The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1920-05-21
Chapter XXXIs
The Moving Power.

The Moving Power.
| The next day Jack borrowed row
boat from a neighbor and rowed out
to little island in the lake, ostensibly
in search of fishing ground. Rudolph
| and Collins stayed in the cabin and
busted themselves with their study ofl
theoretic economies. Shortly after Jack
was gone, Rudolph picked up the note
book which he had used on his trip,
and carelessly PACED thru it. Then
suddenly something, he saw in its pages
arrested this attention. and he began
to read carefully the more or less
illegible chirography in which Jack had
penned his diary.
"I will tell you Ed" said he, ad-
dressing Collins who was busy with a
volume of "The Data of Ethics by
Herbert Spencer ":"that kid has re-
markable knack for observing things. "
CHE has that" agreed Collins.
"This trip ought to teach him few
lessons in the class struggle, for he
surely reflected ON what was happen
ing That is more than a good many of
the slaves dc. He is not Of the or
dinary sort.'
"Hell! he knows that himself. That
is what gives him the idea of the type
conflict in the world. Didn't you hear
him bawl me out the other day for
posing as second edition Of Jesus
Christ. I don't like that type stuff he
dreams about. in fact I feel duty
bound TO deny it. But then he gets
under my skin just the same. What do
you find in that bookf"
"Iisten to this" Dec. 30, Arrived
at Red Lodge and went out to the job.
Met five men coming out. They told
me they had been on the job where
was going. 1 asked them how long
they had been on the job, and it seems
as none of them had stayed week.
All the information they could give
me was summed up in three phrases. :"
l"Punk grub. ."-"Lousy bunks" -
"Heluva boss". Does not look very
inviting, but as 1 am nearly strapped
I must dig in. that is if am put on. :"
"They are normal men, these workers
II have just passed. They are strong
and able bodied. Perhaps they have
not much intelligence, but that is quite
dispenasble in ordinary work. But
never mind I'll find out for myself
just what am up against.
cit is strange how these men blame
themselves for their misfortunes. The
doctrine of sin has warped even the
brains of rough necks. Let me recall
and write down some of their exact
statements. This is one: eff 1 had
saved my money I would not need to
be looking for job like that. I made
; good money year ago and I blew it
all in. Now IN up against it. It's nv
, own fault 1 have nobody to blame, "
, The poor fish. Their brains are the
, echo boxes Of sky pilots. The skypilots
, teach them that they are totally de.
/ PRAYED and they swallow it. They only
: echo. they never think. I didn It think
myself or I would not be here. 49,
and yet in way I did think, for
/ Rudolph and Collins told me what
/ l would be up against, but I did not
believe them. [ thought for myself
0 Did IL Like hell I did. My mind was
!. echoing the advice of George and Her.
: man, not to remain idle but to find
/ job. George and Herman were eastern
9 men; they knew nothing of western
conditions. On this point their advice
4 was as good as the preachers advice
g is about heaven. They had not been
there. No I~did no thinking. Damn me!
s just believed. without reflecting. Bu,
J, I'm in it, and I'll come out again with
/ just one more lesson learned.
tc IL ~
am sitting on large rock beside thc
railroad track as l write. It's three
miles to the camp where I am to work
so l had better be on my way. If any
t body should find these notes on nv
r cadaver, [ hope they'll send them Il
r our local parson SO that that good mar
t may see that l have improved il
!, language since left home.
s "That last part shows his mind ;,
/ reaction to his early training" Col
s Inns commented.
: "Get this. "'Dec. Swell I'm her,
!, and the first day is over. Night il
= settling over the mountains. 7 wish tn,
night of eternity would settle on tha
: boss. His name is Kelly. He is q power
. ful man from the ears down. If hi
= ever had a haircut he'd be headless
He has splendid teeth. They are tn;
only thing which supports his eyes. Oh
>, " yes, the camp! 1t is awful. Ramshackl
. old shacks. Lousy hunks. NO soap, n,
= !, towels Made kick about it to SOM
= u Of the men but they are afraid to sa,
J anything for fear of being fired. Ye
! few of them stay more than fiv,
days. Some are canned each evenin;
. . and others take their place in tn
. morning. They don t keep them on tn
. job long enuf to get acquainted wit
- one another. Apparently you can
: make them talk about improving con
: ditions. They seem to have but on
. idea, and that is to make a stake an,
y y beat it. Every one is looking for hi
l. personal advantage. Collins would sa,
10 they lack social sense. But why tn
. adjective'"