The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1913-02-27


sorcly puzzled and blue over the Ia
briuth Of cross purposes, opportun-
ism. material self interest and down
right crookedncss of our own mem
bers that had strangled to death n
large and prosperous local l arrived
at Sank in no good frame of mind. |.
loafed in the company store while
Comrade Edmund Anderson attended
a meeting of the school board of
which he is a member, It followed
that our dandy meeting was held in
the good warm old fashioned school
building around a high heater. We
had the school building and the young
principal of the school and most of
his pupils and their parents in attend
anoe-result of having a school board
member.
Sank is the tiniest little mountain
village Imaginable and at this time is
gorgeously beautiful in a setting of
front and snow. | bunked in the
bachelor shack of Comrade George
wilkins on the bank of the Skagit
river and he cooked ham and eggs
and coffee as only bachelor woods
men know how to cook them. He is
the village ferryman, keeps all the
socialist papers and magazines and
is an earnest socialist of the old APP
peal "army" type. Rockport, about a
couple of miles further up in the
mountains, is the terminus of a jerky
wheezy branch of the Great Northern.
Comrade Ira Hays brought the Rock
port comrades down on a hand car
and they helped to make the lecture
a success. Comrade Mrs. e. II. Mil
Ter was temporarily selected as wom-
an correspondent and arrangements
were begun for the lecture of Com
rade Gribble on "The War of the
Classes" which is to follow in the
Lyceum course Both the collection
and literature sales were good and
we'll handled.
At Sedro-WooIIey Feb.
I arrived at Sedro-Woolley at a.
m. I knew that I did not have to
worry about arrangement details here
for comrades are "up to snuff" and
never fail to advertise the meetings
well, and when there is a socialist
speaker you can see his posters ev-
cry where. So I went straight to the
hotel and had the entire day for read
ing and writing.
Comrade and Mrs. W. E. Elbe, OF
Mt. Vernon. were in attendance and
we talked over the lecture to be given
in their town February %.
At Wickersham
No formal meeting was attempted
at this point It is one of those small
railroad towns left high and dry in
poverty by the closing down of
shingle mills. The comrades thought
they could not secure hall, although
they had made no active effort to Sc
cure the school building or the little
church. A dozen or so people gath
cred at the home of Comrade Roger,
who is the station agent, and after
the lecture delivered in the easy con-
versational style that I like so well,
his good wife served sandwiches and
chocolate. Regular arrangements
were then begun for the lecture date
of Comrade Gribble to come six weeks
later.
Miss Ida Zobrist, one of the teach
ers, was present and became greatly
interested in socialism. Comrade e.
e. Boldly, a long time socialist, is on
the job and the balance of Lyceum
course will be a success notwithstand-
ing the difficulties under which the
comrades labor without spare money
and against more than usual amount
of unreasoning church prejudice.
Meeting at Clipper Feb.
Few words are needed to describe
the visit here. It is the brightest,
cheeriest spot in this Odyssey so far,
and | can say that the locals organi-
cation and work is the most perfect
and fractionless I have ever seen.
Comrade J. B. Strausbaugh, pretty
generally known over the state as an
active worker, lives here and was in
charge of the very successful meeting
which yielded a surplus to the local
and more than the maximum sale of,
books. An interesting story is told
of how for a good many years Com
rade Strausbaugh was the only socia-
list in Clipper and has name was used
to brighten children with, "Straus-
baugh II get you if you don't watch
out" It was prophetic for now he is
member of the school board and the
town preponderantly socialist, II
shall not soon forget Comrades C. A,
Strand, his wife and the four interest
ing sons.
At Echo Valley
was met at Nooksack by Comrade
Severance instead Of Comarde VIM.
Jones, of Everson. who was sick. ]