The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-02-20
AN ANCIENT LOCKOUT.
The First Strike We Know of W. In
Egypt Three Thousand Years Ast

| Egypt Three Thousand Years Agt
There is nothing new underline
sun" receives nowhere n more staring
verifcation than in this matte of
strikes. The way in which our wrk-
ingmen of modern Europe try to corce
their employers was in substancehe
way adopted by their darll-skined,
meanly clad, poorly fed predecessor in
the land of the Nile before Moseaed
the Israelites out of Egypt. NJ. Jas
pero who is well qualified to speal on
all points connected with Egyptolgy,
devotes several very interesting pges
to the subject in his charming ''Histric
Readings" 1t seems that the fanies
OF the working classes were quite asm-
provident in Egypt thirty ccnturies.go
as some of them are in England atthe
present day. At the beginning othe
month, when they had just rece'cd
their months rations, eating and dr1k-
ing went on without restraint Blythe
middle of the month the stock bcgaa to
fail, and famine began to stare he
thriftless households in the face. 80
again and again they went out on sh Ike
III order to eXtort more from theirfu-
periors. A strike of masons is deserted
by NJ. Maspero in detail, and some pats
of the description might almost be his
taken for extracts from an Englishor
German newspaper in the nineteelth
century of the Christian era.
The 10th of the month the buildrs.
employed at a temple rushed tumulgus
ously out of the place where they were
working and sat down behind chapel
in the temple precincts, eXclaiming: eve
are hungry and there are eighteen days
before the next pay day" They charged
the paymasters with dishonesty, assert
ing that the latter gave false measure.
The paymasters, on the other hand,
charged the men with want of fore
sight. alleging that they spent their
wages as soon as they touched them.
After some further negotiations with
the officers of the Government the men
resumed work on the understanding
that the King himself should receive
their complaint. Two days later Pha-
raoh actually visited the temple, and
when the matter was laid before him
ordered relief to be given to the woebe-
gone masons. For a short time there
was quiet, but soon provisions failed
and discomfort broke out again with re-
newed violence. On the 10th of the fol-
lowing month the strike was in full
force again. Not man would work
On the 1'th and 18th they still refused
to lift tool. On the 10th they at
nj I'D 10 ba e fI.,
temple in order to carry their griev-
anCeS into the outer world. but found
that the person who was placed over
them had takcn precautions so effective
ly that no one could leave. So they
spent the whole Of that day in laying
their plans. On the following day they
resorted to more noisy methods. After
vainly appealing with loud cries to their
manager, they decided to apply to the
Governor of the city, and therefore
rushed through the busy streets to the
Inconvenience of pedestrians. not top
ping until they reached the Governors
palace. Like their European successors,
these discontinued artisans Stubbornly
refused to work, spent many hours in
their position and prospects,
disturbed the order of the streets by
their impetuous movements, and ulti-
mately obtained part, at least, of their
When Rons was i Hot p Sis ana s@ssss
Greek civilization was still in its infancy.
How old the method was at that time
It is at present impossible to say. Per-
haps the custom is as old as the Pyra-
mids. Perhaps the first strike preceded
the most ancient OF the existing !nonu-
ments of civilization.-Pall Mall Gazette