The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1926-06-24

know every workman by name and
his wife and all the children. We live
like one big happy family. To every
man who stayed with US five years 1
gave an acre of ground and helped
him to build such home as he liked.
Every man owns his home-is free
from debt-and most of them have
a good bank balance. We haven't a
drinking man in the plant. We have
never had a strike nor a walk-out.
l have never had Union help. Every
man is as free to leave me and better
himself as l am. But we encourage
every man to give the best that is in
him and we raise his wages according
to his merits. We make a fine product,
John, and our reputation stands high,
but if we can make something better
we are anxious to learn how and
spread its usefulness for the benefit
of others as well as for ourselves"
Next morning John was at the shop
waiting for the whistle to blow. Ros-
coe introduced him to the foreman
and boys near by as though he was a
purchasing agent.
In one corner of the building Ros-
coe had a private laboratory par
titioned off from the eyes of the
curious, and here the new methods
were tried out and tested. Roscoe
soon discovered that in John he had
found a big diamond in the rough
picked out of the mud. Roscoe only
knew how to make carbon steel, while
John knew how to make it in many
varieties, combining other metals in a
chemical process that his rivals could
not initiate.
So, to have a long story briefly
told, it is sufficient to say that the At
we'll Axle works took on new life and
grew by leaps and bounds. John
worked as steady as clock and re-
manned as sober as Judge for twelve
months. He had not gone three
months at time without spree for
the last twelve years until he met
Roscoe.
Roscoe only had one child living, a
daughter named Lucretia, and just
six months before the advent of John
she had married a young farmer
whom she had known from early girl
hood. Her wedding to Harvey Will
liams was very displeasing to her
parents. Harvey was very bright
and popular man-especially so with
the wonderland Roscoe and his wife
felt that his easy morals made him
unworthy of pure and noble minded
girl like Lucretia. However, sorry
as they were, the old folk made the
best of it. They did not quarrel, did
not ignore her or try to exclude her
from the parental home, as many
parents often do. Harvey's parents
died about two years prior to his
marriage and he had become sole heir
to large and valuable estate, which
was on the main road to Pittsfeld,
and only four miles from Lucretia's
home. Here, at the old homestead,
Harvey and Lucretia began their
married life, surrounded with all the
comforts and luxuries which the old
folk had left. But this blissful life
came to sudden termination Just
three months from the day they were
married Harvey was kicked by very
unruly mule and instantly killed.
Lucretia's grief was hard to bear,
but she was a very courageous and
resourceful young woman and be-
lieved that the way to drown her sor-
row and still show her love for Har-
vey was to keep busy and run the
farm as Harvey would have done. 1t
made Lucretia happy to feel that she
was helping others less fortunate, so
she gave home to three of her poor
relation: maiden aunt and two girl
cousins. With cook and three farm
hands she began her life of young
widowhood.
Roscoe's little village was complete
within itself save in one particular
it had no church. But Roscoe built
hall, memorial to his father and
grandfather who had done so much to
establish the business, and every Sun
day they had lectures here given by
Roscoe, John or the superintendent.
These Sunday talks were very in
structive and morally elevating; they
were really science sermons, all based
on the laws of God as revealed in ma
ture and in the science like chem
istry, astronomy and biology. They
taught the workmen their position in
the universe, their relation to their
Maker, and that the religion of hu-
mainly was the only one and consist
ed of giving life of useful, helpful
service to our fellowmen. During the
week they often had private theatre
Gals by local talent, dances for the
employees and moving picture plays.
The workmen all looked up tG
Roscoe, as children do to a father.
They respected him and followed his
advice. Most of his men were of
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