Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1903-01-26
A QUESTION OF TINE
TALE OF TWO WATCHES THAT TICK,
ED IN THE CAUSE OF LABOR.

For eight years L wreStled with the
difficult task of maintaining a labor
paper. Nearly fifteen years ago gave
up the game, but while live l shall re-
member some of the experiences of
those eight years. l was younger then
than l am now and was full of fight,
which was well, as it was constant
battle. The fighting wasn't what wor-
ried me; it was the habit l, with other
labor editors, got into of running short
of ammunition. 1t isn't so hard a job
now and l am delighted to know that
there are labor papers today that make
themselves and their editors a good liv-
ing
1t may not be amiss for me to relate
two episodes in my career as a labor
newspaper proprietor. They may tend
TO prevent the millionaire labor editors
of today from becoming too confident,
and there may be those in whose pres
ent day experiences will be found simi-
lar hardships that will strike a re-
sponsive chord. The pair of incidents
are, in a way, related because of the
fact that a watch figured in each. The
main point to the stories is, however,
that they depict two kinds of reform
ers-the two extremes.
During the six years that / owned
and edited the Labor Enquirer Of Den
I hoI
the downs always little ahead in the
score. About every SO often l would
reach a point beyond which it seemed
impossible for me to go. With my pock-
cts empty, my accounts at the paper
store and the pressroom as large as
the owners of those establishments
were willing to allow them to become,
1t was sometimes gloomy prospect. 1t
was usually the case that l had been
for weeks before reaching this last
ditch setting all my own type, not be-
ing able to employ compositors. In
those times the Labor Enquirer, which
was an advocate of the eight hour day,
failed to practice what it preached. Six
teen hours day was the rule worked
under then.
Why didn't l give up the apparently
impossible task Of trying to make Ia
Dor paper go? Well if you don't know
why stuck to the hopeless undertake
ing you have never been an enthusiast
or bunked with a man who was one.
Probably you will say was fool, and
maybe was, but wouldn't exchange
the remembrances l have of those days
for great deal. You must know that
was not the only one making sacrifices
for "the cause" There were men, and
women, too, who gave much more than
they could spare time and again to help
get the paper out. If l was a fool,
what were they? Let me tell you what
they were: They were of those whom
we call the salt of the earth, the bravest
and truest men and women have ever
known. They loved humanity and were
willing to make any sacrifice within
their power to improve the condition of
their fellow men. They might have
been mistaken In their choice of way
in which to put forth their efforts, but
their hearts were sound if their judg-
ulenI was Ut Iuult.
1t is about one of these true souls,
God love him, that l am going to tell
you now. He was only an ordinary
workingman, clerk in notion store,
and his salary-save the mark-was but
$40 week. He was a member of an
assembly of the Knights of Labor, and
while he received no help from organi-
zation, the clerks not being organized
at that time, he was a stanch defender
of trades unionism and every form of
labor combination or social reform. He
was a great believer in education as an
important agency for the emancipation
of the wage slave and thought that a
paper devoted to the cause was abso-
lutely essential to the progress of the
movement in every community, On
half dozen occasions he had saved the
Enquirer from death by a contribution
from his meager store of funds, but it
is of one particular time that want to
tell you.
He came into the little back room I
called my Office one day and found me
In the grasp Of the blue devils" 1t
was a case of thorough detection. l
was done to turn-not dime in my
pocket, not sheet of white paper at
the printers that l could call my own
and my account up to the limit at the
paper warehouse.
"Pm fiattened out this time beyond
resuscltation," l said in answer to his
question, and explained the situation
to him, as had done many times be-
fore.
He stood for minute thinking, then
said: 81 am broke, too, but I've got an
idea. Keep a stiff upper lip for quar-
ter of an hour, and I'll be back" and
out he went.
In less than the time he mentioned l
heard him coming up the stairs two
steps at time. Rushing into the room,
he sprang to my side and thrust a
twenty dollar bill into my hand, with
the words: 81 thought it would go. You
can't stick me-"
If you were never in the situation /