolonged, and so earnest, that it
reached the ears of the Giant in his
castle and made him tremb!e for the
first time in many years.
CHAPTER TX.
AS last attempt to reconcile the
Farmer and his sons to the continu-
ance of the barriers at the ferries, for
as we have seen the collections there
am ounted to that, it was proposed not
to let any of the produce of the farm
come into the island, except hides and
few other articles, for the Giant had
large shoe factories, and if he did not
get cheap leather he could not make
so much money; and then, if they
were kept out, the Farmer and his
sons could do as he had done-com-
bine and put up the price of hides, for
they could hold them longer than they
the proposition amounted to this: that
the Farmer would not be permitted in
future to go over to the mainland to
buy seed oats, or corn, or wheat, or new
that kind; but anything that the Giant
needed that the Farmer raised was to
come in the same as ever. The prop
os tion was SO astounding, so full of
gall, that it took away the breath of
Farmer Jack and his sons. But when
they came to realize the height and
width and depth of tue proposition,
and to realize that it was only adding
insult to injury, and rubbing the in
suit in, they arose in their wrath and
cast the agents of the Giant out of the
wlndows-much to the injury of the
sash and glass, for in their haste, they
forgot to raise them. When the con-
fusion ceased and order was restored.
one of the boys who had not taken
much part in the discussion up to that
time, arose and said, "Father, and
brothers, before we go any farther, let
us first ascertain what is before us
what ends we wish to accomplish. and
the best means to be used for their ac~
mplshment. This is the purpose
for which we were assembled. 1t
seems to ne that we ought to formu
late some definite line of action, and
agree upon certain principles, from
which we will not depart under any |
It is pretty generally |
agreed that our difficulties began at |
tho ferries, and that we ought to COM
mence to apply the remedy there.
You will remembe that a few of us
raised our voices, in the beginning, at
lniquity of the ferries. But that is
past. Let each man on this island en-
grave on his memory that it is a crime
to take forcibiy from the substance and |
labor of one to build up the private in
terests of another, no matter what ap- |
parent prosperity may seem to result |
from it. Brigands may bring money |
and prosperity to the Dighborhood |
they infest. but W hat would be thought |
Of the intellect Of that man who would |
pile up mountains of statistics to show |
the prosperity of that ighborhood, as |
a justification of brigands? An evil |
root must bear bitter fruit. Let US
see to it, in future that no man shall |
have special privileges on this island. |
Besides, how foolish we have been. to |
suppose that the barriers at the ferries
could do anything for us! This was |
not the originalidea. it was proposed. |
in the beginning, to help Infant In
iustries. What was then given as a |
is now claimed as right. No |
one will claim that we have any in |
fants of that kind on the island now to |
be cOddled. Let us look what we have |
done squarely in the face. No man |
can honestly earn million of dollars
that is, he cannOt create that much |
value, by his own exertions, nor, /
will any amount of managing ability |