Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1901-11-11
srmnathize with or understand them.

60 IL " I'll VI AA4 al A1Aas
And yet" Stuart said to himself,
with a sigh. Il would almost exchange
places with nearly any one of them. /
mean that ! am not where | can use
what | was born into as l would like to
use it"
The bands stopped playing. and a
miner went up into the stand. This
time it was not Eric. The men all I'M
covered their heads. 1t was very quiet.
The people OF Champion stood looking
on from the sidewalks, the church
steps. the railroad depot platform n
the store and office windows. The man
in the stand lifted up his face and of
fered n short prayer.
80 God. grant us a blessing today as
we go 70 our place of meeting. Be
with US there in Jul council together.
Grant hat we may be led to do the
right. Keep US all from trespass or sin
or drunkenness. And when we have
ended our strife here below, may we
all. master ard men, meet in heaven.
We ask it for Jesus sake. Amen"
Stuart heard every word of the pray
er from where he sat. There was
something indescribably sad to him
in the whole scene The miners put on
their hats, and the bands at once
struck up n lively tune. The men be-
gan to move u into the main street,
forming Il double line or column fOur
abreast. The bands marched each one
in front of a section or division of the
line OF march. The men at a signal
shOuldeEed their sticks, and, accustom-
Cd Inv this time 70 tho ma TchinO fhQV
presented a military appearance as
they swung past the church and into
the road leading over to the park,
where they now held a daily meeting
at Oon
Stuart watched for Eric and as he
came by called to him from the Win
dow:
III drive over. My horse and buggy
are here"
Eric waved his hand and went by
without replying. Stuart came down,
and after the columns of men had
passed he drove along at a little dis
lance behind them.
All the way over he was debating
with himself what he would say. 1t
was the first time he had really met
the men. A great many Of them did
not know what the feeling of the new
mine owner was. They supposed that
Ross DuEcan's son was like the ia
Their. Others among them had known
him as a child and boy and liked him.
He was a favorite in the town. Many
a rough, reckless, stolid Dane and
Cornishman had admired the lad who
had been SO fearless in going up and
down the shafts. There was a good
deal of favorable comment among the
me1l in line over his coming out today.
So when he finally came into the park
and was met by a committee there and
escorted up into the pavilion where the
speakers went he faced a great crowd
that was in the humor to give him fair
play at least. A thousand more men
had come in from the other ranges,
and an audience of over 5000 was
packed deep all about the pavilion.
Stuart could not remember afterward
all that was said that day by himself
or the men. Eric had spoken briefly,
and then in behalf of the union so re-
Gently formed he said that he had the
pleasure of introducing the owner of
the Champion mines. who would ad-
dress the meeting.
Stuart had never spoken in public
except on a few occasions in college
~rhetoricals. He was no orator, and he
knew it. And yet as he rose to speak
to this outdoor gathering in a position
that might have tried many expert
enced speakers he felt a sense of relief
and a certain pleasure.
He began at once with q statement of
his Willingness to grant the men their
scale of wages.
eff l understand the situation" he
said, "the demand made by the con-
tract miners is for 50 a day OF account
of the danger of the work and because
the companies have been paying only
$3.50 for more than a year now. l be-
lieve the companies ought to pay that
price. | might as we'll say that | do
not believe you have taken the right
course to get what you want. L cannot
sympathize with this strike. l do SYM
pathize with your demand for 50 a
day"
"How about the rest of the compa-
MES" asked a voice.
AYE. that's it. How about the lower
range? What's the mind on that point?"
said another.
81 cannot answer for them. l am
here today to speak for myself. If the
men who are employed in the Cham
pion mines will come back at any time
now. l will give them what they ask
for"
This statement was greeted with
cheers, but at nee there followed 6
storm OF cries from all over the park.
"AIl or none!"
Union rules frst!'
1.-THE owners must treat with the
union!"
"We'l never go back on terms that