The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-08-13

+. snip he had begun with these men. nearly
| all OF whom had been in his fathers en-
| ploy. IL was true they were OF the rudest.
most uneducated sort. Their type or
| Christianity as church members was not
very exalted. They were at this very
| moment engaged In a method OF strug-
| gle against capital which was contrary
| To all Stuart's real convictions. but ne
had reached point where he looked upon
| the struggle from a different basis. The
| men in the church were for the most part
( prayerful. honest and above all generous
with what they possessed. Stuart did
| not know IL, but Deacon Sam Penryck.
| who passed the bread and wine. had that
| very morning given one OF the suffering
| families in Cornishtown q third OF his
| own saving which he had stored up for
| the winter TO take him through the strike.
But " was not about the type OF chris
| tianity that Stuart was thinking as he
sat there. II was about his relations
with these men with whom he was. now
associated as a member OF tho body or
| Christ. II he had been growing more and
more to believe that ne was his brothers
keeper ever since the death OF his father.
much more now. especially since his con-
version and this days communion. An
drews prayer touched on that The SER
vice was very impressive.
AT Its close Stuart asked Andrew IL
he might say word. and very simply
but strongly he stated his Christian
faith and asked for the prayers OF the
church that strength and wisdom might
be given him TO live the true life OF a
disciple. His words as he stood there In
all the strength and glory OF his young
manhood touched the men deeply. They
did not show IL much. but they felt IL
and talked OF IL on their way home. Such
scene had not been known I'm Cham
piop in their lifetime.
In spite OF all this and the tremendous
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 ma
jority, although the drinking was In
creasing. Almost the only hope Stuart
had now was that the Cleveland owners
would be compelled 10 yield before the
winter was over owing to the demand
for ore which for the last weeks had
been increasing. He had little expecta-
ton that the full demand of the miners
would be granted, for he remembered
that In the history OF strikes very tow
large strikes hid ever boen successful
But he hoped the owners might make
such concessions that the union would
agree TO so back on a large rise In pre-
vious wages.
So the week following communion Sun
day opened with special meaning TO
Stuart IL was a memorable veek for
Champion. The fever epidemic had
reached its height. Most OF its victims
were children The number OF deaths
daily was appalling. Andrew, Eric, the
doctor the nurses, Rhena and Stuart.
with oil the available help from the
Christian people I'm the town, were bat
Ting with the enemy with all the might
OF skin and the exercise OF all that money
and watchfulness could accomplish.
Stuart and Rhena had met several
times that week. Nearly always II was
by the side of some dead or dying child.
They said little. Each seemed 10 be
waiting for something Rhena was
worn and thin. but there had come into
her eyes q look she dared not let Stuart
see. The winter had its influence In ad-
dition TO all this to repress and bear
down the hearts OF the people. 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 plowcd
its way out OF the station on its dreary
trip westward Champion seemed to be
abandoned by God and man. All CON-
nection with the outar world seemed
cut OF, 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 win never be forgotten by the
children who were left untouched by
the grim death.
One night that week Stuart had come
home y late thoroughly exhausted.
with .he lrost chill In his bones. the be-
nunbing sense OF his responsibility weigh
ing him down and his heart crying out,
20 Lord, how long. how longi" He had
gone UP to his room and had sunk into
heavy sleep. He awakened between
and 3 O'Clock with feeling OF some
thing wrong. IL was so pressing that he
rose and dressed and went 70 the window
that looked out on the town. The night
was one OF the bitterest ever known. The
wind was blowing an Icy gale through the
valley. Even the Duncan mansion.
warmed as II was with the best and
most expensive apparatus. felt the shock
Of the almost solid cold that struck
through everything.
Suddenly Stuart saw light In the low.
er end OF Corntshtown. The miners
mos, part s Of ioss rr or slabs % from o the e mill
They were crowded very close together
at the lower part OF the town. AS he
sss ss as he haS sa oSe %
as as he recon- cons,dsred whst such n an an accident
but only for a second. The next Instant
he was down stairs. had flung himself
into his oyercoat was out OF the house
aN %hsgn he ssasSsa tRs es square lights were
The alarm had reached tho people and
they were rising. BY the time he reached
Cornishtown half dozen houses were
blazing. The miners had turned out IN a
body and Were lighting the nre like fends,
but the intense cold the high wind and
the nearness OF the cabins to one another
at this part OF the settlement made the
fight a most hopeless one.
Stuart ordered all the sick and aged
TO be carried out Of the houses nearest
the fire; and he himself worked like ten
men. There was no water available. The
engine and hose companies had made
desperate effort to reach the settlement,
but the tremendous drifts and the condi-
tion OF threads made it impos sdbie. The
snow Itself was the only weapon within
reach. II was piled over the low rooted
cabins by the excited miners. who saved
some houses on the edges by this novel
method. But the wind swept everything
before n IA the centre Of the ire and AZ
last all that the men tired 10 do was TO
rescue the inmates.
Stuart was helping some one carry
dying child out OF a cabin, when Q great
blazing timber was caught UP by the
hurricane and fung as n by some giant
hand right over the couch on which the
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