The weekly examiner., 1901-06-15
CHAPTER I.
THE GREAT STRIKE.


 the train to the young man in the seat by him as they slowly drew up to the station.
 'I wonder if that is sop replied his companion. 'There seems to be some thing unusual going on. We'll, goodby. This is my home. I shall soon know all about it."
 The young man caught up his travel ing bag and hurried out upon the plat form.
 The station was entirely deserted ex- ccpt by a few of the railroad employ ees. The young man looked around a moment, as if expecting some one, and then walked hastily across the plat form and around the corner of the sta tion From the side of the building the town and the public square were in full view. And as they came in sight the passenger gave an exclamation of won der.
 The public square was a small park, with a band stand in the middle of it. It was situated at the meeting point of several streets, each of which seemed to wander down the hills from the diff ferent mining districts, starting first as a footpath trod by the miners, then developing into a piece of country road, adding on fragments of wooden side walks as it approached the town and finally growing into street with pay ing and cement walks and stores and office buildings on either side. Direct ly in front of the band stand, facing the park, stood large church, which with it's lot occupied the entire space between two streets. The railway sta tion formed one side of the heptagon made by the converging of the seven streets. Another church building. two streets from the other, formed another side. The rest of the buildings front ing the park were stores, offices of vari- ous mining companies and large ho~ tel.
 Into this center of the heart of the mining town of Champion on this par ticular morning, in the year of our Lord 1895, was gathered the largest crowd Stuart Duncan ever saw there. This young man was the son of Ross Duncan, owner of the largest mines in Champion. He was 30 years old, had finished his college education and was just home this morning from years trip in Europe. As he came down from the railway station platform and push ed his way into the crowd he said to himself that in all his travels abroad he had not seen anything to compare with the remarkable gathering in this mining town where he had been reared previous to his college life in the east.
 The minute he stepped into the crowd several voices called out: ''Stu- art, lad, give us your hand! Glad to see you back!' The voices were in diff ferent tones and various degrees of brogue, Cornish, Finn, English, Irish, Scotch. He noticed the subdued action of the men. They were excited but under control. The band stand was crowded with familiar faces, but Stu art Duncan looked at only one. That was the face of a short but muscular young man who was standing with head uncovered upon the bench which ran around the inside of the stand. He had thick black hair, deep set black eyes, heavy eyebrows, large features, smooth face and short, round neck. He stood leaning forward little, his left hand around one of the supports to the roof of the stand, his right holding an 
 down.
 Stuart moved up nearer the stand until he was within easy speaking dis tance. As he crowded in closer he was finally stopped by the great pressure of the men. Several voices greeted him, but all of them quietly, and the interest of the gathering seemed cen tered in the figure that stood leaning out a little over the crowd.
 Whats it all about? Whats the trouble?" asked Stuart of the men around him. ''Whats Eric doing up there?"
 Before any one could reply the young man standing on the bench began to speak. His words came very slowly, as if every one of them was being thought out carefully. He stopped every mo- ton of his body and stood perfectly still The great crowd in the square was so quiet that Stuart thought for second of q scene he once witnessed in an English cathedral when 4,00O people were kneeling just before a special service began. Brothers" said the speaker, whom Stuart had called Eric, 'sthis is no or dinary movement in the history of la Dor. What we have done and what we are about to do are of the most serious l consequence. We have made demand for wages such as will sustain us and 1 our families this winter in comfort. It | has been refused, and we have come | out of the mines determined to make a peaceful but resistless protest for the 1 rights of our manhood" The speaker paused a moment, and Stuart noticed the hand around the post tighten it's grip. Then he continued The quiet of the crowd was, if possible, more deep than hefore.
 Brothers, we need more than human wisdom at such time as this. It Is fit ting that we bow our heads and inn Olore divine aid" Every head in the