The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-06-12

90
seem able to pronounce the words, and
after staring blankly at his employer
a minute he turned and went out to
execute the order.
The great engine was stopped. The
men from the casting rooms and the
carpenter shops and the storerooms
and the repairing departments came
trooping into the big machine shop and
sat or leaned on the great, grim pieces
of machinery, and as the shop filled
the place began to take on a strange
aspect never seen there before.
Mr.. Hardy crossed the yard from the
office, followed by the clerks and as
sistant officers of the road, all curious
to hear what was coming. Mr.. Hardy
mounted one of the planers and looked
about him. The air was still full Of
gas and smoke and that mixture Of
fine iron filings and oil which is char
acteristic of such places. The men
We're quiet and respectful enough.
Many of them had heard the man.
ayers speech of Thursday night at the
town hall. Most of them were aware
that some change had taken place in
the man. 1t had been whispered about
that he had arranged matters for the
men injured in the Sunday accident so
that they would not come to want in
any way.
And now that grimy, hard muscled,
hard featured crowd Of 800 men all
turned their eyes upon the figure
standing very erect and pale faced on
the great planer, and he in turn looked
out through the blue, murky atmos-
phere at them with an intensity of ex-
preston which none in that audience
understood. AS Mr.. Hardy went on
with his speech they began to under
stand what that look meant.
"My brothers," began the manager,
with a slight trembling Of the sylla-
bles so new to him, ''as this may be
the last time l shall ever speak to you
l want to say what is true to me and
have carried on the work in this
place without any thought of the SOC
men at work in these shops except as
their names were on the pay roll of
the company.
"It never made any difference to me
when your wives and children grew
sick and died. l never knew wha,
sort of houses you lived in except to
know that in comparison with mine
they must have been very crowded
and uncomfortable. For all these q
years l have been as Indifferent to you
as one man possibly could be to mer
who work for him. 1t has not occurred
to me during this time that l could be
anything else. l have been too selfish
to see my relation to you and act up
ON it.
Now, do not call you in here today
to apologize for % years Of selfishnes:
mot that alone. But l do want you tt
know that l have been touched by thu
hand of God in such a way that befor,
it is too late l want to say to you all
Brothers, and say to you that wheI
you think of me hereafter it may be a.
l am now today. not as have been il
all the years past.
'1t is not for me to say how far or II
what manner l have trampled on tn
brotherhood of the race. l have callet
myself a Christian. l have been
member of q church. Yet l will con
fess here today that under the author
ity granted me by the company l hav
more than once dismissed good, honest
faithful workmen in large bodies an,
cut down wages unnecessarily to In
crease dividends, and in general
have thought of the human flesh an
blood in these shops as l have though
of The iron and steel here. l confes
all that and more. Whatever has bee
un-C Christian hope will be forgiven.
"There are many things we do to on
fellow men in this world which abide
the sting of them. | mean. The in
press of my selfishness is stamped o
this place. 1t will take years to rt
move it. l might have been far NOR
to you. / might have raised my voic
as a Christian and an influential
rectcr of this road against the Sunda
work and traffic; never did. l migf
have relieved unnecessary discomfol
, In different departments; l refused
do it. l might have helped the caus
, of temperance in this town by tryin
to Danish the saloon; instead of that
voted to license a crime and povert
, and disease establishment.
81 might have used my influence an
my wealth to build healthy, comfort;
BILE homes for the men who work G
! this road; l never raised my finger
the matter. | might have helped
make life a happier, sweeter thing
the nearly 1000 souls in this esta
. lishment, and l went my selfish wa
I content with my own luxurious hon
p and the ambition for self culture al
\ the pride of self accomplishment
, And yet there is not a man here toda
who isn't happier than / am.
p 81 wish you all, in the name of Il
r good God, who forgives our sins f
n Jesus sake, the wish of man WI
looks into the other world and se'
n things as they really are. l do n
: wish you to think of my life as Chri
4 tan life. 1t has not been such, but ,