The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-07-12
MORE or THE EXPERIENCES OF
TIE YOUNG RAILROAD
FIREMAN.
Unwilling Cause Of All tire Turmoil
Bravery Sticks TO his Pos,-seene
IN the Presidents ofses When IN ;
General Manager Calls.


! men, came the strike II did not
amount TO very much at the start.
Often these balls OF human passion
started under slight momentum take
a long time to reach speed that
proves destructive
/ A few fremen quit their posts IN
der union orders others waited a time.
a work train or two was wrecked and
a good many switches were misplaced.
The newspapers published a great deal
about the strike that was not true.
because either the reporters could not
| get the truth or, securing it. found
| that their papers were not inclined TO
| give space TO the matter and disposed
to ignore the AFFAIR.
The president of the road. however.
/ knew human nature better than the
newspapers or their reporters He
knew that the union was strong and
not likely to surrender until every ex-
pedient had been exhausted. When
the strike had been going four days
he called in his general manager and
said TO him:
Where are they going TO hit us?'
The general manager laughed an
ugly brutal laugh.
Il don't care where they hit us" he
said. Wen smash EN- anyway. We
have lost just fifty firemen since the
row commenced. and we've got man
10 fill every place. Now that the thing
is under way I'd start in and clean out
every union fireman on the road. I'd
show the blankety blanks that we're
masters. There's not one of those
who have quit that viii ever come
back while I'm here. Union? What
the blank have We TO do with unions ?"
The president got up from his desk
and walked slowly about the room
once or twice before he answered. and
then he said:
You have a rough tongue-rougher
than you had twenty-five years ago.
Prosperity seems to have turned your
head. | don't want to smash anybody.
| wish to get the road and the strik
| ers out of this mess as easy as posi-
| BILE. | suppose the men would laugh
| if they were told that | was talking
this way: but | am heart-sick over this
| business. a strike is a pitiable thing
anyway you look at it. 1t never ends
but one way-defeat for the under
dog.
But these firemen are humans, the
ts-s>-~>s v--- 8
man twenty-five years ago. and | a
! division superintendent We have
both gone up. but the higher I've gone
| the more I've felt the need of helping
/ those beneath me, and the harder you
have grown. I tell you" bringing his
| fist hard down on his desk. Il WORT
stand it to hear of anyone being
smashed in this affair. What I want
| to know is as to where our worst trou-
BILE is to come from"
The general manager shifted un-
/ easily in his chair before he answered.
Well as he knew the president, he hal
never heard him speak as he just had
with such force, or with such SYM
patty for the employees of the road.
Finally he answered, rather surlily:
'sMcFadden's running on the Orange
limited with Gavin. There are plenty
of hotheads who would ike to wreck
that train and get him If they could
do it without being caught"
The union wouldn't indorse that
mo. suppose not. but these things
get away from the union"
Just as we get away from the right
thing to do when we get angry"
Il don't know about that. Most la
boring men are waiting around to cut
any throat or business when they
can
your wrong. damnably wrong
said the president Most laboring
men want plenty of food. home. g
school for their children, new gown
for the wife. day of rest and a bank
account. Is that unreasonable? Is il
altogether their fault that they donf
have them? We haven't laborins
man to fear in this trouble. except
| those who drink or are deadbeats
and as between the two | am les:
afraid of a drunkard than OF dead
heat. Are the bridges guarded
Everything is guarded that can be
There's nothing TO the game now bu'
waiting
The president went back to his desl
and the general manager walked out
Meantime McFadden was leading al
interesting life. He was receiving ;
new insight into the wary ways ere
, alive labor must walk in these days o
an industrial age. With the strike de
clsref. ali possibility of his joininl
the union passed away for the time
The first day that he reported on dut,
! after the strike was declared he me
several Of his former associates VIII
had Quit work. and who saluted hin
with various nncompIimentary epi
, thets. He laughed back. rememberinl
. What Brush rad said to him befor
she babe him goodbye:
Take il easy. old man You're on
NJ ,em an go slow before you hi
hack. But when you hit. John. hi
hard
He could not tell Just what II wa
that gave him q heavy feeling abou
his heart. II anyone had said II va
G natural sympathy with the odd an
crooked conditions OF life. be woul
have stared blankiy- He was not n
this man Of the slums. IN the highe
metaphysics. or those philosopher
reasonings which often take the piac
Of heart and al the human emotions
He simply felt heaEy. trife sad.
frise like he wished to put out 81
hand TO ali his fellow workmen al
cav % them.
II ne don't stick together who |
Going 10 stick for as