The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-01-29
THE FIRST STRIKE.
The First We Know OF Was in Egypt
Three Thousand Years Ago.
rom the Pail Mall Gazette

From the Pail Mall Gazette
There is nothing new under the
sun receives nowherea a more startling
verification than in this matter OF
strikes. The way in which our work.
ingmen of modern Europe try to
coeTce their employers was in substance
the way adopted by their dark-shinned
mcanly clad, poorly fed predecessors in
The land Of the Nile before Moses led
the Israelites out of Egypt. NJ. Mas
pero, who is well qualified to speak on
al points connected with Egyptology,
ievotes several very interesting pages
10 the subject in his charming His
toric Readings,n which have just been
published. 1t seems that the families
of the working classes were quite as
improvident in Egypt thirty centuries
ago as some If them are in England at
the present day. At the beginning OF
the month, when they had just re-
ceived their months ratiOns, eating
and drinking went on without re-
straint. BY the middle of the month
the stock begin to fail, and famine be-
gan to stare the thriftless households IN
the face. So again and again they
went on strike in order to eNtorr more
from their super!ors. 4 strike OF
masons is described by NJ. Maspero in
detail, and some parts OF the descrip-
ton might almost be mistaken for eH-
tracts from an English or German
newspaper in the nineteenth century
of the Christian era.
On the 10th Of the month the build
ers employed at a temple rushed tu-
multuously out of the .place where
they were working and sat down be-
hind chapel in the temple precincts,
exclaiming: 1--WE are hungry and there
are eighteen days before the next pay
day" They charged the paymasters
with dishonesty, asserting that the
latter gave false measure. The pay
masters. on the other hand, charged
the men with want Of foresight, alleS-
ing that they spent their wages as soon
as they touched them. After some
further negotiations with officers OF the
Government the men resumed work
on the understanding that the King
himself should receive their complaint.
Two days later Pharaoh actually visited
the temple, and, when the matter was
laid before him ordered relief to be
given to the woebegone masons. For
a short time there was quiet, but soon
provisions failed, and discomfort broke
out again with renewed violence. On
tbe 10Th of the following month the
strike was in full force again. Not
man would work. On the 18th and
18th they still refused to lift tool.
On the 18th they attempted to leave
the precincts Of the temple in ordef "
carry their grievance into the outer
world, but found that the person who
was placed over them had taken pre-
cautions so effectively that no one could
leave. So they spent the whole OF that
day in laying their plans. On the fol-
lowing day they resorted to more NOISY
methods. After vainly appealing with
loud cries to their manager, they de-
cided to apply to the Governor Of the
city, and therefore rushed through the
busy streets to the inconvenience OF
pedestrians, not stopping until they
reached the Governors palace. Like
their European successors, these dis
contented artisans stubbornly refused
to work, spent many hours in discus
sing their position and prospects, dis
turbed the order of the streets by their
impetuous movements, and ultimately
obtained part at least Of their demands.
So we can trace the strike back for
5000 years, that is, to period when
Rome was lot built and even Greek
civilization was still in its infancy.
How old the method was at that
time it is at present impossible to say.
Perhaps the custom as old as the Pyrst-
miGs. Perhaps the first strike preceded
the most ancient Of the existing monu-
meut of civilization.