The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-08-18
CHAPTER XIV


AS early as 1 o'clock in the after-
noon, the elder Helgerson, acting as
day Waterman at the iron-works. had
opened the great yard gates, and the
men began TO gather by twos and
threes and In little caucusing knots On
the sand floor Of the huge, iron -roored
foundry building Some of the moro
heedful sat to work making seats of
the wooden flask frames and bottom
boards: and in the pouring space 'front.'
ing one of the cupolas they built a
rough nd-ready platform out of the
same materials.
AS the numbers increased the men
fell into groups. dividing first on the
color line, and then by trades, with the
white miners in the majority and doing
most of the talking.
What's all this buzzin' about young
Tom" queried one of the men in the
miners caucus. Might nigh every
other word with old Caleb was, Tom
my son. Tom Why. I ricollect him
when he wasn't no more'n knee high
to a toad"
We'll. you bet your life he's a heap
highen'n that now" said another. who
had CHANGED to be at the station when
train together. Hes a half a head
one o. Maize Dabney's thoroughbreds
But I reckon he amt nothin' but a
school-boy. for all o. that
"Gar-r-r." spat a third. We've had
one kid too many in this outfit. all
along"
Yes, chimed IN a fourth, "huckle-
berry" miner from the Bald Mountain
district. II don't believe the old man
knows, himself. He fit around and fit
around, talkin' to me. and never said
nothin' more'n that there was goln' to
be meetin' here at 2 o'clock. and Tom
his son Tom-was goin' to speak to
it."
Tom and his father entered the
building from the cupola side, and Tom
mounted the fiaskb built platform while
the men were scattering to find seats
He made a goodly figure of young
manhood, standing at ease on the pile
of frames until quiet should prevail
and the chances flung up from the
throng of workmen were friendly rath-
err than critical. When the time came
he began TO speak quietly. but with a
certain masterful quality in his voice
that Enthusiastically constrained atten-
ton.
Il suppose you have all been told
why the works are shut down-why
you are out of a Job in the middle of
summer; and / understand you are not
fully satisfied with the reason that was
given-hard times. You have been say
ing among yourselves that II the presl-
dent and the treasurer could go off on
a holiday trip to Europe, the situation
couldn't be so very desperate. Isn't
that SOP"
That's so; you've hit 1T In the head
first crack out o. the box" was the
swift reply from a score of the men.
Good; then we'll settle that point
before we go any further. l want TO
tell you men that the hard times are
here, sure enough. We are all hoping
that they won't last very long: but the
fact remains that the wheels have
stopped Let me tell you: I've just
come down from the North, and the
streets of the cities up there are fun or
idle men. All the way down mere l
didn't see n single iron furnace in
blast, and those Of you who have been
over to South Tredegar know what the
conditions are there. Mr.. Farley has
gone to Europe because he believes
there is nothing to be done mere ana
the facts are on ais side. For anybody
with money enough to I've on this Is a
mighty good time to take a vacation.
There was a murmur OF protest.
voicing itself generally in a denial OF
the possibility for men who wrought
with their hands and ate in the sweat
Of their brows.
Il know that" was Toms re1oindeT.
Some az us can't afford to take Jay