The weekly examiner., 1901-06-29

fortune on his business is not willing to share a part of it during hard times with the men who made possible his wealth with their labor. I tell you, Stuart, my heart is on fire with these conditions, and no man knows how the workingmen in this country feel unless he has been one himself. As to the union, it Is an organization that has sprung up out of wrongs that are sim ply dev4lish in their human selfish ness"
 Stuart sat with his head bowed dur ing this speech. Then he said gently "What if the union develops the same kind of selfishness in the workingmen? What then"
 'Then the workingmen will suffer. That is inevitable"
 What if the mine owners decide to put new men into the mines?'
 Then there will be trouble"
 Do you mean that you will incite the men to violence?" t
 Good God, Stuart, you know I will not! I shall use my utmost power to prevent anything of the kind" |.
 "But what if it cannot be prevented" ?"
 Eric said nothing. His face changed with torrent of feeling and passion.
 If it comes to that, let God be judge if the owners and not the men are real ly the ones most to blame. shall use all my influence to prevent violence or lawlessness. The union has a right to combine for such wages as it thinks are just. It has no right to prevent other men from working at any wages they choose to take. Since joined the Salvation Army I have become con- vinced that the only permanent basis for any true settlement of labor and capital differences must be a religious basis-that is, Christian"
 Stuart listened with an interest he felt to be genuine. How did you hap pen to join the Salvation Army, Eric ?"
 "It's a long story. I'll tell you some time, not now"
 'I've heard part of it, but want you to tell me all of it"
 q can't now. must go. I have hardly had a minutes time to myself since this movement came on. must be going now. You leave for Cleve- land'-
 Tonight. I want to be there to- morrow. I can tell beforehand what the companies will say. Is there no other way out of it P z. ....r
 'I don't see any," replied Eric.
 The two men shook hands silently, and Eric went out.
 Stuart went down on the night ex- press and next day at Cleveland was in conference with the other owners. The result of the conference was what he had anticipated. The terms of the union were rejected. It was decided by the other owners that a force of men should be at once placed at work with steam shovels on the stock piles so as to move the ore, and in case there was trouble the troops would be called out. Stuart refused to take &C., ton on his own mines. He would not yet precipitate matters by getting new men either for the stock piles or the mines. He came back home the next day with the feeling that he was at present in condition of fndecision and waiting. He could not sympathize with the strike, he did not believe the union was wise in refusing to let the Champion miners go to work, and he
 
 lamity of some kind was impending.
 It was two days after his return that the event occurred which really shaped and nodded his whole after life. The mines were still manned by pump men, They had not been called out by the union, for the reason that if once the water in the mines rose above the diff ferent levels and flowed in among the timbers the mines would become ruin ed, and the loss would be as heavy for the miners as the owners in case the strike ended and work was again re- sumed. From six to eight men remain ed at each mine. There were an engi- neer, an assistant engineer, two fire men and three or four pump men, ac- cording to the size and number or pumps. These were kept going day and night, as the water rose very rap- idly if left to flow.
 Stuart had gone up to the Davis mine, one of the newer ventures of his father and recently developed. It's greatest depth was 900 feet. It had al manhole with ladders and shaft at some distance from it for the "skip'' or iron carriage used for hauling ore, to 1 the surface. There were six men at l this mine in charge at this time.
 Stuart had come to the engine house | and was talking with the engineer when Eric came in.
 Stuart called him over to the dry | room, where the miners changed their | clothing for miners dress.
 ''Eric, I want to go down into the mine. Won't you go with me? want | to see again for myself what the work is, and besides there is new pump at the bottom that want to look at.''
 Eric consented, and the two soon had on the miners dress and were going down the ladders. It was getting late In the afternoon, and they left orders with the engineer that when they gave the siorral from tho hottox,, :, la4l