The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-01-11
THE STRIKER
By P. c. MACFARLANE
COPYRIGHT ,s,e, ny tn. r.A.sos rurrisH,se co

COPYRIGHT ,sro by rHx rhAksos PUBLISHING co
Though he was only an iron molder,
john Martin had fare like some
1 Greek Vulcan. and figure like a
! Cyelops. 1t WAS early morning. and he
sat on the edge of his bed and yawned.
His face and neck and arms were
/ tanned by The furnace glow, but under
| the hairy growth upon his chest the
] skin lay white as ivory. and over other
| parts of his muscular body cleaned
t with a satiny sheen Moreover his
! features were kind and human. with
I affection sentiment and sympathy
| written large upon them, large. for
| all about the man was large
But for all his strength he would
not go to work To-day his business
was TO idle. With twelve hundred
other metal workers, he was endeayor-
ing to win an industrial battle by the
simple process of idling. This was
his first day. For twenty-nine days
John Martin was a scab Doggedly.
In a fashion typical of the man. he
| held on his way Then he saw the
light all in moment, while the metal
Kissed and sputtered ready for the
melds and flung down his tools, and
strobe headlong from the works to
the union headquarters almost with
out pausing to take breath
That, however. was yesterday. To-
day he had union card but no job.
To-day strange little whirlpoois OF
feeling formed in his breast causing
alternate areas of high and low baro-
meter In the atmosphere of his spirits.
He snatched UP the paper from
among the pillows and read again the
triple head on the FIRST column:
Feared Strikers VIII Resort to vio-
lence," was what it said Martin
gaZed at 1t frowningly. and then drove
his great fist through the page, after
which he set about dressing.
They'd better not" he affirmed pres
emily in his deep. steady voice "a
man has = right to work"
He was thinking Of those twenty
nine days.
Breakfast" called feminine voice
from the outer room in semi-cheerful
tones.
John went out On the oiicloth was
coffee and hard-toasted bread with
out butter This was their self-ap-
pointed strike ration. He sat down
solemniy. Little Jack, quivering with
the alert energy of ten sturdy years,
was on one side of him. Tommie the
six-year-old, with one leg in plaster
cast, was on the other. Jennie Mar
tin. an intelligent appearing woman
with fair, tired features. sat opposite
her husband, and in a high chair be-
side her child of two years piled his
spoon in bowl Of mush with no
thought of famine
Hullo, Little Wiggler." exclaimed
the father, in the cheerful. buoyant
tones with which grown-ups often at
feet to address small children. "Hullo,
Little Wiggler!" But the little one.
while recognizing his nickname and
big, fatherly playfellow, smiled only
with his eyes, for his lips were other
wise engaged.
The man looked about the table with
On expectant solemnity on his face.
His wife placed restraining hand
upon the baby's wrist and all sat
with bowed heads while the father
asked blessing.
You haven't done that in q long
time before, John" said Jennie with
a pleased look
We're going to be more thankful
Tor our grub from this on, | reckon
he observed soberly.
PA" Jack asked, abruptly. how
much is strike benefits"
Seven a week" answered the
father. stirring his coffee medftatively.
"Hully Chez" exclaimed the boy,
his teeth crunehing industriously,
lille his blue eyes lost themselves in
D Der ponderings.
Have you thought what we would
d, about the instalnents on the
house?" asked Jennie anxiously.
That's twenty-five fifty. and it
wouldn't leave US anything at ALL
III go and see old Chester" an
Gyered John, and get him to let Us
off with paying the interest while the
strike is on. That would make big
difference"
"Strikin, are you?" piped the old
cashier of the Rockport Loan and
Building Company, to whom John had
gone first off after breakfast The
voice was mean and sarcastic. No,
III not extend you any favors. Tie
quicker you fellows are starved out
and bet gack to work the better it'll
be for all concerned" he continued
snappishly.
At union headquarters John found
the rooms full Of anxious looking
men. He knew as he scanned them
round he had never seen so many
whites Of eyes in all his life before
They're running in too many scabs
on US" one man said to another
Yes assented the second; we got
to rough 1t up more"
Hes wrong-they're all wrong
commented John TO himself Every
man has right to work il he wants
to We must win fairly"
BY FIVE o'clock Of this same day his
convictions ON this subject were be-
ing sharply put to the test AT that
tims he had drifted with hundreds OF
others down 10 the works where he and
four hundred of his kind had been
employed before the strike When the
whistle blew, score Of men came
timldiy out and made for the car line.
a lane formed, almost instantly, OF
gannt. desperate faces. and between
these human walls that growled OPP
prohrious epithets and darted menzr-
ing glances the workmen hurried
over the muddy. slippery cobhles. The
last of them leaped nervously for the