American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-08-10
EIGHTH EPISODE
Red Night.
THE SPIRIT OF HER PRoeENI-
TORS

lOho.
Since early morning an u%nwonted,
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, a 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 a smiling
land instinctively men walked warily,
with eyes alert, and communicated
with n 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.
theirs 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-
livering 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 neal BayOnne.
The premises were all but llfeless;
a scanty company of armed guards on
vigilant patrol; a little knot of some
half a 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
spce had been made by either party,
employers or employees. The latter,
indeed. seemed to hold alOOf with sin
gular stubbOrnness to excuse their ac-
ti1n in walking out at the previous
IHdnight, the employers knew of moth
ing more than a 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 IN
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
Half a mile distant lay Powder Town,
an u~nlovely collection of "frame" and
canvas shelters, ginmills, 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
ganization working night and day to
bll "war orders for the allies.
There, in those struggling, dusty and
rutted streets, the disaffected EN-
ployees milled like cattle, a rabble two
thirds drunk with one intoxicant or an
other-whisky, greed excited by th'
promises Of labor a~gitators, and {
spirit of destructlveness which had al
ready whetted It's appetite by putting
the Channings company store to the
torch.
To the group by the gateway the ru
moi Of sullen voices was waited, OF
the wings of a lazy wind, a grim muir
murlng like the buzzing Of a swarm
of angry bees.
Listening to it, Captain Parr shool
\ an uneasy head.
Patria eyed him anxously.
What do you think2'
I'm not thinking" he averred witt
a sorry sort Of a 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
den them beyond control"
The girl nodded gravely.
"Wil it be much longer-do 20
think7'
"They ought to be here any minut