The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1920-07-16
The Black Sheep.

was almost tempted to shout that he
would like to put on another notch at
ITS former owners expense, but his
bump of caution was too large.
The gunner wandered far afield in
search of their intended victims, in
fact they secured the whole neighbor-
hood until well after dark, then they
returned to the town, after which tho
two compaiOns descended from their
arbOreal refuge, and made their way
to little Finn colony nesting in
Wild mountain canyon near the village
Of Eanaville, a little to the west Of
the town of Wallace.
They decided to stop for few days
with these friendly people and wait
until they could get new supplies from
spokane, for all their literature, which
after all is the best ammunition for the
agitatOr, had been lost in the melee
And that was not all, their suitcases
containing much of their personal ef
fects, were as yet at the Kellog Hotel
During the few days they stayed at
the Finn colony, Jack wrote full
account of what had happened to Olive
Anderson, who by this time was
eagerly watching every mail for news
from the boy. Oftentimes she enioved
Collin S occasional notes quite as much
as Jacks elaborate and carefully
studied accounts of what was taking
place. For Collins living the life Of
revolutionist could make the meaning
OF the struggle much palmer then
Jack who only studied it.
After about four days Collins and
Jack went back to kellogg and took
the suiteases from the hotel. The pro.
prletor told them that the man whose
gun the boy had taken away had been
teased so much by the others that he
had left camp. To which Jack replied.
that he was sorry this had happened
as he wanted to return the gun to its
rghtful owner Only now he decided
to keep it until such a time as he
met him again, when possibly he might
need it. Nobody molested them at
Kellogg and they left on the afternoon
train for Wallace, where they met
with group of miners, who were
Western Federation men, and who were
gong up to Burke to work in the
mines. They insisted that Jack and
Collins go with them and get Job, so
as to be able to assist in crystallizing
what ever union sentiment they could
find into a form for effective ORGAN
ization.
They did find work at Burke and
stayed on the job until the end Of
May. The trial of Meyer, Haywood,
and Pettibone now engaged Collin s.
attention. He decided it would he
good thing for him and Jack to 90 70
Boise, and see and hear what was
going on. He told the boy that the
Nevada, Arizona, and Colorado mines
were well organized in their capital-
istic union and that consequently thcy
would put up bitter legal fight. with
the formidable forces brought into
play by the master class.
There were several THINGS which
made the prospects of a trip to Boise
very alluring to the boy. One of these
was the fact that Rudolph, who had
gone to Spokane, when Jack and Col
Inns started for the mines, had written
that ne would in all probability be in
BOISE, and write up the trial for a
lavish paper back east. For the pre-.
sent he was employed in a second hand
Dook store on Stevens Street where
ne could commune with his beloved
poets, with only an occasional custom.
er to interrupt him. Jack liked Rudolph
ana his mode of thinking immensely.
but 1t was Collins who held him by
the sheer force of personality.
Ihe next reason was that the trial
Offered him a chance to learn more
about man; it would increase his stock
OF knowledge, and for the increase
of knowledge he seemed to live. With
him the acquisition of information was
an end in itself. He lived to know.
In this he differed from Collins who
lived to do, and for whom knowledge
had little value except as it aided
him in doing the things he considered
worth while.
Ihere was yet another, and perhaps
1t was the greatest incentive, to the
boy in making the trip. 1t would be
made on foot, over what is perhaps the
most picturesque mountain trail in
America. He would see new rocks, new
formations, new animals, new birds
and plants; these things were food 70
his mind And he would hear the trial
the great legal battle, where he might
study the play of passion in the hearts
OF strong men. In the court room he
would behold the mental conflict of
interests. He would see and hear the
classes struggle for supremacy in in.
dustry, which was but an initial
phase of their ultimate struggle to sur.
vive.
There can be no doubt but what the
boys discussion to fight in the class
war was eminently sincere for his
training had taught him that due to
ms economic position he really could
not escape his part in it yet, his mind
was not adapted to the thought process.
ses 1t demands. And hence, he habitual.
y reasoned in other terms. He was
like an eagle with mighty wings, who
felt conscious of power to soar
above the clouds, and yet who for
some ideals sake, resolved not to fly.
With Collins all this was different He
thought in terms Of economies, he
spoke the language of sociology, he
dreamed in pictures Of organized mas.
ses' He wanted to go to Boise for no
other purpose than to be dble to say
to the workers, "I was there. I saw
and heard the battle. Such and such
are the tactics of the masters. l know,
because have heard and seen them
in action, on the job, and in their
courts" With Collins the class strup.