The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1902-01-24

ereightroom and got his inspiration.
Then he accosted Bruder
"Waitin' for Harris team. amt yerT
said, ''Yes."
"Goin' ter work on the job. amt
yer:"
Again Bruder looked at his wife, and
again she said, yes"
"Well, I'm right glad ter see yer"
said the uncOnscionable diplomat eff
fusively. 81 tell yer, we've been havin'
l. cat COINS on aroun' here"
Again Bruder looked at his wife, and
ain she said Yes softly and press
ID a little closer under the shelter of
his mighty thigh.
Between you and me-" continued
the willy Smith, "these woodchoppers-
1 mean the Beaver Meadow fellers."
he hastened to explain as a slight con-
traction of Bruder's forehead warned
him that any slur upon the craft would
not be welcome-"don't know when
they're well Off"
He paused, and Bruder looked at his
wife, but she remained silent.
"Of course amt got nothin' against
these men here, and it-may not sound
well comm from me, me bein' in the
employ of this corporation, as amt sup
posed ter show no partiality, but seems
ter me these men is little unreason-
able. Yer see." he went on as neither
Bruder nor his wife spoke, ''times have
been pretty hard around here, with
crops failin' and a good deal of sick
ness In the neighborhood, and l think
these men ought to been glad to get
steady employment. OF course they're
really in the power Of the company.
cos they amt got no money, and the
officers knows 1t, and SO they cuts
down their wages, Now, some of 'em
finds out that the big fellers is maxim
dead loads of money, and SO they
makes a big kick and goes on strike.
| So the company jest shuts down, and /
beard the superintendent say as that
they was goin' to start a process of
starvation. OF course / don't want
| that to go no further"
"Did the company treat the men
fairF asked MIS-. Bruoep.
"Of course 1t did," said Smith quick
ly. "Ain't they got a right TO pay their
money out any way they like? Couldn't
these men pick up and leave IL they
didn't like itf''
"Most Of these men has their own
homes, hasn't they?" asked Mrs. Bru-
| der.
rYes, they has," said Smith, 'but II
they keeps on this way they won't
| have no one left in their homes" Then
he added as he walked toward the of.
/ fee: eyed better come In and SIT
down. Harris team may not be here
for an hour yet. They generally comes
ter meet the down train. Big Four is
waitin' here fer 1t ter pass"
He adroitly halted the couple In
front of the open door Of the freight
room, and instantly the maternal eye
of Mrs. Bruder caught the little coffin.
Whose is that?" she asked.
'That's Cy Selden's baby" said
Smith, lying heroically.
Mrs Bruder looked at her husband
then back to Smith. "What allied itfs
she asked, "Cholera morbus?"
Smith drew closer and lowered his
| voice a bit .'That's what they give
out,r he said, "but between you and
me 1t didn't have enough ter eat"
Just then Smith found sudden bust
ness in the ticket Office, where he re
mained until he heard the booming Ol
the down train, when he went out OF
to the platform to pass up the mails
He fingered for moment and watch
ed "Big Four" pull out from the sid
ing; then he looked all around. There
was no one in sight.
"How'd yer do 1t, Bill?' asked Jacl
Lundy that night, while o half dozeI
strikers smoked and listened,
81 didn't do nothin', and l dom
know nothin'," snapped Smith. 'The,
come. and they've gone, amt they 2
And then to modify therebuke the goot
soul continued in q tone that smacket
suspiciously of tenderness as he puffes
his pipe reflectively in the darkness
eStrange: ! used to know those folk
years ago-didn't know it till terday-
they was a good deal younger then
just married, ! guess-they were pret
ty poor-had little baby that died
don't know, but folks aroun' there salt
the little thing died-cos 1t didn't
get-enough-ter eat"