The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1912-04-13

The leader Of the strike, To be that
argues to the Imagination OF the many,
something big. savage and unfeeling.
man with limitations, yet possessed
OF cunning and some mysterious gift
OF leadership ruthless despot who
recklessly trades on the blind devotion
OF his followers, and Is endowed more
with ambition than with conscience.
The hour was late. The stairways
and halls at union headquarters were
dark and tomblike when the echo OF
heavy. spiritless footsteps, rising dog
gedly. broke the silence. The hand
rail, too, creaked stridently. proclaim
Ing that the late conner TO these aban-
doned watches. OF silence leaned upon
II wearily. After an interval there was
the fash OF a light turned on in the
bare little Office OF the President OF the
holders Local. and the shutter Of a
rolltop desk went up suddenly with a
sharp rasp like the snarl of a fright
ened beast
Before the desk which. small and OF
cheap construction. was the principal
article OF furniture in the room, the
leader stood revealed. looking down
ward with carestamped. patient feat
ures. Lean and powerful, he was big
enough to satisfy the most lurid imag-
ination on the side of physical force,
but beyond that refused utterly to re-
semble a despot. His face was more
that OF a tired statesman than OF an
agitator. From the veined forehead
and the light of the deep burning eye
10 the firm mouth and knoblike chin.
not overlooking a nose pronouncedly
Romanesque. one gathered an instant
impression OF force. intensity, and
yes. II you will-dominance! But a
dominance without self-will. On IL
was clearly marked a capacity to per-
severe. but with II also the power to
sutfer-and still to peTseUere. Besides.
the youth OF the face for the man was
barely thffry>two. was cobwebbed over
with the gravity OF nifty years.
Sinking heavily into his chair. he
turned on hooded light which left his
features half I'm shadow, while he
rubbed his hands restlessly for a mo-
ment under the food OF light upon the
desk blotter. They were large. the
large hands OF a workingman. Only
six months ago they had burrowed all
day in the foundry sand like moles
Now these hands belonged TO the leader
OF the strike. Yes. though International
representatives. were there. and presi-
dents and ex-presidents OF locals. men
OF maturer years and OF ripened expe.
rience as labor leaders. who were on
the ground and fighting hard. yet John
Martin. the young molder. had come
10 be recognized by all as the Big Man
OF the strike. the soul OF Il. the incar-
nation OF that spirit OF sacrifice and
ctEuggle which would starve but would
not surrender IFS claim 70 the right Of
workingmen TO bargain collectively for
the price OF their toll. and TO associate
themselves together for the realization
or those rights and privileges to which
working men are entitled. and which
can best be secured and maintained by
fraternal organization.
The leader OF the strike II sounded
fine and large But John Martin cared
nothing for the sound. lie felt only
the weight OF its meaning. which was
that thirteen hundred halfstarved
men, with their families. hung the hope
OF their souls on him. re saw in the
darkness round the whites OF a thou.
sand pairs OF anxious eyes-eyes that
peered at him. some balefully. some
wistfully. all intently. 40 intently that
they punctured his soul ~ was this
that made him weary. for the languor
that lay upon his limbs was nervous
and no. muscular HIS heart vas
tired
T. was between eight and nine o'clock
In the morning now A little knot OF
men we're grouped in The ball Just A
few feet from The head % the stair
way. waiting with doWncast faces for
John Martin 70 come 20 his once A.
they waited they talked. speaking
moodily In detected tones with heavy
silences between
"Somebodys Eof % break o. % him "
muitered Anderson. president % the
Nacbinists' LOcal
Yes said Bolan. unfeef.nEfy. he
might a. veil know o."
Buf Bo'an was 81 .prasIdanf ~ fhs
N0iders Martin had practically ousfeH
sin from control there. noian m .eh'
b inspected ~ jealousy
The ifEa ur confessed Kaufman
sine lnternafional uarlInIsfs Wen.
beaf"
yes. Froansi NIX .-hr.s end ..a-
Frrialrned Queer DO don cone
looking rervorr'y A. tH uafrf w-
klrhrIe uaa organizer f1r fha frfr-ua
fI0na' 80 fnrs an faf been from .t.
hsr.rrInE sorf n rof faffrr o. fr.
ffrIFr arI ~ John. Marie o. col
'hourff % him a. fs-,
W. o. .n.re. ArNFrHur .I fr|rf
tir rUr. Hfer q came sri ffafH rea'
g. trsr $40 Hlf A. vaa f0-rrf
an ifea zane 20 Mrkfrhris Do
vassd r1ffiy forn t0 fhf door ~ war
TINS % .s end lIaferef maternity wiz
a1rrfh ~ ifs afarf b. turned g.
zane elrrfly harE
IffH ir there rru D. uurr rcd
in 'lu fonss ~ s.r.r -
Good COD Ha rIaf "a been fhrri
aI nigh bre1'arf Anderson. In 49,
81 fIrh ffeIrr
lonrrrtelIv TO- men moved frur
80 bail anf WrKlrtrfr kr1rsed 1po-
ffe fn0r
Cone in ssIei RI uearr roirs
De must a. turned fie Boz after hl
heard ue af the door whispered An
fsru0r as BE- So fhs knob Weld anfs
'hs hand ~ NrkIehrie
Inc man 49, toHef over BIS del
ui'h f0me scraps ~ paper before him
fraUinE ainirss lines upon them
Marvin greeted hIs callers Rravsfy en-,
thsT heirsf fhsmrsfrrs f0 aeafs Tn
tad turpHf in BE svivef chair AMI -
silsnre bis i0nE lega crossed.