Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-08-24
BELOVED DY EMPLOYEES.
Original Owners of Devices Wood Mill
Were Deservedly Popular.

Were Deserved1y Popular.
One Of the most significant features of
the steel strike thus far is the dismantling
OF the Devices Wood steel plant at Nc
Keesport Pa, which Is regarded by many
persons as the inauguration of policy on
the part Of the manufacturers intended to
demonstrate that the cities favored by their
presence must fight the trusts battles In
it's wars again st the labor unions Aside
from the actual loss of wages involved In
the removal of this large plant, the people
of McKeesport are sorrowful over the de-
parture of the industry because of sentf-
mental associations which are thus de-
stroyed. The Devices Wood family occu-
pied a peculiar position In MckeespOrt.
While very wealthy and the employers OF
labor in large number, these men, father
and sons, were exceptionally popular. Iney
were personally known by practically every
inhabitant of the town, and when the elder
Wood died, some years ago, there was
unanimous grief among the inhabitants.
When the steel trust bought the plant.
paying in part for it with stock in the
United States Corporation, the trust man
ayers displaced the Wood brothers from
the head of the establishment, forcing them
out Of active participation in the affairs OF
the mills. This step angered the people of
McKeesport, who have since shown their
hostility on several occasions and are to-
day, in time of friction. decidedly unfriend-
~ to the trust largely. it is thought, be-
Some light was thrown on the reason for
the popularity Of the Woods the other day
when resident of this city talked at some
length with Star reporter about the days
when he was worker in the Devices Wood
establishment. He said:
1T was several years ago that took en-.
ployment under old man Wood as we used
to call him. getting out the polished plates
of iron used in the trade. 1 was aston
ished at the kindness with which Mr.. Wood
treated all OF his employees. He would pass
through the plant every few hours looking
keenly about him. praising a man here. adj
vfSing another there, and always having q
joke or a pleasant word for us. He knew
us by name, and seemed to like to learn
about our families. He was scrupulous in
his regard for the holidays. and was Inn
patient on one occasion. / remember, when
We had asked to be allowed to work on
Thanksgiving day to get out an extra
heavy order. When he came into the
plant at about o'clock in the afternoon
and saw us working, he exclaimed: Tut,
tut. men! This won't do! This is holi-
day Go away. go away! Get out Of here.
Go home and eat your turkey
speaking of turkey reminds me of an
other incident. left the mill for good lust
before Christmas to accept another and
better place. 1t was the custom of the
management to give to each married en-
plcye turkey at Christmas When I went
to the office to get my pay and told the
paymaster that l was going to leave he
said: You are not married, are you? I
FepHed tRar l was not. Then he said
there is dollar and half coming to YOU
In lieu Of the turkey
Mr.. Wood was always very tender
hearted about the safety OF his men, He
had a new Office building erected, with
fine safe constructed in the brick wall. The
day the building was finished, while the
safe doors were being tested one Of the
men was accidentally shut inside. The
heavy doors were locked automatically,
and there was every chance of a tragedy,
for the doors could not be Immediately
opened. Mr.. Woods. who was standing by.
saw the danger Of the man suffocating. be-
fore the doors could be opened by the reg
ular means. and he instantly gave orders
to open the safe at all hazards. to tear
down the wall, to destroy the whole outfit
II necessary to save an instant of time He
had the whole gang summoned from the
mills, and under his directions, he urging
them on eagerly. the wall was torn down
and the poor fellow was hauled out. more
dead than alive. In q few minutes he
would have been gone. Mr.. Wood said af-
terward that the whole building was not
worth one mans life.
Gust such actions as that. OF one kind
and another, caused the force to love Mr..
Wood as few employers are loved by their
men. This affection extended to every other