The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1905-03-30

'N4l.if a'Ft tt q ettl' WY
admit, when saw a paragraph about
the strike at your factory. was guilty
Of stopping twice at this place to make
inquiries about you. But. Of course, I
obtained no information, and reverted
to the death column again.
Thanks for your solicitude. I've
been worked to death. but am not dead
yet. Throw me the tobacco"
81 suppose any interest I may dis
play in your doings will be ascribed to
sentiment" drawled Maddox, as he
tossed the chamois pouch toward his
host. But | assure you," he con-
tinued, cts nothing but curiosity
and"
"Oh, drop It'll"
"All right Going to tell me all
about it?"
"Yes."
A puff of smoke closed the word.
Dave nodded as he observed the smile
on Kennard's lips.
Get me a jacket, then, and let's be
comfortable in the old way" he began,
as he took off the dinner-coat and hung
1t on the door knob. You've got nice
rooms here. or, to temper my enthu-
siasm to the city standard. should
say they're not altogether bad. What
do you call this placer"
The Benedict. Here, see II this
things ragged enough for you"
Yes, thatll do. Benedict because
you're all bachelors, suppose"
Some say the best way to turn a
bachelor into benedict is to make him
live here"
Guess I'll have to try 1t, then"
Don't. We'd never see each other
at all if we lived in the same house.
That's an axiom in this town"
Jack Kennard kicked the fire into
blaze as he spoke, and threw himself
down on the low divan facing Maddox
sprawling in the big armchair.
"Well?"
Dave stopped blowing rings of smoke
toward the ceiling, and turned inquir-
ingly to the figure on the divan.
Where shall begin?"
Begin at the beginning and end at
the end. as the children say"
you know the beginning. wish
knew the ending myself"
go on, and quit moralizing."
you remember when they tele.
graphed for me at Christmas time
and you know left the next day."
"Um."
THAT was the beginning of trouble
I've had nothing else since. Three
weeks ago 700 men went on strike
and the hundred who wanted to work
were not allowed to do 1t. At first
couldn't find out just what the trouble
was. One story had 1t that I'd taken
on a non-union man named Mallory, a
protege of Miss Harlans, and they
wanted him discharged. Another ver-
sion was that had discharged loafeI
called Ben Homans, who really dis.
charged himself, and still another that
! refused to treat with the representa-
tive of the union. After while dis.
covered all these things had more OF
less to do with the affair, but the foun.
dation of the whole trouble was the
employment Of Mallory. Even then,
thought few words from me would
set the matter straight, but was soor
undeceived, and now I'm completely
disillusioned."
Kennard laughed unpleasantly, ant
stopped to relight his pipe. Maddo,
made no comment, and continued
watching the smoke rings as they
fioated slowly from his mouth.
There's no use denying 1t. Dave
old man. I've had facer which ha!
shaken a good many foolish theorie,
out of my head, but it's Jared me too
! confess 1t. For time | was so an
cry I could think Of nothing bette
than defiance and the discharge o
every man who didn't come back with
in "a hours. That meant fighting, ant
/ was in the mood for war, but Nv,
been playing the sickly sentimentalis
with these people too long for then
not to beat me at any such game
We've been building up village o
; employees for years, watching 1t liI
lot of old hens, and dreaming tha
|. the people who lived in 1t considere
the firm their best friend. Well, the
: don't now, whatever they may hav
done in former times. | absolutel
refused to discharge Mallory, and In
stantly policed the shops in order tina
! any man who wanted to work coul
do so. We ran the place after
fashion, and some of the men were en-
couragingly decent. Culver, a fello,
who was injured not long ago, did tn
work of seven men, and I've promotes
him to assistant superintendent II
had lain with him and another faith
ful, Pat Mullin, we'd have had tn
whole lot back in couple of days. Blu
, a rascal named Peter McMannis pre-
/, vented a collapse of the strike. HOY
, in the world a man of his type man
: aged to get 700 men into his power
passes my underst landing, but he di
: it, and held them together in spite O
themselves. ! understood any advance
!, from me would encourage the strikers
but when you know every man, wo
] man and child in village, it's almos
. impossible to avoid personal contact
and this resulted in conference o.
the third day. 1t didn't take me Ion
to comprehend the real point at issue
1t was the official recognition of tn
labor organization. think l wa
. more relieved than surprised at thi
discovery. My scheme Of direct com
munication between employer and EN-
! ploye hadn't been successful enoug
) to make me unduly welded to 1t. Pei