The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-07-14
EIGHTH EPISODE
Red Night.
I'VE SPIRIT OF HER pROGeNl-
TORS.

Since early morning an unwonted,
r,nstural and wholly speCious sem
Nance Of tranquility had brooded over
tho little valley in the heart Of the
| New Jersey hills.
Nov. as the earlier hours Of mid
srmmer afternoon drew on. feeling
| a, tension began to inform the atmoS-
pbere: the hush began perceptibly To
oppress the senses, even as that huSh
opprpsses which foretells the breaking
Of a thunderstorm upon a smiling
land: instinctively men walked wariIy,
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 ana
at noon without summOning to or de-
Hvering from labor solitary hand.
No endless strings Of freight cars
heavy laden with explosives. arms anC
ordnance trudged up the long grade
10 the rim Of those enCircling hills. or
the first stage of their brief journey
10 ChanningS' tidewater yards ant
docks near Bayonne.
The premises were all hut lfelesS
a scanty company of armed guards OF
vigilant patrol: little knot of some
half dozen people in conference jus
outside the main gateway 10 The mos
extensive powder mill-and that wa'
all.
The strike was fourteen hours old
As vet no OvrrturcS toward a confer
pnce had been made by either party
employers or employees. The latter
indeed. seemed 70 hold alOof with sin
gular stubbornneSS to excuse their &C
ton in walking out ut the previOu,
4 midnight. the employers knew Of moth
ing more than n few minor grievances
on the part Of the men. matters SuS
ceptible to speedy adjustment through
and scheduled for early submission 70
4 process Of arbitration. The major de
mandS of the strikers remained IN
stated.
But more than one of those who
we're waiting so patiently outside the
gates could have hazarded a ShrewC
guess at the real cause Of the trouble
half mile distant lay Powder Town
an unloyely collection of ''frame' and
canvas shelters. ginmilS. eating places
dancehalls, gambling hellS. stores and
hotels ministering to the necessities
and appetites Of an army of working
men and parasites drawn together by
The attraction of high wages and
steady employment offered by an or
sanitation working night and day tC
oil war orders" for the allies.
There, in those struggling, dusty and
rutted streets, the diSafeCted EN-.
p'oyees milled like cattle, a rabble two
phrds drunk with one intoxicant or an,
"a. other-whisky. greed excited by the
Promises OF labor agitatOrS. and a
m plrit OF deStructiveneSS which had al
4 Heady whetted its appetite by putting
NE Channings company store to the
orch.
To the group by the gateway the ru
nor Of sullen voices was waited. or
The wings Of lazy wind. grim muir
muring like the buzzing of a swarm
Of angry bees.
Listening to 1t, Captain Parr shook
an uneasy head.
Patria eyed him anxiousIv.
What do you Think" +,
I'm not thinking" he sverred wifi
sorry sort Of smile; I'm Just hop
Ing"
Hoping they'll hold OF =
hoping against hope that the com
ing OF the strike breakers won't mad
Gen them beyond control"
Inc girl nodded gravely.
VIII it be much lonver-do ror
thinky '0'
They ought to be here apv MINT,