Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-04-17

with these men with whom he was
now associated as n member of the
body of Christ. II he had been grow
ing more and more to believe that lie
was his brothers keeper ever since tile
death of his father, much more now,
especially since his conversion and this
days communion. Andrews prayer
touched on that. The service was very
impressive.
At its close Stuart asked Andrew If
he might say word. and very simply !
but strongly he stated his Christian
faith and asked for the prayers Of the
church that strength and wisdom
might be given him to live the true life
of a disciple. His words as he stood
there in all the strength and glory of
his young manhood touched the
men deeply. They did not show 1t
much, but they felt 1t and talked of it
ON their way home. Such scene had
not been known in Champion in their
lifetime.
In spite of all this and the tremen-
dous hold that Stuart was obtaining
over the men the union held for its
original terms and showed no signs of
weakening. The Salvation Army still
continued to exercise its restraining
influence over the majority, although
the drinking was increasing. Almost
the only hope Stuart had now was that
the Cleveland owners would be COM
PEELED to yield before the winter was
over owing to the demand for ore
which for the last weeks had been in:
creasing. He had little expectation
that the full demand Of the miners
would be granted, for lie remembered
that In the history of strikes very few
large strikes had ever been successful.
But he hoped the owners might make
such concessions that the union would
agree to go back on a large rise in pre-
vious wages.
So the week following communion
Sunday opened with special meaning
to Stuart. 1t was memorable week
for Champion. The fever epidemic had
reached Its height. Most of its victims
were children. The number Of deaths
daily was appalling. Andrew, Eric,
the doctor, the nurses, Rhena and Stu
art, with all the available help from
the Christian people in the town. were
battling with the enemy with all the
might Of skill and the exercise of all
that money and watchfulness could
accomplish.
Stuart and Rhena had met several
times that week. Nearly always 1t
was By the side of some dead or dying
child. They said little. Each seemed
to be waiting for something. Rhena
was worn and thin. but there had come
into her eyes look she dared not let
Stuart see. The winter had its influ-
ence in addition to all this to repress
and bear down the hearts of the peo-
pie. Never had such snowdrifts been
known in Champion or such severe
cold. The nights set in with bitter
winds sweeping down the hills, and
after the evening train had plowed Its
way out of the station on Its dreary
trip westward Champion seemed to be
abandoned by God and man. All con.
nection with the outer world seemed
cut off. the iron hills shut down hard
and close about the town, and the long,
terrible night began, night of agony
to those who lived and those who died.
The date Of the great strike and the
great fever will never be forgotten by
| the children who were left untouched
by the grim death.
One night that week Stuart had COLE!
home very late, thoroughly exhausted
with the frost chill in his bones, the
benumblng sense Of his responsibility
weighing him down and his heart cry
ing out, 20 Lord, how long, how long!'
dc had gone up to his room and hat
sunk into heavy sleep. he Weakened
between 2 and 3 o'clock with feeling
of something wrong. 1t was SO press
ing that he rose and dressed and wen
to the window that looked out on thu
town. The night was one Of the bitter
est ever known. The wind was blow
ing an icy gale through the valley
i Even the Duncan mansion, warmed Al
1t was with the best and most expen
sive apparatus, felt the shock of thu
almost solid cold that struck through
everything.
Suddenly Stuart saw light In thu
lower end Of, Cornishtown. The min
ers' houses or cabins there were bull
for the. most part of logs or slabs from
the mill. They were crowded yer!
close together at the lower part Of thu
town. AS he looked the light famet
up higher. and his heart bounded as hi
realized that one of the cabins was OF
fire. Tho horror of 1t as he considered
what such an accident meant on sucl
a night stupefied him, but only for ,
second. The next instant he was dow
stairs, had flung himself into his over
coat, was out OF the house and speed
ing down the road.
When he reached the square. light
were springing up In the windows al
about. The alarm had reached tn
people, and they were rising. By tn
time he reached Cornishtown half ,
dozen houses were blazing. The min
ers had turned out in body and wcr
fighting the fire like fends. but the In
tense cold, the high wind and the near
ness Of the cabins to one another a
l tulS luII VI luc bcSlclueat lluuc III
fight most hopeless one.
| Stuart ordered all the sick and age
to be carried out of the houses neares
the fire. and he himself worked like tel
men. There was no water available
The engine and hose companies hat
made desperate effort to reach til
settlement. but the tremendous drift
and the condition of the roads made !
impossible. The snow itself was til
only weapon within reach. 1t wa
piled over the low rooted cabins by tn
excited miners. who saved some house
on the edges by this novel method. Blu
the wind swept everything before it II
the center of the fire, and at last al
that the men tried to do was to rescu
the inmates.
Stuart was helping some one carry :
dying child out of cabin when
great blazing timber was caught up b.
the hurricane and flung as II by som
glnnt hand right over the couch q
which the .eliild was lying and stru6
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