The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-10-04
ON STRIKE.
It was the usual thing of course.

Dapper little officers, who were a very
ornamental body of men, had made it 50
precious uncomfortable for the guards,
and showed such little consideration for the
men, that at last they mildly protested.
They humbly forwarded an abject petit
ton to some big wig, begging him to amel-
iorate few of the hard conditions of their
life. They mildly suggested that perhaps
it was not the proper thing to turn them
out for inspection and drill at o'clock in
the morning. and they requested, if the
service would not be ruined thereby, that
they would be given an average of a cou-
pie of hours sleep at least three times a
week.
This unheard Of conduct on the part of
the guards created the greatest commotion
in the war office 1t was rank mutiny, the
officers said, and they were divided in Opin-
ion as towhether the men should be drawn
and quartered or merely hanged Some
of the older officers thought this was going
too far, and said that they should simply
be shot.
At last the war Office hit on a terrible
punishment. They resolved that the men
should be banished to Canada. The war
office had the idea that that unfortunate
part of the world was a bowling wilder
ness, covered with snow in July, and con-
sequently the rest of the year.
So the troop ship Tamarand took them
out, and there was much weeping in Lon
don over the fact that the poor officers had
to 90 there too.
They We're two days out when the trouble
came to a head. The Guards had been very
sullen over their Punishment, and it only
required daring spirit to propose what
was afterward done. John Tompkins, full
private, first made the proposal
"Here we are" he said, two thousand
blooming idiots, cooped up in this snip like
so many blooming cattle. Are we slaves
or are we not"
I've are not" shouted the crowd, for
getting for the moment that they were.
Every well then let us act like men and
not like CATTLE" cried John Tompkins; and
somebody who had once read Longfellow
and forgotten him said, Be not like dumb,
driven cattle, be a hero in the strife"
"What are you going to do about it,"
asked Peter Williams.
"Do about it?" cried Tompkins; "that's
for you TO say. How we are, 1000 men;
there's the crew and the officers, two or
three dozen of them; now, it isn't what we
are going to do, but what they're going to
do if we want to do one thing and they
want to do another"
ITS dangerous business" said one of
| the men.
"Of courseit's dangerous" replied Temp
kins, "and there amt going to be any
policemen's and postmen's strike about
this. If we do strike we are all in it, or
there's none Of us in it."
"Well, what's on your mind?" said Jem
McCance. "Out with it; propose some
thing if you have got anything 10 propose,
and let's hear what it is"
'Well, said Tompkins, 81 propose that
we make the captain run to New York in
stead of Halifax"
And what good will that do u.s."
'What good will it do us? Why, we will
each one of us get off at New York and be
our own masters then; that's what good it
will do us"
Wouldn't that be mutiny?" put in one
doubtful voice in the crowd
"Why, of course it would There's no
innocent Working Mems club discussion
about this affair"
And doesn't mutiny mean hanging or
being shot?'
Certainly; but who's going TO hang us
or shoot us if we once get into the states3
l
undertake to shoot or hang 1000 men.
They wouldn't do that if even they had us
in Canada or England"
yes, but how about the ringleaderss"
'Well, they would probably shoot the
ringleaders if they caught them. I'm one
of the ringleaders; I'll take the risk if the
rest of you sign the document, 50 that the
whole company is in it, ~
10,
Of three was appointed to wait on the cap
tain. A document was got up that every
man was to sign.
The different members of the committee
made up their minds to interview the cap
tain Approaching that austere officer,
the chairman of the committee took off his
hat and said;
1--WE three are the committee on mutinv"
The captain looked at them in astonish
ment but said nothing.
The men," continued the chairman.
"have unanimously agreed to mutiny.'
Yes" said the captain, that is why
you are here, and why l am taking you 10
Halifax"
All, but this Is another mutiny alto
gether, a brand new one We have all
agreed TO mutiny. and to order you 10 sail
TO New York instead OF Halifax"
My dear sir" said the captain. "vou
cannot mutiny against ne. II the whole
1000 of you tried your best TO mutiny
| against me YOU couldn't DO il. ! have no
authority over you, and therefore YOU
| can mutiny against me. You viii have
| to mutiny against your own officers. Ny
crew can mutIny against me if they liked
/ but you couldn't il You tried all your life
don't want TO talk any longer with you;
go and mutiny against your officers, ana
leave me 10 attend 10 my ship
With that the caDtaiR turned away,
| leaving the committee looking at each
| Other with perpleNed faces. This phase Of
| the case had never struck them However
they saw at once that If they could not
mutiny against the captain they had bet
ter turn their attention 10 a man against
whom they could mutiny; so they solemnly
| approached their colonel and ssluted.
Well, my men" said that officer, what
is it,"
We a-e the committee on mutiny. sir,
we three. We have all agreed respectfully
10 mutiny and order the captain 10 20 10
! New York instead OF 20 Halifax
Then replied the colonel politely,
why don't You 20 20 the captaln' I'm not
! navigating the vessel"
We have Just been 10 him" was the re
J ply. and be says We can't mutiny AGAINST