The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-06-13
" The Avon Strike."
Submitted in The Tribune's Short Story Contest.
BY sviHo SIDNEY OK.

the workingman give victory to whom
victory is due.
AS he closed. a wild deafening APP
plause shook the old building. and like
whirlwind, the spirit of strike swept
in every direction until men. women
and children shouted. laughed and
cried alternately Confusion reigned
everywhere. Crowds formed and dis
persed. Reason took its flight and in
its place madness was enthroned.
"ro the Warren Breaker" shouted
some one. Burn it down" cried an
other. Like a flash Of lightning from
an already overcharged and darkened
sky. the words fell upon the excited
restless crowd of humanity. Like u
thunder storm. the cry was scattered
over the multitude. all eager TO do
something, they cared not what,
"To the Warren Breaker" At the
sound. unconsciously every form bent
toward the threatened colliery, that
loomed up dark and grim through the
gloom of the night: unconsciously
every foot moved with strange, un-
natural Quckness toward the doomed
breaker But Antonio led them all,
and. as he arrived at the building,
with frenzed haste, he held something
for a moment close to the ground and
then dashed. with uplifted hands. back
toward the on-comng crowd. Back!
Back" he cried, with on omnious
glance toward the murky colliery.
The foremost of the crowd halted: the
others desperately struggled on against
the front. 80 God" cried all in
suppressed voice of horror. At that
moment every part of the great struc-
ture of Warren's Breaker tottered and
recled as though in the hands of the
demon of destruction. And scarcely
mad the flames shot up through the
building, when a dun booming not un-
lik, that of heavy. distant artillery,
shook the very foundation Of the city,
and awoke what few had dared to fall
asleep on that October night.
Some windows We're thrown up all
over the town: faces appeared ct each.
questioning their neighbors. Some
thought an explosion had occurred in
the mines: others. that the powder
mill hai been blown up. and not a few
declared 1t was Judgement day. and
Gabriel was sounding his trumpet:
we'll they might wonder. for explosion
after explosion shook, with increased
violence, the buildings o. the city un-
til the windows ratified as though a
wind storm had suddenly burst upon
them.
At the breaker all was confusion:
the men and women. by order Os
Antonio now came up closer to the
burning structure. And soon in mad
exultatior, they began to shout and
dance about it, while the fierce flames
leaped higher and higher and the
cracking of the burnt and falling
timberS grew ever more distinct. The
cOnflarasat lighted ur plainly this
scene of horror. and gowed with a
ghastly nallor upon the excited faces
Of all
Among the whole crowd. not a
thoughtful face-not an eye but fash
ed with gleam of carnage or shone
with dim look of forgetfulness. One
word from Antonio. and the mob would
have gone quietly to their homes: one
word and they would have left the
whole city in ashes. but while the
crowd danced and shouted. he alone
was silent, gazing thoughtfully on the
ground. He had had his revenge but
he was not satisfied. AS he turned
away from the skeleton of the half
consumed breaker. the mob dispersed:
a few breaker boys remained, watch
ing the dying embers of their work
shop as they faded with the night.
Morning came. What n change sleep
had wrought Now the minds of the
men and women who last night had
bt en- at the front, in the very fierceness
of the maddened crowd. tottered at the
thought of the destruction they had
caused Then. madness had ruled their
minds: now, reason reigned in it's
stead. Then, one man thought for all:
row. each man thought for himself
and with many bitter regrets.
At length the day dawned-the day
on which the new scale of wages was
t" have taken effect; but on that day
the men gathered about the streets.
talking over and discussing pro and
con the happenings of the night be-
forc-not miner went to work! AS
the afternoon waned. here and there.
some wild imrromptu speaker perched
upon the shoulders of his admirine
companions, was eXcitedly harangu-
ing the throngs that continually ebbed
and flowed about the streets: here, too,
mere chitiren with anim%tcd faces |
We're arguing the all-important topic
the strike.
But suddenly forming in line, the