The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-08-27
THEY LIVE BY STRIKES.

There are a great many facts connected
with labor strikes that seldom become pub
lie: facts that are noticed only " those
who are in constant touch with these
struggles between the mechanic and mis-
employer. Many of them are of a 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 mas been
mixed up in strike troubles in many sec
tions 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 number of
curious people are brought together when
ever a strike occlirs?"
Waiting for an answer, and seeing only
that his friends expected a story, he con-
tinued:
Yes, there are a number of them. mere
is the strike breaker. the strike loafer and
several others who have class OF their
own. These individuals fairly live on
strikes; it is their one business in life to
follow them up. and they drift from ocean
to ocean while plying their vocation.
"Take the strike breaker. He is sort
of professional Having learned that a
strike is in progress he Immediately puts
himself in communication with the capital
end of it and propose to go to work for
from one to three weeks at regular wages,
but with a goOdly sized bonus a..ached.
His position seldom lasts more than three
weeks-he does not want it to. lor at the
end of that time he finds himself possessed
of few dollars with which to go on a
spree until he is ready to go to the next
striking center.
But your strike loafer-there's char
acter for you. He has scheme for living
without .ulng any work at all. ana at the
same time finds himself voted good fel-
low. He has no trade and is anything but
a mechanic but he gets there. 1t matters
not to him whether it be railroad hands.
machinists, garment workers, or what not
on strike, he is at home in any community.
All that is necessary for him to know is
that strike is in progress: he will accom-
plish the rest in short order. :.
1.-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 to obtain promise
of employment and he is sent on to the
| field of action Now is when he begins his
| fine work. On arriving at the shop he
| LOOKS around takes off his coat as though
| he was going to work-ahd then IN sur
prised way suddenly learns that strike
is in progress. On goes his coat again
and approaching the foreman, he will I'M
| mediately declare that he has been cheat
| ed. adding that no man could get MIN 70
| work in the place of a man VINO was stflk-
| ing in order to better the condition OF the
| laboring classes.
| "Arguments are useless; the man is de-
| termined and out he goes directly from
| the shop to the strikers headquarters. nc
| sympathetic ears he tells a story as &c
| how he was deceived by the agent who en-
gagged him and how thoroughly against his
principles it would be to go to work IN
| strikers place. Incidentally. he tells Wna'
! an awful time he had In escaping from the
| shon where. he declares even force was
used to detain him. .
.Of course there is a hurrah among tne
| strikers. who are Immediately ready Il
| lionize the man. He is carefu--y quarteree
and fed for week or two, ana money
| given him to help him out until he car
obtain other employment. He remains al
long as there is a good living coming Y
him freely. but as soon as that shows sign:
of stopping he departs to look for anotne'
soft thing in the way OF str.-e' - mo.
delphia Evening Telegraph. :