Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1912-02-02


he shrieked in a hoarse whisper, land
tomorrow you'll get. mine
Already his hand was on the door.
Wait a minutei" called Bolan. i'm
patiently Wait a minute, | want
TO talk to you about another matter"
But John Martin did not wait.
Murphy's Place was a saloon in the
manufacturing district. II had back
room. The back room had a table.
About the table group OF strike pick
cts were gathered. II was nine o'clock
Of the day. The incidents of the morn
ing, growing out OF the accosting Of
men on their way to work. had come
TO an end. and little knot OF four had
drifted in here TO refresh themselves
and to recount results.
1T takes a strike to bring out what's
in a man." began Joe Sturtevant OF the
holders.
~ bet II does" affirmed Wilson Of
the Machinists.
Mulrain and Breen OF the holders
nodded assent.
Yes" went on Sturtevant. you take
John Martin, now Always kept 10
himself Never seemed 10 give darn
about anybody else but his own fam
ily. Every nickel he ever made went
home before II went auywheTes else.
Even when the strike come on. he
scabbed for a month. that guy. Now
look at him The Union amt got a
more loyal member. He's lost his job
like the rest of us He got put in jail
for violatin' a picketin' ordinance. and
while he was in Jail he lost the house
he was buyin' on installments. His
baby got sick and died from poor milk.
His familv's all scattered. and there he
sticks right on the job, the squarest.
whitest. hardest worker of us all He's
the first man up in the morning, and
the last one down at night. Mckichnie
and Bolan both lean on him like he
was a steel girder. He'll go alone into
d scab boardin' house and face It out
with dozen of 'em. You can't scare
him and you can't hurt him. | seen
him take a crack that would put COW
10 sleep. and he brushed his hand over
his eyes. and waded right in and
stopped the row stead OF taking hand
in il himself"
You're dead right" agreed Mulrain.
II put him in nomination for president
at our last meeting against Bolan, and
Jake Vreen here is the boy that sec
onded the nomination"
That's what / DONE" concurred
Jake. proudly. He says be won't run
though" he added, regretfully.
We'll" observed Sturtevant. who
was the original Big Jack enthusiast:
he can't help their voting for him il
he's regularly nominated. and IL ii
comes down to real race he'd just
about beat Bolan. Bolan Is too self
willed and too hot-headed. II needs a
fellow like John Martin. that don't
burn so bright, maybe, but burns a
blamed sight longer, for a fight like
ours"
At this juncture Dennie Welsh burst
into the room. his eyes bullying and his
whole body quivering with excitement.
What do you Think" he gasped. al
most wringing his hands. John Mar.
tins scabbing again.
"Scabbing. Are you plumb crazy"
asked Sturtevant in a hollow whisper.
rising Involuntary to his feet as did
the others.
Yes. sir; scabbing," And again it
was DENIES manner much more than
his words that revealed the depth OF
his feeling.
"Where?" murmured Sturtevant,
helplessly.
The Rockport Foundry" answered
Dennie. seeming now to find relief In
volubility. II was on duty there this
morning. and up he comes with his
dinner pail on his arm. His face had
that scanned. hard look at you've seen
on II when his mind was made up to
something. and his eyes go way back
in his head where you can't see EN- at
all Well, he was like that. and. by
gollyi he went in and went to work"
We'll, what-do-you-know-ab
gasped Sturtevant namely, looking
helplessly from one face to another.
The last man | could thought of,
muttered Denpie, brokenly.
The very last" affirmed Jim Will
son solemnly. as the men. leaving their
beer untasted, arose and stalked out
into the open where they might see
their comrades and think in the outer
air. If John Martin had broken away,
who then could be trusted?
CONSERVATION followed as the news
spread. Men gathered in bewildered
groups and talked discOnsolately, then
broke into threes and twos or moped
alone. budding in stairways or on
street-corners. with wide. unseeing
eyes, swallowed up in miserable de-
preston of spirits.
AS the day wore on ii was evident
that Martins detection had created
two distinct feelings. One was palpa-
bly, Of encouragement.
IF he's give up We might as well all
CO." was undoubtedly the feeling of
many.