Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1902-11-07
JoBsoN ORDERS COAL

Some months ago. when the coal strike
had already gathered considerable headway,
Mrs. Jobson ventured one evening 20 ex-
press a timid opinion on the subject
IL says here IN the paper" she remark
ed 10 Mr. Jobson, "that the miners aver
eyed $3.50 a day and that that's more than
twice as much as they got for the same work
in the old county they're an foreigners,
It seems. It's a wonder they wouldn't stop
striking. They didn't gain much the last
time they struck. did theyw
Mr Jobson regarded Mrs Johson with
stern and swelling disapproval over the top
Of his newspaper
That's just like a woman, he said Il
never saw a woman vet that didn't swallow
whole everything that she saw in a news
paper. And l never saw one yet, either,
that had as much common consideration and
human pity in her makeup as a wolf Of the
desert The
But, put in Mrs Jobsor, "isn't $3.50
day pretty good pay for a working man
that just digs with pick and shovelf'
Eyes, madam oraeularly replied Mr.
Jobson, $3.50 a day would be good enough
pay for 'em if they got it, But they don't
get It, or anything like it. l don't happen
TO remember the exact figures at the mo-
ment, but ] don't believe that they get more
than third Of $3.50 n day What you need
is little OF Tie milk ol human kindness,
Mrs Jobson It's al right for you TO sic
here and talk, when you have never any
thing to do but to read deleterious literature
and take in bargain sales, but If you were
the struggling, slaving wife of one OF those
unfortunate Pennsylvania miners you'd be
singing a different song You
"But, interrupted Mrs Jobson again, "if
they really receive more than twice as much
money for the same work IA this country as
they got in the old country where they came
from, why don't"
Now, you want to stop applying oppro-
brious epithets to such of these grueed
miners as happen to be foreigners, broke
in Mr Jobson, crushngly. you wouldn't
have to go back many generations before
you'd meet up with the foreign strain in
al of Us, when it comes to that, and whether
they're foreigners or not hasn't anything to
do with the matter. They're human beings
aren't theyi / guess it you had to lie on
your stomach for about is hours a day
groveling around in the wet mines and work
| ing with pick, for few miserable pennies a
day, you'd come pretty near being an an
archist"
"Well," F." neekly said Mrs. Jobson, "it says
here in the paper that the strike is liable to
last for a number of months, and that the
price of coal is going up all the time. 1t
says that by the time the cool weather
comes around coal is likely to cost SIS or
even $40 ton"
There you go again about what it says
in the newspaper" said Mr.. Jobson, acridly,
"What the dickens does the newspaper
know about it any more than anybody else,
I'd like to know The newspapers are al
ways trying to spring these bogies on folks.
But, when it comes to that, even if its fore
cast is correct, and coal does go to $40 ton,
who caresg Those miners are fighting for a
great principle madam, and so far as ! am
concerned, / don't care a nicke's worth OF
| figs if coal goes TO $50 a ton. I'd be more
willing to pay the price to see the miners
batter down the strongholds OF a relentless
monopoly. That's the kind Of citizen !
am"
Thus effectually squelched, Mrs. Jobson
was glad to abandon the subject, but she
had an idea or so of her own as to the
changed state Of mind Mr.. Jobson would
display as to the coal strike when the time
arrived for him to dieker for the first con
signment of furnace coal. So when at the
breakfast table the other morning Mr.. job
son told her in an offhand way that he in
tended to drop by the coal mans on his
way home from the Office and order five tons
Of coal for the furnace she was prepared for
little seance with Mr. Jobson on his ar
rival home that afternoon, and her expecta-
tions were fully realized.