The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-06-04
BY. w. Wendhann.

through the great shop with it's bewil-
dering whir Of machinery and it's roar
ing fires--its flying sparks and dirt
and dust and smoke:
Now and again she stopped to watch
some giant machine perform its almost
human work. The men, with their
splendid. muscles and perfect skill in
terested her immensely. But her COM
panion was distinctly bored. The CRIME
and sweat and dirt offended his aris-
.tocratic senses and the noise Jared
upon his ears.
What you can find interesting. in
this pandemonium, I cannot imagine"
those who have to be here and do the
work; to deliberately seek it when the
sun Is shining outside, the roads are
hard and a motor car is waiting, is be-
yond me-"
"Oh. Philip, can't you feel the thrill
Of seeing things done by real people 2"
she replied. ,:"Just look at that man
at the forge! See the great muscles
stand out as he lifts the hammer. And
The strength of a giant, the delicate
touch Of a woman-it is grand!"
well I'm blessed if I can see it in
that way" rejoined the man. Ear
from seeming romantic, it looks to me
as though the fellow might as Well be
III pI1SOH az Ue COllPcAACA " bpCAA AAo
time doing that kind of work. OF
course, suppose they are used to that
sort of labor-and somebody has to do
tt-but I can't say I care to see them
at 1t-anyWay, on a fine day with fresh
air and a lively spin awaiting me-"
Just the shadow of Impotence
crossed the girls face at this speech,
but she laughed merrily and continued
her way through the shop.
T1oS 80 lott %~ fhn
works Of which her father. was the
owner. She had been reared in the ex-
elusive atmosphere of wealth, and her
vision had not reached much beyond
her father pa1atial mansion, the thea
tiers, and other palatial mansions in
"our set" and the continental tour.
OF course, she knew about the great
mills, but heretofore they had been to
her simply acres of gloomy, smoking
prisons, from which there was wrested
the money that brought all the good
things.
On this pleasant day in the early Au-
tumn, wearied with the conventional
round of pleasures and pastimes with
which she was surfeited, and some
what aroused by a novel she had been
reading, which dealt with the: world Of
workers, she had determined to see the
inside of those great smoky shops and
and the manner of men who lived
among them.
Her father had laughed at her whim
and as he had not time that day to go
with her, Philip Hammond had acted
as her escort. Philip was her constant
champion-her destined husband-the
son Of Mr.. Norton's lifelong friend, a
successful banker. .t =
It was but a. moment after the CON-
versation recorded between Miss Nor"
ton and Mr.. Hammond that an accid-
'ent occurred. -. II.
I A man directly ahead Of the. visitors,
carrying.a heavy load on his shoulder,
made a. misstep. fell against Ia great
leather belt and WAS earEted soff his
feet and upward wi ths1t a She
Erealfzed AMER l he afearfu9i
Morton The mortal terror: in them
burned into her very soul and she
f,shrieked: ::
!, "Philip, Philip, save him! Oh, save
him!"
She saw the wheel to which the belt
| was dragging him and knew that he
must be, crushed. .
Philip also saw the fearful danger,
but stood as one paralyZed.
He could have reached the man from
| where he was, but stood trembling
with white face and horror-stricker
eyes.
The attention Of the entire shop had
been attracted by the shreiks, and a
score of men were running toward the
scene. +;
Pull that lever, you there with the
white cap! The black: one! Quick!
Throw off the belt!" came in clear
| commanding tones from behind. But
| Hammond did not stir. He threw uI
one hand to shut out the sight of the
man being crushed. r.. =:
| In the meantime past the two visi-
! tors sprang the man who had shouted
It was the blacksmith from the
! forge.
| The man on the belt was right in
| the clutch of the wheel.
It seemed to Ida that she must surely
! faint.
! At that instant the blacksmith made
| a lunge at a. revolving wheel, caught
! two of the iron spokes and braced his
stalwart legs.
| 1t seemed as though he would be
! thrown against the machine beyond
| but, no, the wheel stopped with jerk
| The muscles of the blacksmith
arms and chest stood out like whip
| cords.
"Quick, boys, quick!" he cried; ]
can't stand this long,"
He had no need to urge. Already
| two Workmen had :hoisted a. third to
their shoulders, and he pulled the vic
tim from the wheel. with one arm
| badly crushed, but alive.
Then the blacksmith let go the wheel
and the machinery restarted to whi1
and buzz. The men crowded around
him, offering congratulations.
We'll, I'm blest. Joe. You saved
Mike from bein' ground into naincemeat
that time. didn't think it could be
done. BY Jove, Joe, I'd like to have
your muscle
These and similar compliments wer'
fired at him as he turned with a broad
! grin to his forge.
Directly in his way stood a beautiful
girl with blanched. face. her great
brown eyes swimming in tears. = y
oh, sir, want to- say you are the
bravest and strongest and quickest
man I ever saw. cannot thank you
too much. Il was afraid he would be
crushed to DEATH >'s'' '@ ~ <''.
T. He flushed to the roots Of his hair.
r 1T was nothing MISS he said. ANY
Of the men would have done it,
! That evening Ida went over the seen,
| with. her father He knew all about I'll