Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1910-11-25
CHAPTER XIV.

loon, the elder Helgerson, acting as
day watchman 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
me sand floor of the huge, iron-roored
foundry building. Some of the more
heedful sat to work making seats of
the wooden flask frames and bottom
boards; and in n pouring space 'front.'
ing n of the cupolas they built a
same materials.
AS the numbers increased the men
fell into groups. dividing first on the
color-line, n 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, l ricollect him
when he wasn't no more'n knee-high
to a h~op-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
the Gordons, father and son, left the
train together. He's a half a head
taller than the old man, an built like
one O. MAZE Dabney's thoroughbreds.
But 1 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 his outfit, all
along"
Yes, chimed in a fourth, a "huckle-
berry" miner from the Bald Mountain
district. Il don't believe the old man
knows, himself. He fit around n fit
around, talkin' to me, and never said
nothin' more'n that there was goin' to
be a meetin' here at 2 o'clock, n 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 fiask-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 ~glances flung up from the
throng of workmen were friendly rath-
er 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.
81 suppose you have all been told
why the works are shut down-Why
you are out Of a job in the middle OF
and l understand you are not
fully satisfied with the reason that was
given-hard times. You have been say
ing among yourselves that if the presi-
dent and the treasurer could go off on
a holiday trip to Europe, the situation
couldn't be SO very desperate. ISM
that so?"
That's so; you've hit it 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 arc
here, sure enough. We are all hoping
that they won't last very long; but the
fact remains that the wheels v
stopped. Let me tell you: I've just
come down from the North, n the
streets of the cities up there are full of
idle men. All the way down here ]
didn't see a single iron-furnace in
Il DldSl, III lllOSC vi SOo ~
over to South Tredegar know what the
conditions are there. Mr.. Farley has
gone to Europe because he believes
there is nothing to be one here, and
the facts are on his side. For anybody
with money enough to live 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.
81 know that" was Toms rejoinder'
Some of us can't afford to take a lay
off: l can't, for one And that's why
we are here this afternoon. Chiawas-
see can blow in again and stay in blast
If we've all got nerve enough to hang
on. If we start up and go on making
pig, it'll be on a dead market and We'll
nave to sell it at a loss or stack 1t in
the yards. We can't do the first, and
needn't tell you that it Is going to
take a mighty long purse to do the
stacking. 1t will be all outgo and no
income. #"
spit 1t out" called Ludlow, from the
forefront of the miners division. i
reckon we all know what's comm"
ITS a case of half a loaf or no bread
If Chiawassee blows in again, 1t will
be on borrowed money. If you men
will take 'half-pay in cash and half in
promises, the promised half to be paid
when we can sell the stacked pig, we
go on. If not, we don't. Talk 1t over
among yourselves and let us have your
decision"
There was hot caucusing and a fair
imitation of pandemonium on the fcua-
dry floor following this bomb-hur.lnS,
and Tom sat down on the edge of the
platform to give the men time. Caleb
Gordon sat within arms reach, nursing
his knee, diligently saying nothing. il
was Tom. undoubtedly. but a Tom who