Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1916-03-16
Molten Metal
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From Life

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The president of the Garfield Iron
Works sat at his desk, poring over
departmental reports. The hush Of
Saturday AFTERNOON had settled over
the deserted works. Instead of the
rumble of trucks, the tattoo of steam
hammers and the shrill of signal
whistles, a fly droned at the window
screen and birds twittered from the
caves.
1t was with a startled feeling that
the president looked UP and saw,
standing at the end OF his desk, tall,
duly dressed working girl. Her eyes
were cIcled with shadow, and her
Jim lips Were set with the expression
OF one who forces back tears.
81 came TO get five hundred dollars"
said the girl In tense voice. He
looked up at her in dumb astonish-
ment, and she hurried on. I'VE just
got to have it, and you owe it to us.
Pa, he kept telling the boss that the
big ladle for the melted iron was
cracked and it would spill some day,
AiiC poSo just utu W tlI, O16
day about three months ago he caue
up here to the office to tell you about
it, and the fella out there told him to
so on out and mind his business.
"Well, last month--on Thursday, It
was-the handle broke off and spilled
the hot iron all over pa and then the
men in his gang. They brought him
off, and he was dead. John Burczyk
his name was.
Tin the oldest at home and all the
others are little. There amt one OF
all six of them that can work yet.
And ma, she amt very strong, and
she can't earn much, washing. Well,
we needed money awful bad, and O
smart fella from you came to our
house and gave ma ten dollars. Mas
Slovak, and she can't read English,
and she didn't know what it was she
was signing. Well, she found she'd
signed away her. rights to sue for
money from you, because dad was
killed. Now, you're going to give us
hat money! She finished with
harsh peremptoriness and paused. The
president started io speak, but she
stopped him With crude imperative
gesture.
You watt" she said; 81 amt
through yet. 1t was bad enough that
you killed pa and stole the damage
money from her and the kids. But that
amt all You done worse than that.
There was another man burned with
hat melted iron. His name was
Frank Nokovick." The girls voice
rose and broke in sob, but she chok-
ed it back harshly and struggled on.
"Frank-he and ] were sweethearts
for year and a half before that, but
Re couldn't get the money for the fur
niture and things. We'll, we was to
be married on Saturday, but Thurs
Gay the ladle broke and the iron
burned Frank all down the side. He
made 'em ing him home, and he
sent for the priest Run for the
priest Pete, he says to my brother.
Run like hell and make him come
quick
Frank he was groaning terrible,
put ne just grabbed hOld OF my hand
and hung onto it, and he kept saying,
Our kids got to have father, Mary.
Our kids got to have a father
"Well the priest came as quick as
he could, and he was going to marry
US, but Frank was dead"
The girls voice trailed off into q
wall, but she choked on, defiantly:
Now / lost my job because they
can all see my trouble. and We got to
have the money. You give me that five
hundred dollars! You give it to mel"
The president bad turned his back
toward her She fumbled nervously
with a queerly shaped thing covered
with a handkerchief in her right hand.
The president turned silently and
handed her a bundle. Dumbly she
counted five one hundred dollar bills.
At the bottom was check.
"Pay TO the order of Mary Burczyk,"
it read, two thousand dollars"
Mary sank on the floor in little
heap. I'D rather have shot you," she
sobbed.