Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-05-29
.gE STORY q? 4 MODERN GIANT,
A Story for Children of All Ages.
Written for the Iron County Register.
CHAPTER VIII.


CHAPTER VIII.
The old gentleman resolved to cal
a meeting of those sons who were suf
fering so deeply, and endeavor to out
line a plan of action 10y which the
island might be freed from the iror
rule of the Giant. In his own mind
he felt sure he had located the cause o.
the evil. He believed that the misfor.
tunes of the island had begun at the
ferries, and, cost what it might, he re-
solved to tear every obstruction away
from them and throw them open to
the world. And that, in future, there
should he no favored class OH that
| island. The very name of the Giant
mad become hateful t, him.
At the call of Farmer Jack, his sons
came from every direction and from
every part of the island; from north,
south, east and west. from the mine,
the factory, the farm, the store, the
forest, the vineyard, and from the
came many of the Giants minions, for
he had his spies all over the island,
who kept him thoroughly informed.
They did not openly avow themselves
to be his friends-oh, no! In many in
stances, they were loud in their de-
nuncation of his robbery and eXcesses.
They were there to side-track any
movement calculated to interfere with
his inter, sta, if not by open opposition,
by indlrection aud misrepresentation
of which science they were masters.
Latterly. there had been no gathering
of the farmers sons without the pres
agents of the Giant. If they organized
a cooperative association Of any kind,
in orIer to supply themselves with
any Of the necessaries of life without
depending upon his factories or stores,
some one of these men was sure, by
tair words, by fraud or bribery, to
place himself at the head of it; and in
a short time the money would be found
to have disa ppeared and no benefit to
have accrued to the organizers; and
they would have to Guy from Monop-
oily or his agents, as before. If any
member of the Family Council made
himself very active in the inter ests Of
his people, and against the Interests OF
the Giant, it was found that the next
year he as left at home: why, nobody
could tell. The man who served the
Giant was always rewarded; the man
who served the Farmer and his sons,
usually found himself "in the soup.'
Some of the farmers sons had become
hopeless, and so des paired Of relief that
they would make no further effort to
free themselves from the thraldOn that
bound them. This was the case, how
ever, with only a small number. Th e
farmer and his sons had at last got
til cir eyes opened to the enormities of
the Giant, and q tide of Indignation vas
rising against him all over the island |
that could no longer be stayed. The !
Giant viewed this with comparative |
serenity, fully confident that he had |
resources which had not been drawn
upon, that would prevent any injury
to his interests. He had entire conf
ipnce that no man could resist the
of seif-interest; that the sell
fish propensities were as sure to rule as
water is sure to run down hill. He had
10 more conception of moral senti-
nents or of justice than a pig, and of
course did not include them in his cal
.ulations, and it was here that he made
lis great mistake; for, when once
Weakened, these are the things for
which men will make and always haye
made, the greatest sacrifices. The
liant resolved, If necessary, to give up
IL his unfair advantages but two. He
determined that the ferries should not
,e touched, and that the control of the
money of the island should not pass
rom his hands. He resolved that
Iothing should be brought from the ,
ard that they should still
ook to him for their supply of money. ,
rs long as he kept these two privil-
ges, no relief that would be perma-
ent could come to them. So he quiet
Y gave orders to his grain buyers, who -,
wed in the business centers of the
sland, to increase the price of grain.
he Farmer could not sell bushel of
wheat or corn, except at prices fixed by
he Giants agents; in various ways.
Ie was prevented from sending any of
over to the mainland. He had to sell {
to the Giant, or not at all. The price
f wheat and corn began to rise as soon
s the commotiOn among the Farmers
ons became considerable. 1t was the
anne with nearly all the other pro-
ucts that they had to sell. This fact
vas pointed to by the Giants agents
t the Council as an evidence that the ]
.ood times so long predicted were at {
land. But adversity had sharpened s
he wits Of Farmer Jack. He was DO s
onger to be hoodwinked. He felt sure i
be good prices now offered was a fake 1
only an attempt by the Giant to allay t
he was right. So the |
digestion fell fiat. 1t was at this /
lncture that one of these agents be-
an TO deuounce the Farmer and bis {
ons as visionaries and anarchists; with 8
cling dishonest, lazy. and imprOvi- {