American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-08-10

"Wen have our hands full"
Mr.. OrsOn Bertram, general manager
for Channings, Inc, addressed Patria
with a manner Of nervous pomposity.
"Miss Claiming ="
"Yes, Mr.. Bertrand"
"Permit me to make one last effort
to influence you. There's bound to be
serious trouble as soon as the strike
breakers get here. We can hold them
off till nightfell, with the men we
have-perhaps. After dark almost
anything may happen. That attempt
to blow Us up this morning, In broad
daylight, ought to convince you that
we have only the worst to fear"
"And so you want my permission to
telegraph the governor to call out the
militia?"
"Such is my earnest advice, Miss
Claiming"
The girl shook her head with deter
mination.
Il won't permit that. It's wrong. 1t
means-in one wOrd-war. It mean
civil war. 1t means bloodshed, pos
sibly m-anslaughter, the killing of men
wholly uninterested in this private
quarrel between Channings and its en-
ployees. We must find some other
way to cope with the situation without
going to such extremes"
Bertram, his countenance dark with
foreboding, gave up the attempt to
persuade the girl as hopeless, and
without more words moved away.
"How can the men be so u%nreasOn-
able?' Patria complained. "Why won't
they come to us and state their griev-
ances? We've always treated them
fairly. If they'd only give us a
chance"
'They're not unreasonable" Donald
answered. They're misled. Unscru-
pulous leaders suborned by Baron HUI
roki and his lot have blinded them to
their best interests. If we could only
get at the men themselves"
Patria nodded intently. "Tm sure
1 could influence them . . l won
der"
Without warning, the hum of the
mob in Powder Town rose to a high dis
cOrdance, a clamor of angry yells. Not
one of those about the gates but was
startled, though all had been mOmen
tarily anticipating something of the
sort. They consulted one another will
anxious eyes.
"Here they come at last !" Parr an
nounced. "Now for the music!"
A. tho avaet Of a Iff1a Nil fhni
stood between Powder Town and the
Channings' mills appeared a mOtOrcal
running at high speed-a car loaded t.
the limit of its capacity with strike
breakers and carrying armed guards
on the running boards as well as il
the seat beside the driver.
simultaneously the uproar Of tn
disaffected drew %perceptibly nearer.
Dashing directly for the gates. i
swept through them almost withOu
s%lackening speed, then pulled up smart
ly in the yards, and discharged its Oc
cupants.
Following it in close succession cam
another car similarly laden, and anoth
er and anOther-a long procession o
motOrcars to the number of somethin
more than twenty.
! The fifth had barely swung up owe
, the hilltop when the vanguard of tn
=. strikers appeared in pursuit-a disOl
= derby cloud Of Infatuated ~workingmei
running clumsily over the roadsid
fields, pauslng only to pick up and hui
. clOds of earth and stones at the speed
ing automobiles. Few of these missile
reached their mark, none did damag
, all were ignored by both guards an
| strike breakers. But by the time til
last car was safely within the gates,
sullen and ~vengeful multitude had a
|, sembled In the open spaces before IL
factory. a mob that wanted only
! leader to inclte it to storm the bull
, ings, its temper patiently demonstrate
by a scattering of revolver shots fro,
its midst p%unctuating an almost col
! tinuOus flight Of tones that rattle
against the fence or fell inside Il
D yard.
Long before this Donald and Be
4 tram had hurried Patria into shelte
] and. leaving her as they thought safe
disposed Of for the time being. h6
turned their attention to st~atiOning Il
q guards on the low platform that re
around the inside of the fence-a pla
form just high enough to permit a ms
. to see and, if need be, aim and ID
a over the barrier.
Reinforced by the strike breaker
the guards made quite a respectful
n company of defenders, but still insi
nifcant in numbers as compared wi
n the crowd outside. an inferiority tn
was quickly rendered still more Ell
r phatic by the addition to the strike
Of a considerable number of M
armed with modern magazine rifles.
Donald greeted the sight Of the
h last with a groan.
"Huroki's handI" he commented b
tween his teeth. 81 knew he'd she