The Washington herald., 1907-11-26

eu hoDiht}. Iney We're working not for
themselves. but for the firm-cheating.
lying, deceiving. risNing the lives OF hun
dreds OF men. putting up prices. and cut
ting down wages, all for the honor. glory.
and profit OF Incubus. ROmer & Co, the
firm which they had served al their
lives.
But al that year there vas in the
under world OF the workings great doubt
and uncertainty. This came 10 a head
after the fire and the dismissal Of Vic
Morris Vague impressions and vain hopes
We're reused by the whispered aame of
that distant entity called Parliament.
Something was wrong down below
Everybody knew that Yet they did Vic
Norris viii, as IL was expressed pri-
vatcly through bis foreman. and that in
spector Of ways. They knew II was the
dismissed engineers will that they were
doing. But they would have died rather
than own IL.
Yes. there was something wrong with
| the pits-not with one. but with all Some
said that old workings. dating a hundred
/ years back, stood fuU Of water. ready
/ 10 be tapped. and that some day the
chance stroke Of a pick would food the
/ whole series from end 20 end. leaving
I not a living soul within.
J Others, WOO had worked in distant
I English mines. where the dread fire
/ damp follows the fre-blast along dey-
astated passages declared that they had
/ seen the little detached blush flame
\ which tells Of a mine becoming ferv.
/ lowering above their lanterns. Others
/ had tales Of ponies. which. having once
/ lain down. rose never more. And there
( were taily-boys and gate-boys who would
I not have taken nap on the sly for a
/ hundred pounds-sO much they feared
\ the invisible gas. heavy as water. the
| drinking OF which was death.
1 SUI, az OF the morning in every sec
ond house down al the endless blocks
/ OF the Incubus Pit Rows-numbered from
! A 10 Q-hundreds Of men and bows stoli6-
l ~ got themselves ready for their dav's
work. In the straight little Tagged
/ kitchens they breakfasted. a father with
\ his boys. or brother with brother-thoee
( VINO did not know them would have said
! a little oggedly-somewhat sullenIv. At
least, little was said silence IS part!cu-
/ larly a morning virtue among Scottish
working folk. And this not the less. that.
/ az hirktOwn. many were waits and stravs
/ from half the workings Of the three king
doms-these being especially plentiful in
Pit No. 3-Jhe sinking or which was not
Yet completed. These "sinkers'' had The
name OF wild lot, even for Knrktown.
/ And the staid men OF Pit No 2-Sc0rs
of the Old faith and CorniShmen OF the
people called Wesleyans'' moth
ing less than that a judgment should fan
on them for their language during the
week and their behavior on SATURDAY
nights. Because Of the --sinkers-' the
Hirktown police had 10 be increased Yet.
l in spite Of all. the lesson Of Job held true.
And IL was not on them that the tower
of Sloan fen. for all their frequent sac
rifices To Bacchus and other divinitles
( even less reputable.
As each miner IN the Blocks got HIM
| self ready. ne glanced about him for the
days provision which the Woman of the
/ HoUse-"Her." that is-Wife, mother. sis
ter. daughter. sometimes granddaughter
had put aside for him. Always on the
low ''white-wood dresser" in front of the
array OF blue Willow Pattern plates IL
stood. Ii consisted Of a bundle, large bat
lpocketabIe, wrapped in a squared napkin.
generally Of the alternate blue and white.
I'm chess-board pattern-more rarely red
and white, and lnotted IN a particular
way
Love and prayers. hopes and fears
especially fears, We're tied up with each
knotting-
Il will curse God and die # my John
does not come back was the memorable
speech Of one woman, John Hoo's Cornish
wife. No. 6 in Block Ca converted
woman and class leader. And if Mary
Hoo spoke thus. what was one 10 expect
Of those others OF fainter light and lesser
leading?
The bundle made large lump in each
mans righthand coat pocket But the din
ner can. filed with tea or soup swung
Iopenly and independently in each left hand
as the father OF the family opened his door
and took his way into the fresh GOODNESS
Of the summer morning The night dews
had partly laid the duSt-or rather JUS;
caked the surface which the sun would
soon dry all up again, long before the feet
of the little ones began TO paddle abroad
in the first Injuries OF a morning dust
bath.
Thus it was in Kirktown. Thus, also
in q thousand mining towns. Even the
children there are taught not to shout
and scream across the street like Other
children. The very babes learn not tC
cry. because the breadwinner IS taking
his rest for the next Shift. and must OF
no account be disturbed. There art
times in the hot MONDAY when the win