Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1902-07-12
CHAPTER I.
tHE GREAT STRIKE.


TIE GREAT STRIKE.
They say 5000 men have gone out IF
the Champion and De Mott mines this
, morning." said one Of the passengers In
the train to the young man in the seat
BY him as they slowly drew up to the
station.
II wonder if that is o." replied his
companion. There seems to be some
thing unusual going on. Well, goodby.
This Is my home. shall soon know all
about it."
The young man caught up his travel
Ing bag and hurried out upon the plat
form.
The station was entirely deserted exl
ccpt by few Of the railroad employ.
ees. The young man looked around q
moment, as If expecting some one and
then walked hastily across the plat
form and around the corner of the sta
ton. From the side of the building the
town and the public square were in full
view. And as they came in sight the
passenger gave an exclamation of won.
der.
The public square was small park,
with band stand in the middle Of it.
1t was situated at the meeting point of
several streets, each of which seemed
to wander down the hills from the diff
ferent mining districts. starting first
as footpath trod by the miners, then
developing into piece Of country road,
adding on fragments of wooden side
walks as 1t approached the town and
finally growing into street with paw
Ing and cement walks and stores and
office buildings on either side. Direct
~ In front Of the band stand, facing
the park, stood large church, which
with its lot occupied the entire space
between two streets. The railway sta
ton formed one side of the heptagon
made by the converging Of the seven
streets. Another church building, two
streets from the other, formed another
side. The rest Of the buildings front
: Ing the park were stores, offices of vari-
Gus mining companies and a large no
tel.
Into this center of the heart Of the
mining town of Champion on this par
ticular morning, in the year of our
Lord 1895, was gathered the largest
crowd Stuart Duncan ever saw there
This young man was the son of Ross
Duncan, owner Of the largest mines in
Champion. He was 80 years old, had
finished his college education and was
just home this morning from years
bril- In, &c, l,n n fno
the railway station platform and push
ed his way into the crowd he said to
ehimself that in \all his travels abroad
he had not seen anything to compare
with the remarkable gathering in this
mining town where he had been reared
previous to his college life in the east.
The minute he stepped into the
:, crowd several voices called out: STU
art. lad, give US your hand! Glad to
see you backw The voices were in diff
ferent tones and various degrees Of
brogue, Cornish, Finn. English, Irish.
Scotch. He noticed the subdued action
of the men. They were excited, but
under control. The band stand was
crowded with familiar faces, but Stu
art Duncan looked at only one. That
was the face of short but muscular
young man who was standing with
head uncovered upon the bench which
ran around the inside of the stand. He
had thick black hair, deep set black
eyes, heavy eyebrows, large features,
smooth face and short. round neck. He
stood leaning forward little, his left
hand around one of the supports to the
roof Of the stand, his right holding an
old hat which moved gently up and
down.
Stuart moved up nearer the stand
until he was within easy speaking dis
lance. AS he crowded in closer he was
finally stopped by the great pressure
of the men. Several voices greeted
him, but all of them quietly. and the
interest Of the gathering seemed cen
tered in the figure that stood leaning
out a little over the crowd.
whats it all about? What's the
trouble?" asked Stuart of the men
around him. whats Eric doing up
thereY
Before any one could reply the young
man standing on the bench began to
speak. His words came very slowly, as
IT, every one Of them was being thought
out carefully. He stopped every mo-
ton Of his body and stood perfectly
still. The great crowd In the square
was so quiet that Stuart thought for
second of scene he once witnessed In
an English cathedral when 1900 people
were kneeling just before a special
service began.
Brothers," said the speaker. whom
Stuart had called ERIC, "this is no or
binary movement in the history Of la
Dor. What we have done and what we
are about to do are Of the most serious
consequence. We have made demand
for wages such as will sustain US and
our families this winter In comfort 1t
has been refused, and we have come
out of the mines determined to make a
peaceful but resistless protest for the
rights of our manhood" The speaker
paused moment, and Stuart noticed
the hand around the post tighten its
grip. Then he continued. The quiet
OF the crowd was, If possible more
deep than before. ~ ".
Brothers, we need more than human
wisdom at such time. as this. It IL dt-
ting that we bow our heads and i'm
plore divine aid" Every head in the
square was uncovered as the speakers
boice rang out clear and strong over
the crowd: s I. IL 53s.
Lord, we need thy help today. We
3ask for, wisdom. Grant US to know thy
will. o Lord, keep us from committing