The Press., 1896-03-26


 sion of his fathers estate, and settling become a leading and valued citizen. He could never be popular with the masses, and this he soon saw. He never attempted to find the missing half sister or her child and quietly took possession of all his father had owned. He had all the vim and dash of western business man and in one sense was of great ad- vantage to Bloomfield, which during the past 20 years had become in many respects "hidebound, or anything but an enterprising city. Within six months he had an enormous shoe factory build ing and later cigar factories and silk mills. He was tireless and seemed to possess more energy than had his father, even in his palmiest days. He was too risky if anything, and under his lead the city was fast becoming noted for va riOus enterprises that are ordinarily de nominated schemes. He would found an enterprise, put it on it's feet financially and then capitalize it for all the stock he could possibly sell. Then followed a struggle to make it pay dividends. Un-
 
 every enterprise in which he was inter- ested-the screws were applied to the working people, and while attractive advertisements for help were sent broad cast all over the country starvation wa ges actually prevailed at Bloomfield. These tactics brought the people in and also brought discontent and turmoil.
 Brayton's big heart beat for every body, and while his duty as publisher of daily paper caused him to welcome and boom every new industry that came to the city he could not help but mourn privately at least over the wrongs done the working classes. Occasionally, when he thought necessity and honor demand ed, he was their mOuthpiece, and it was but short time before he had incurred the displeasure of Sawtelle. This gen tleman had always leaned toward The Standard, and all the business he could turn from The Blade and into the office of his favorite he did not hesitate to control. Under this impetus even dull or man than BoOled could not have helped but prosper temporarily, and he was at all times the obsequious slave of Sawtelle. By the advice of its patron The Standards force was increased by the importation of two or three metro politan reporters and fancy specialists, while Slocas was made associate editor, with Booled managing. It is needless to say that the hands were those of BOo- led, but Sawtelle upheld them, and the people soon saw the power behind the throne
 To meet all this competition Brayton was compelled to spend money in a way his judgment hardly dictated, and the second year of The Blades existence found its proprietor possessed of first class plant not yet paid for and barely paying expenses. Sawtelle, who had spies everywhere, was not long in as certaining all this, and, incensed by some just criticism of one of his grasp ing schemes, determined to carry the war into the enemy's country, and, as he expressed it, wipe up the field with The Blade. "
 The product of this resolution was The Morning News, which came into the world with flourish of trumpets and an amount of booming on the part of its ally, The Standard, that could not but attract attention and convince many shallow thinkers that the city had long needed it. So far as money could do the business it was a model newspaper. Sawtelle had secured for his News and its ally, The Standard, all the press franchises to be had, and immediately by the aid of an army of ToT7cho1 fov, oil was worth. The papers of the town had always sold for 3 cents each or 50 cents per month, and The News was started at cents or 75 cents per month. AL l most immediately a cut was announced, and while both The Standard and News went to 25 cents each per month, the two were offered to any subscriber to both at 40 cents. It now became evident that the intent of the two was to kill | off The Blade, and MT. Philip Edward Tow was kept at his very best pace to retain any business or subscriptions whatever. Of course The Blade had friends, and very many, but when you | hit man IS pocket, you test his friend | ship dangerously, and so the publishers of The Blade soon learned. ShOrtsight- ed and minimizing laboring men who had been treated like slaves by the very power they knew now controlled The News and The Standard subscribed for the two at the cut rate, and walking into the office of their true friend and cham pion, The Blade, by stopping their sub scription there cut off from it the sus- tenance so necessary to the life of any self supporting paper. Sawtelle had boasted that he would kill The Blade if it cost him $25, 900, and had begun to think he could do it for $I5, when the great strike came on.
 The strike, memorable to all Bloom field and the country for 100 miles around, was inaugurated one June morning by the unlocked for going out of 300 children employees in one of SaWtelle's immense factories. They had suddenly come to the conclusion that they would work no longer for 53 cents per day when they we'll knew the same class of labor in other cities received an average of 83 cents or more for the same service. Sawtelle apparently played a shrewd card in this fight so far as his journalistic ventures were concerned ; but, as is often the case with sharp men, he overshot the mark. By his com mands The Standard became ultra labor, The News as strong for capital The fight waged by both, however, was en- tirely personal-a mistake made in many campaign before and since-and as Brayton expressed it, the two con- testants seemed to entirely forget the questions at issue and 'lammed' away blindly and ferociously, the one at the leaders of the people, the other at the men who were unfortunate enough to have any financial interests in any of the shops where the striking workmen were employed. It is needless to add that no personal attack was made on Sawtelle.
 The strike spread with amazing rapid ity, and within ten days every impor-