Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-08-23
THEY LIVE BY STRIKES.
Not So Wei the Leaders, But
Pretty Well, All the same.

Not so wen ms the Leaders, hut
Pretty Wen, All the same.
Philadelphia Evening Telegraph
There are great many facts con-
nected with labor strikes that seldom
become public facts that are noticed
only by those who are in constant
touch with these struggles between
the mechanic and his employer. Many
of them are of serious nature, but not
infrequently there is the humorous
side to the story. Possibly one of the
best of the latter class was detailed by
a prominent railroad man who has
been mixed up in strike troubles in
many sections of the country
He was talking to some friends about
the great steel strike now in progress,
when he said: Did you ever notice
what a number of curious people are
brought together whenever a strike oc-
curs?' Waiting for an answer and see
ing only that his friends expected a
story, he continued: Yes. there are
number of them; there is the strike
breaker, the strike loafer and several
others who have a class of their own
These individuals fairly live on strikes;
it is their one business in life to fol-
low them up. and thay drift from ocean
TO ocean while plying their voca-
ton.
Take the strike breaker. He is a
sort of professional. Having learne
that a strike is in progress, he imme-
diately puts himself in communication
with the capital end of it and proposes
to go to work from one To three weeks
at regular wages, but with a goodly
sized bonus attached. His position sell
dom lasts more than three weeks-ha
does not want it to- for at the end
of that time he finds himself possesseu
of a few dollars with which to go on
a spree until he is ready to go to the
next striking centre.
But your strike loafer-there's
character for you. He has a scheme
for living without doing any work at
all and at the same time finds himself
voted a good fellow He has no trade
and is anything but a mechanic, but ne
gets there. 1t matters not to him whe-
Their it be railroad hands, machinists,
garment workers, or what not are on
strike, he is at home in any community.
All that is necessary for him to know
is thar a strike is in progress; he will
accomplish the rest in short order.
The first business of the strike
loafer is to approach the agent who is
looking for men TO take the strikers
places. 1t is little trouble for him 10
obtain promise OF employment and he
is 5rnt off to the field of action. Now
is wAer he begins his fine work On
arriving at the shop he looks around.
takes off his coat as though he was go
ing to work-and then, in a surprised
way, suddenly learns that a strike is in
progress. On goes his coat again. and
app Ot1Htu5 the lOItLidI, ne llIlutdl-
ately declares that he has been cheated.
adding that no man could get him to
work in the place of a man who was
striking in order to better the condition
OF the laboring classes.
Arguments are useless; the man is
determined and out he goes directly
from the shop to the strikers head
quarters. To sympathetic ears he tells
a story as to how he was deceived by
the agent who engaged him and how
thoroughly against his principles IL
would be TO go to work in strikers
place. Incidentally he tells what an
! awful time he had in escaping from
the shop where, he declares, even force
was used TO detain him.
''Of course. there is hurrah among
the strikers, who are Immediately
ready TO lonize the man. He is care
| fully CHARTERED and fed for a week
1 or two, and money is given him to help
/ him out until he can obtain other en-
| ployment He remains as long as there
/ is a good living coming to him freely,
but as soon as that shows signs of
| stopping he departs to look for another
soft thing in the way of a strike"