The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1901-03-14

4 uuu bpOhc III Tue ulluSt OI u uettuly 81
lence that was almost as terrifying as
the howl of the mob q few seconds be-
fore.
"My brothers, in the name Of God
Der what you are and as you value
| heaven do no wrong today"
The miners heard. and for moment
I the silence was unbroken. 1t was one
Of those moments which prove men to
be equal or wanting to an emergency.
And Stuart in that brief time grew In
strength and experience. He was in
the open space before Andrew or any
one else moved and standing by the
woman, the leveled guns now touching
them both. The minute Stuart leaped
into the space between the troops and
the miners the woman turned and
knelt by the side of the wounded Off
Ger. Stuart was conscious Of the fact
that men were carrying the body out Of
the ranks and that the young woman
was behind them. following. All that
he felt rather than saw as he stood
there.
"Men," he said. praying In his heart
| for wisdom to say just the right word,
listen to me a moment. Every man
who strikes lawless blow here today
strikes at the cause of labor If you
want to set it back ard destroy your
own best good, now is your opportuni-
ty. 1t will be the act of madmen to do
it. In Gods name, In the name of the
law and of your best interests | beg of
you to use reason. For the sake of
Eric who loves you if ever man did let
these men go their ways and abide the
results as law fearing, God fearing
men,
There was stir all through the
crowd while Stuart spoke. Then the
silence was broken by cries here and
there by men who had helped Eric in
the organization of the union.
Hes right. Mr.. Duncan tells TRUTH
LETS keep law! We be fools other
wise"'
| "Aye we's fools already"
"Better for us to get men to so
backw
This last cry was caught up by large
numbers, and the mob fairly swarmed
around the coaches containing the new
men. During the events just described
they had remained inside, but the win
dows were alive with heads thrust out
| to see what was going on.
Stuart felt that the immediate dan
ger Of collision was over. There were
however, still any number Of chances
for an outbreak. The troops lowered
their guns, but remained on guard.
The scene around the coaches now
assumed an intensely pathetic charac-
ter. With it all there was an element
Of danger and the stirring of the tickle
wild beast in the mob.
"Now. boys" pleaded an old miner.
standing close up by one Of the coach
es, "you doesn't want to take bread
out of us mouths up here, does you?
Come! Say you'll 60 back and leave us
to fight 1t out with the masters. We
make to win II let alone"
"Aye, that we willv said another
eagerly. 1.-THE owners is losing on
contracts every day now. Give us a
chance. What have we done to you
that you should come up here to take
away our wages?"
We've got families, too," replied a
gruff voice from one Of the windows.
And no work for over n month and
women and babies crying ut home.
What would you have us do?"
This was hard question to answer.
a., and no one tried it, but hundreds Of
voices We're besceching the newcomers
to go back and leave the mine owners
to struggle with their old men.
At last one of the miners, middle
aged man who had helped to organize
the union and next to Eric was as in
nuential as any one in Champion. Sc
cured n hearing. He mounted one Of
the switch blocks, and the men anx-
iously listened.
"Tell you what the union will do.
We agree to pay the fares Of every
man here back to his home and some
thing over IL you so back on the next
train"
AYE. that's the thingw yelled hun
dred voices. AS matter Of fact the
union, numbering now nearly 5000 men.
was in position to do this. and in the
desperate fight it was making 1t could
afford to wiring every possible cent
from its members rather than give way
to the influx of new hands. Once the
mines opened up their chances OF
bringing the owners to terms would be
gone forever. Besides. there was no
telling what events might occur If once
public sympathy was large enough to
enlist other work!ngmen with them.
The appeals now made to the men in
the coaches were frantic. Miners climb
ed up on the PLATFORMS AMI squeezed
inside the ears to a.-u" with the men.
1t was Il scene of peculiar interest. one
great swarm Of hard listed and hard
faced men begging another crowd Of
the same kind to keep from exercising
the natural desire to work for home
and children. Surely what was first
pronounced as n curse on our first par
pntS has now hpcomp n dOuhlp curse