The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-01-31

>><3Qo04ooO SoooSoSooo
town? Mr.. Newton was known as a gen
orons and Christian employer There
must " some; nii Ks. Some agitator
had stirred UP: this strife. But there.
were l>ti1es11.en and close by, were the
shanties called homes, and over yonder.
WIS the tlthy mill boar inlg house;
While they were talking Bob Lowe
and t his III sWeetheart: appeared, and all
Your moved towards the Newton
home. Bob: and Ethel parted at the
gate NO 'ernp5Ioye Of the mill except
the book keeper and the foreman were
ever permitted. to cross the Newton
Threshold. Willow City was: a lonesome
place for Ethel, and, she, was indeed
happy when she could steal away from
home for an evenings stroll with manly
Bob Lowe. Mrs. Newton; with a. moth
ers knowing way, readily perceived
Ethels affection for Bob, and when Mr..
Newton was absent she made no at
tempt to: prevent: them from meeting:
To- cross her Threshold; however, was
another matter. No mill hand should
be permitted to pay a social visit to
her home: s+.,:,. ....... >
Monday morning was greeted with a
cold, >drizzfing rain, accompanied by a
heavy fog. 1t was no day for fishing.
So the preacher and his friend visited
about the town, and pat In the
Tune studying the conditions
Of the workers: Greatly to their sur
prise they found that every person in
Willow City except; the manager of the
company store, the head book-keeper at
the mill office, and o'Mafley the mill
foreman, were very bitter towards the
Newton. In conversations with en-
ployes, he was invariably referred to
as the slave driver 1.-The car" "old
hypocrite,'' and such other names as
are often resorted to by those who have
lost respect for any man. It was lucky
for the milf men that it rained on this
Monday morning, for the strike at VIII
low City might have resulted in a. dis
NAL failure.
In some way or other, through no
fault Of Newton the news spread over
the county that there was a strike on
at Newton's mill in that model town Of
Willow City,. At first the people
doubted the story. There must be an
error. why should there be a strike at
NeWton's. He was a most model en-
ployer Of labor so rare in these days Of
Industrial strife. Some evil spirit must
be WORKING among the men. Perhaps
some Jealous competitor had caused the
trouble: The public was willing to De-
lieve anything but. a strike at New
TOMS. - 49,,
Yax
appeared in the daily papers. It was
signed by a prominent young journalist,
and the whole country was surprised at
the statement OF affairs at Willow City.
On the following: Monday appeared
another. more, startling still. It was the
report Of q discourse by: the Rev. j. A.
Newell at the Hope M. u. Church, in
which he recited his experience it viii
low City I'd the course off his remarks,
me-. ksd 4. leMton
with using Gle House cod ass coax
! to cover his own inequIty tropolit ali
papers sent correspondents to Willow
City only to confirm the statements
made by the young preacher and jour-
nalist. Snap shots Of the town were
reproduced In the pa ers, and praise for
Newton turned to. scorn. It was d
sorry day tor Newton when he dis
charged the committee sent to Him by
his employees. But he was not of the
kind Of men who show regrets. He
would yet win the strike and humiliate
his men. They must be taught les
son. Every conspicuous; man in the
union from Bob Lowe down was or
tn h1y ~
who acted under Newton's instructions.
The men refused to leave and were
placed under arrest That evening the
village council, composed of mill EN-
rloyes, heretofore friendly with New
ton, discharged the marshall, and elect.
ed a loyal friend in his place
The sheriff Of the county who had re-
cefved loyal political support from New.
ton, was appealed to and several dep.
! uties were sent: to Willow City, armed
| to the teeth. The men passed the dep
! uties with contempt, and It was eviden,
that their presence would likely cause
! trouble. This is what Newton hoped
for. Any slight disturbance would fur
nish reasonable excuse for calling the
| State Militia. Newton and his friend.
the sheriff, had planned. to appeal to
the governor of the state on the slight
est exhibition Of lawlessness. ~s
Bob Lowe knew this and warned his
men, to be law abiding and patient, no
matter how much they were provoked
by the deputies. The council ordered
the saloon to close and Newton ordered
it, OPEN It was the first time that: his
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