The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-12-24
on the Black Eagle rolls for at least a

The English speaking miners generally
did not take kindly to his ideas, but
they were accepted as gospel by the
Hungarians and Slavs, whose language
he spoke and to whom he had endeared
himself by many acts of kindness.
The strikers executive committee,
composed of David Evans, Patsey Gar
rity and Dan Cornell-a Welshman, an
Irishman and IN Englishman, as their
names indicated-were not a little anx-
ious about what ''the foreigners might
do and the possible consequences in
volved. In the hope of curbing Wag-
ner's pernicious influence they summoned
him before a general meeting Of the men
on Christmas eve. The scene of the
meeting vas an impressive one. Having
no Dol large enough TO hold them,
nearly all the 300 miners assembled in
an open space in the woods, where they
had stationed sentries to keep away
spies. Their only light was that of the
moon, ftfully bright, which accumulated
the paleness of their rugged, careworn
faces. Emil Wagner, being called upon
to explain himself, said to them:
"Your contest must fail if not carried
on upon a plane where you and your
antagonists are equal, which is certainly
not that of resources. The restitution
and misery in your wretched homes
should have convinced you of that by
this time. Where, then, are the starry
ing miner and the arrogant mine owner
equal? Before the king of terrors-
Death. Let your masters know that If
you must starve you will not die alone;
that those dear to you shall not die UNI
avenged. Make yourselves feared, if
you would be respected. Kill, if you
yourselves wish to live"
"Who would you want killed." gasped
the English committeeman, quite aghast.
81 want nobody killed, but it seems to
clude using Superintendent Brattle as a
warming"
"Why? What has he ever done to
your" demanded Clarity.
ITO me! Nothing whatever. And
even if he had done me personally every
possible injury, not on my own account
would | wish his life taken. But he is
the representative of the power antag-
onizing us, and his fate would warn our
masters that their slaves are in deadly
earnest"
whats the matter, shouted a striker,
with touching capital where it is ten
derest-in its pocket? Burn the breakeri
Flood the minei"
"And destroy the field of your en-
ployment for months to come" respond
ed Wagner promptly; ''hurting your
selves worst, since the county would
have to pay all the damages"
The discussion was long and grew hot.
Finally Chairman David Evans 'sat
down" on Wagner, as he had all along
intended to do.
sit i'll becomes a man, old and intel
ligent as you are, Mr.. Wagner" said he,
"to talk il. that murderous way, and we
want to hear no more of it,"
That was the general sentiment of the
English speaking strikers, but when
Evans words were translated to the
brutal and obstinate Slavs they scowled
and walked away in grim silence.
Hugh Corrigan, though too young to
take any prominent part, felt a vivid
interest in the proceedings and had a
lively appreciation of the p%erilous quail
ity in the forces Emil Wagner had set
in motion. He knew that Mr.. Brattle's
danger was very re and not to be
charmed away by the Welshman's con-
sentative rebuke. And if Wagner only
looked upon Mr.. Brattle. as a superin-
tendent it was altogether as man Hugh
thought Of him and conceived it his
duty to warn him.. On his own account
solely? Well, hardly.
But Mr.. Brattle had q daughter
Mary-who, in the young mans quite
unbiased and critical estimation, was
beyond all question the sweetest and
prettiest girl in the world. That de-
cided opinion had been arrived at by
him in the short space of two hours
upon a memorable afternoon six months
ago, when he acted as guide for Miss
Mary Brattle and three or four other
visitors through the intricate depths of
the Black Eagle mine.
Clearly it was an imperative neces-
sity that he should, for her sweet sake,
warn her father against the murderous
Slavs. He did not shut his eyes to the
fact that a striker who made himself in
anywise prominent, even by the doing
of a conspicuously good deed, was pretty
certain to be a marked mar and made
to suffer for it when the strike was
ended.
The road he took was arough and dan
gerous path over the mountain, but en-
abled him to reach the superintendent
house, which lay about half a mile be-
yond the breaker, with but little risk of
being seen by any one who might take
exception to his mission.
There were no lights in Mr.. Brattle's
windows when Hugh reached there, for
the hour was late, but his first timid tap
with the brass knocker on the door
brought as an immediate D the
demand in a feminine voice from a win
dow opened behind closed blinds:
"What is wantedg"
He recognized the sweet voice, and his
own trembled a little as he replied, sis
Mr.. Brattle at homer"
"No; Mr.. Brattle is not at home" and
the speaker slightly opening the Stats to
peep out exclaimed, 'Oh, it's you, is it,
Mr.. Corrigan?"
De1irhted octonichnan of +b ~ yaooo,i