The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-07-28

let my man go back without the strikers
1 win, said John Adams wife small,
| slim mother, who held a baby to her
breast while she talked. 1--WE have q lit
tie saved. My husband gets S1S a. week,
and out of that can save little when
ne works steady, for he's a good man,
and he don't rink none. But e7hen the
savings are gone Ill go out and wash,
| or I'll beg from door to door before I'd
want him to do dirty work"
determination shone in her eyes as she
whisked about the tidy room, dusting
the chairs and setting to rights a table
which held, the remains. of a rather SUBJ
stantial breakfast. The baby at her
breast crowed, as if he agreed with ev-
erything she said.
I The pretty daughter Of mill worker
| In one of the. iron mills, a brown-eyed
| girl who is noted as the Belle of Black g
| aIley sat on the front steps of her
| nome and laid down some stringent laws
for the men who make strikes. possible.
II S them as never knows what want
/ IS she said. They go off on yachts
/ ana wear diamonds. but they don't know
| what it IS to stand before a - Idiing
furnace all the year round and burn the
brains out of your head. If they did.
maybe they wouldn't be so, ready to SIT
IN their offices. WITH electric fans around
them, and make terms which have all
the good on one side.
I'VE been going with Charlie for near
two years now and we was hopin to be
married this fall, but I'd wait forever
| sooner than see him go scabbing or
hlacksheep.n'. If he did that Ed never
look at him again"
From brown-eyed Nellie with her
strong opinions it was only a step to.
house over which Mrs. David Rees a
bride of month, presides. The crisp
lace curtains at the door and window
and every shining corner of the brand
new furniture told of the pride in the
new-found home. while the dinner buck
ct which hung over the sink shone like
silver
IT'S pretty hard on u.s." she said.
when asked her opinion of the strike,
We've just moved here and it took
near all we had to get started. but what s
done is done, and We'll hold out as long
as the rest. Dave says there won't be
no lack Of work for men as is willin' to
40 1t, and I'd go out workin myself to
help him. We have no debts, and we'll
try to hold our own"
All over the streets it was the same
In bright little parlors where the ele-
gance OF piano lamp transformed shah
plness, the sentiment was Hold strong
together and in the back alleys, where
the only sunshine is in the faces of little
children, battered women voice their will
lingness to go forth to washtub or to
peggary ere they VII urge their men to
give in
WorSin' men is what their wives make
them, said Mrs. Mary Leslie, a deter
mined locking woman, who secured a FRI
ing pam While she spoke; 'as long as
the women don't nag them, they'll stand
together. don't know what it's about,
something about a principle l always
let him attend to the thinking part Of
the family. have enough to do to cook
the meals and clean the house without
meddlln in what's none O. my business.
but say, if he belongs to the union
let him stay out as long as the union
says, and I'll do my part toward keepin'
lne house together"
Mrs. James,. not a young woman liy-
ing in Rheys court, showed lin hoy
on which the word Strike" was roughly
painted
Every dime that comes in this house
goes in that box she said, ''and has
for years. When other men struck and
my man wasn't called out, the box was
open for them as needed it. Now we'll
need it ourselves, but there's enough in
mere to keep US goin' on bread, at least,
ana / d rather eat the roots of them
weeds in the yard there than say word
agln' what's for the good of the workin'
man"
Little children march around the cor
aners, armed with sticks and flags. and
announce that they are "goin' to guard
the mill gates from the black sheep"
Strikes are organized on every door
step and in every back yard. and every
where enthusiasm is expressed.
There are very few pess .mists among
the women. One. woman, whose husband
earns $3.50 a day, bemoaned the strike
to her neighbor.
An, what's the matter with your said
the other, whose man has a wage of
SI.1o a day. I'VE amt mindin' it. and
why should you? It's for the right, and
cry"
Bless my soul" said Mrs. Annie, Nc
I1ghe, the portly mother of four strik
ing sons, and whose husband, EMPLOYED
IN the Carnegie mills is daily expecting
MS summons to go out IT don't hold no
grudge again the men for striking. rs
the fght thing to do, and if 1 was a. man
L q arm myself with dynamite, I would,
an no black sheep would get in my mill. .
Now, mother" expostu' ted ore If
the boys, but mother went on enar-
getlcaIly; the workin man has a r.gbt
70 h1s Twin and to protect his work
Ihem as won join the union is no good
anyhow for an honest workin mani
give half Of every dollar he earns even
II ne arm but one dollar a day, for the
good of the men.
It's poor day for the South SIDE"
Wh1mpered another mother whose sons
are out. It'll make sorra and want
here among us Them as makes the
strike and them as owns the works new
CT knows what 1t means to the strikers
wife and family, or maybe they wouldn't
De so ready to make them. But IN do
what | kin I've something saved and
when that's gone 7 can wash for me
Twin like many a better woman has to
do"
When asked how long they could ho,d
out the almost universal answer was
SIX months" Some said a year. rely
ing on the help from the union. but most
Of them lean on their own poss Bile re-
sources and labor
In some of the tin mills. which are
big part of Pittsburgs industry, there
are hundreds of glr.s employed in the
various departments, and in a few Of
the other mills women work side. by
side with men. None of these is per-
sonally Interested in the outcome OF
the strike, but each and every one be-
heves in it as in her religion, and
would speak words of inspiration to the
tagging energies of the men, were they
needed.
One bqXom maiden called 'Ann'e" by
her companions and whose feather
trimmed hat and general Sunday ap.
pearance proved her tdleness was walk
ing around the scene of her usual en-