The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1922-09-29
From Our
Exchanges
A Lesson from the ArpOnaut.

Inc story OF the ArgOnaut mine
disaster at Jackson, California, was
completed when rescuers penetrating
the long sealed shaft Of that Inflated
gold mine this week. found the, entire
party of entombed miners behind a
series of futile bulkheads-dead since
a few hours after their entombment,
from asphyxiation from the poisonous
gases set loose by the flames. Here,
then, is 1.-THE sequel-and thus the point
from which starts a diminution Of in
terest in one of the most heart thrill
ing casualties that has happened in
the west. While suspense continued,
all America rightly paused once or
twice each day to learn Of progress and
to brood upon the possibilities of hope
which might exist for the unfortunate
men so many thousand feet from the
sunlight they were destined v to
see again.
Perhaps it is uselessto moralize up
on catastrophes such as that which
the fire fiend brought to those of the
Argonaut that day. Yet following ev-
cry such event men have moralized,
and little by little considerable good
seems to have been accomplished by
way Of rendering such tragedies less
likely, and for the protection and sup
port of the victims survivors if the
dreaded tragedies must come. Already
in California, officials are endeavoring
to work out plans which shall help for
escape in future exigencies of a SIM
liar kind if they occur Presumably
they will meet with only a modicum
Of success; and yet by continued eff
fort further good will gradually come.
There is n aspect Of horrors like
this that ~leavens them with a slight
element of compensation to mankind,
unthinkably awful though their net
results appear. 1t is the fact that the
knowledge of them puts into play and
therefore tends to increase the best
and most humanitarian instincts of
humankind. In the Argonaut case
there were many illustrious examples.
Miners and mine operators from all
parts of the United States and Mex
leo Joined to offer aid. A rival cor
poration at law with the Argonaut
freely lent it's entire plant and equip
ment to the task of rescuing the en-,
tombed men. Employers and employees
forgot for the moment any quarrels
they might have had and remembered
only the more important fact that bas-
ically they were. all brothers of the
blood
1t seems hardly fair to compare this
tragedy with that enacted at Herrin,
Ill.,, only a few weeks before. In
human fatalities resulting, the Ar
gonaut disaster was the worse Of the
two. Yet how infinitely otherwise
would be the comparison made upon
their respective reactions upon the
human mind! Whatever may be said
for the men of Herrin who attacked
industrial "enemies" and murdered
them wantonly after they were dis
armed, the fact remains that they
have added to the worlds misunder.
standings as UNNECESSARILY as they
added to the worlds woe. What they
have done is to minimize human APP
probation of the brotherhood of man,
substituting therefor a petty dogma
of rights as between "mine and thine"
that seems pitiably unworthy when
measured by the kindly impulses which
disasters like that of the Argonaut
bring out.
Let us help to guard against ply
steal dangers so far as we can. and n
hundred times more let us guard
AGAINST the horrors of unjust ennitics
which arise between man and man.
Williston Herald.