The Ordway new era., 1917-10-12
EIGHTH EPISODE
Red Night.
THE SPIRIT OF HER PRoGENI.
TORS

the SPIRIT OF HEX PHO6ENi.
TORS.
Since early morning an unwonted,
unnatural and wholly specious SEM
blance Of tranquility had broOded over
the little valley in the heart Of the
New Jersey hills.
Now. as the earlier hours Of mid
summer afternoon drew on. feeling
Of tension began to inform the atmos-
phere; the hush began perceptibly to
Cypress the senses, even as that hush
oppresses which foretells the breaking
Of a thunderstorm upon smiling
land: instinctively men walked warsly.
with eyes alert. and communicated
with one another in accents needlessly
guarded.
Within that vast congeries Of gaunt
wooden structures and walled yards
which comprised the powder mills and
munition factories Of Channings, Inc,
there was little or no activity where
ordinarily there was incessant hustle.
In place Of those voluminous plumes
Of smoke, Jet by day, crimson by night.
the towering brick chimneys stained
the skies only with transparent wells
Of amber vapor.
Inside the factory buildings all ma
chinery stood idle. The whistles had
sounded by habit at eight o'clock and
at noon without summoning to or de-
iivering from labor a solitary hand.
No endless strings of freight cars
heavy laden with explosives. arms and
ordnance trudged up the long grade
to the rim Of those encircling hills, on
the first stage of their brief journey
to Channings' tidewater yards and
docks near Bayonne.
The premises were all but lifeless;
a scanty company of armed guards on
vigilant patrol; little knot of some
half dozen people in conference just
outside the main gateway to the most
extensive powder mill-and that was
all.
The strike was fourteen hours old.
AS yet no overtures toward a confer
ence had been made by either party.
employers or employees. The latter,
indeed. seemed to hold aloof with sin
gular stubbornness to excuse their ac-
tion in walking out at the previous
midnight, the employers knew of moth
ing more than few minor grievances
on the part of the men, matters sus-
ceptible to speedy adjustment through,
and scheduled for early submission to,
process of arbitration. The major de-
mands of the strikers remained un-
stated.
But more than one of those who
were waiting so patiently outside the
gates could have hazarded a shrewd
guess at the real cause of the trouble.
HaIf mile distant lay Powder Town,
An unlovely collection OF frame" and
canvas shelters. ginmills. eating places,
dancehafIs, gambling hells, stores and
hotels minissering to the necessities
and appetites Of an army OF working
men and parasites drawn together By
the sstraction Of high wages and
steady employment offered by an or
gAnizatfon working night ard day to
an war ordersr for the aIIses.
There. In those struggling. dusty and
rutted streets, the disafected en-
pl0yees miiled like cattle. rabbIe two
thirds drunk with one in.oxfcant or an
Other-whisty, greed excited by the
promises Of labor agitators. and q
spirit Of destructiveness which had al
ready whefted its appetite By putting
tAe Channiuss company store to the
1meA.
TO the group b. the sateway the m.
Dog Of sulIen voices was waited. on
~ wings 0f lasy wind. . grim muir
Hnasins IKE ths busxing Of . swarm
~ smGEy beea
xssesalng y X Captain Parr shool
~ Nnsasy hsad. *
s1Eta sysd ~ aazs0u1y.
ss 1t - ~ ttinkF
I ~ th1n1tng.~ ~ eveffsd win
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