East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1904-11-02
Wife Follows Footsteps
Of Golden Rule Jones

What Golden Rule" Jones did ant
What his widow is going to do are besi
told by her, says Frank Boalt for the
scripps-McRae News Association.
An interview with Helen Beach
Jones is no more difficult than 1t was
when Mayor Jones lived. The Jones
mansion is tall and broad and of hos
pitable aspect. The lawn is spacious
and ON ii are many stately oaks
branches seem to nod a gracious well
come to passersby.
The doorway of the Jones mansion
is wide and the doors swing back al
most before one has a chance to
touch the button. On the stone door
sill are carved these words;
"a Broad House to Lodge Friend
| If. when l called at the Broad
House l expected to find mascu-
! line, eccentric or freakish woman.
then Mrs. Jones did not come down
to my expectations. For presently
there came down the wide stairs and
across the hall, toward me, woman
in black. relievd by touch of white
at the neck. Her eyes were blue, set
rather far apart, and decidedly
friendly. She shook hands like Il
man-with gesture as gracious as
it was unstudied.
/ told her l wanted to know about
her plans and herself, and instead she
began to talk about her husband. 1t
is subject of which she never tires.
And as she talked, her strong, wo-
manly face lit up with pride and love.
"Mr. Jones had a wonderful per-
sonality,' she said. otherwise he
could not have been so successful i'm
making friends of his men in the fac
tories. 1t may be that lack that
personality, and so may fail in the
things have set out to do.
4 "Perhaps you are familiar with
what he did for the men in his EN-
ploy, and for their families. The S.
Nj. Jones company has two shops,
one many years old, the other recent
ly built. AT the old shop is Golden
Rule" park, where the men hold their
meetings every Sunday afternoon in
the summer. In the shop is a large
hall which is also used for meetings
and for entertainments.
In time, the business grew to such
proportions that it became necessary
to utilize the space taken up by the
park or build O shop elsewhere. The
former my husband was unwilling to
do.
$50 the other shop was built-a
model building, 1 think, we'll lighted
and ventilated, with large grounds
around it, and an artificial lake.
One Of the first things my hus-
pand did was to shorten the hours of
the men from 10 to 8 hours. Then
he began to raise wages, especially
the wages of unskilled workmen.
Skilled workmen get good pay any
way, and every man who is willing to
work has a right to living wage.
Next he divided $4,000 in shares
in the company among the men, hop
ing they would hold it and let it in
crease in value. The experiment was
only partly successful, as some of the
men sold the shares and spent the
money.
His next experiment was to de-
clare a 3 per cent dividend on the
wages of every man. The money
was placed in the hands of a board of
trustees. made up of employees, to be
used for the benefit of all. The fund
is still untouched and drawing inter-
est.
'He organized a band in the old
shop. He added the dining room
feature, where the men can get
square meal for 10 cents. He visited
the sick and distressed among the
men and their families. He did these
things and more because he believed
with all his heart that the principles
of the Golden Rule should be lived,
as we'll as preached, in the lives of
men.
Il am telling you all this because
when you know what my husband
did, you can understand what l have
set out to do.
"Such features as have already
been introduced in the shops will be
continued-such as the meeting hall
and the dining room. AS for certain
schemes, which I know my husband
hoped to introduce. cannot say now.
1 must wait until the estate is settled.
"In the meantime, we will hold the
regular Sunday afternoon meeting in
Golden Rule park. The band plays
at these meetings every other week,
chorus of mems voices furnishing
the music on alternating Sundays"