The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1909-10-07
TRAGEDIES OF
MEN WHO LABOR
Reflection on Mems Experience in
the Big Power Plants of Country
by Rev. SteIz1e.

There is many tragedy being enacted
among the men in this big plant 1 do
not refer TO the times when a man is
caught in the shafting and whirled around
until the breath of life is knocked out of
him, when he is cruelty crushed by the
machine of which he had, up to that time,
been the master. This happens only too
often. Rarely day goes by but what
the changing bell of the hospital ambu-
lance is heard in the shop yard sound
which means that another poor fellow
is about to be carried away, perhaps never
to return. At best, he will probably be
crippled or MANNED for life. Only the
other day | saw laborer literally cut in
two by a powerful machine which he was
cleaning. You We heard of the artist who
said that he always mikes brains with
his colOrs. We mix blood with our ma
chimes. 1t probably doesn t make them
any better, but we We got to pay the price,
anyway. But I hadn t this in mind
when began to write. 1t is a disagree
able subject to think about, even
There are other kinds of tragedy,
which, while not so cruel to the observer,
are nevertheless heart rending to the one
who is often silent sufferer. l don t
know that l can tell you exactly what I
mean, but l do know that there is many
fellow who wears greasy overalls who
might have been a master musician, an
artist, poet. That is, he has the mind
and the heart for it, but often he has
been deprived of the necessary training
to make him what his Creator intended
ne should be, because of the poverty of
his parents or because of some other rea-
son for which he is probably not respon-
sible. If he could only express his
thoughts, his ideals, his ambitions.
1t is comical to watch the stolid faces
of some of our boys as they listen to the
spellbindcrs sent out by the political par.
ties, who are occasionally given permits
sion to address them in the shop yard at
the noon hour. With pipes gripped be-
tween their teeth, they will listen forget
ting to puff, until the pipes 90 out them
after the meeting they will give Il grunt,
clean out their pipes by sharply rapping
them on their left heels, and that s all
| there is to it. Sometimes, in order to
hide their emotions, they will swear like
troopcrs-or like workingmen, perhaps
or else they will speak more grutlly than
| ever. But it is all sham. They don 4
really mean it. They are afraid that they
will be found guilty of scntimcntality,
and that is IA weakness of which they
Will not be convicted
There is an old fellow in the black
smith shop-n freshman named O'Neil
In, T ~.
as a member of the sick committee of orr
Mutual Benefit society. lie is Il giant in
build, and must have been a strappiny
athlete in his day. lie still has grip of
Il professional wrestler He was lust re.
covering from attack of pneumonia
When L reached the floor Just beneath
that on which he lives, in the tenement
that he calls home, | heard the sweetest
song IN the tones of n violin. To NV
amaZcmcnt, / soon discovered that O MEL
was the player, and, more wonderful
still, he had himself made the instrument
upon which he was playing. 1t seemed
hard to believe that those big, ynarly
hands had shaped that delicate violin, and
that they could get such marvellous music
out of it. And it seemed unnatural when
saw him again back at his old Job
holding redhot piece of steel over the
anvil, gently tapping the spot that he
wanted his helper to strike with his big
sledgc. But, somehow, o Neil lent dig
NIFTY to that dirty blacksmith shop. / was
reminded of a picture that l once saw in
an art exhibit showing a group of cupids
buSily engaged in the humdrum work of
the kitchen. To be sure. O Neil docsn T
look very much like a cupid, but he did
appear to lift his job into something
higher and nobler.