Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-02-10

men deeply. They did not show it
much, but they felt it and talked Of it
on their way home. Such a scene had
not been known in Champion in their
lifetime.
In spite of all this and the tremen-
dous hold that Stuart was obtaining
over the men the union held for it's
original terms and showed no signs of
weakening. The Salvation Army still
continued to exercise its restraining
influence over the majority, although
the drinking was increasing. Almost
the only hope Stuart had now was that
the Cleveland owners would be COM
PEELED to yield before the winter was
over owing to the demand for ore
which for the last weeks had been in
creasing. He had little expectation
that the full demand of the miners
would be granted, for he remembered
that in the history of strikes very few
large strikes had ever been successful.
But he hoped the owners might make
such concessions that the union would
agree to go back on a large rise in pre-
viOus wages.
SO the week following communion
Sunday opened with special meaning
to Stuart 1t was n memorable week
for Champion. The fever epidemic had
reached it's height. Most of its victims
were children. The number of deaths
daily was appalling. Andrew, Eric,
the doctor, the nurses, Rhena and Stu
art with all the available help from
the Christian people in the town, were
battling with the enemy with all the
might of skill and the exercise of all
that money and watchfulness could
accomplish.
Stuart and Rhena had met several
times that week Nearly always it
was by the side of some dead or dying
child. They said little. Each seemed
to be waiting for something. Rhena
was worn and thin, but there had come
into her eyes a look she dared not let
Stuart see. The winter had its intlu-
ence in addition to all this to repreSs
and bear down the hearts of the peO-
pie. Never had such snOwdrifts been
known in Champion or such severe
cold. The nights set in with bitter
winds sweeping down the hills, and
after the evening train had plOwed it's
way out of the station on its dreary
trip westward Champion seemed to be
abandoned by God and man. All con-
nection with the outer world seemed
| cut off, the iron hills shut down hard
and close about the town, and the long,
terrible night began, a night of agony
to those who lived and those who died.
The date of the great strike and the
great fever will never be forgotten by
the children who were left untouched
by the grim death.
One night that week Stuart had come
home very late, thoroughly exhausted
with the frost chill in his bones, the
| benumbing sense of his responsibility
weighing him down and his heart cry
ing out. 20 Lord. how long. how long,.
He had gone up to his room and had
sunk into a heavy sleep. He wakened
between 2 and o'clock with a feeling
of something wrong. 1t was so press
ing that he rose and dressed and went
to the window that looked out on the
town. The night was one of the bitter
ing an icy gale through the valley.
Even the Duncan mansion, warmed as
it was with the best and most eXpen-
sive apparatus, felt the shock of the
almost solid cold that struck through
everything.
Suddenly Stuart saw n light in the
lower end of Cornishtown. The min
/ bIIiIi
for the most part of logs or slabs from
the mill. They were crowded very
close together at the lower part of the
town. AS he looked the light famed
up higher, and his heart bounded as ht
realized that one of the cabins was OF
fire. The horror of it as he considered
what such an accident meant on sucl
a night stupefed him, but only for {
second. The next instant he was dOw1
stairs, had flung himself into his over
coat, was out of the house and speed
ing down the road.
When he reached the square, light
were springing up in the windows al
about. The alarm had reached tn
: people, and they were rising. By tn
time he reached Cornishtown half
dozen houses were blazing. The min
ers had turned out in body and wer
fighting the fire like iends, but the III
tense cold, the high wind and the neal
ness of the cabins to one another a
this part of the settlement made tn
fight most hopeless one.
l Stuart ordered all the sick and age
> to be carried out Of the houses neares
: the fire, and he himself worked like te
: men. There was no water available
! The engine and hose companies ha
made a desperate effort to reach th
settlement. but the tremendous drift
y and the condition of the roads made
{ impossible. The snow itself was IL
only weapon within reach. 1t VIZ
: piled over the low rooted cabins by Il
/ excited miners. who saved some hous,
on the edges by this novel method. b
> the wind swept everything before it