the iron puddler-第11章
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wrought iron fit for bridging the creek； shoeing the mule and hooping the barrel that brings the farmers apples into town。
〃Life in these mills is a terrible life；〃 the reformers say。 〃Men are ground down to scrap and are thrown out as wreckage。〃 This may be so； but my life was spent in the mills and I failed to discover it。 I went in a stripling and grew into manhood with muscled arms big as a bookkeeper's legs。 The gases； they say； will destroy a man's lungs； but I worked all day in the mills and had wind enough left to toot a clarinet in the band。 I lusted for labor； I worked and I liked it。 And so did my forefathers for generations before me。 It is no job for weaklings； but neither was tree…felling； Indian fighting； road…making and the subduing of a wild continent to the hand of man as was done by the whole tribe of Americans for the sheer joy of conquering the wild。
There is something in man that drives him forward to do the world's work and build bigger for the coming generations； just as there is something in nature that causes new growth to come out of old dirt and new worlds to be continually spawned from the ashes of old played…out suns and stars。 When nature ceases to mold new worlds from the past decay； the universe will wither； and when man loses the urge to build and goes to tearing down； the end of his story is at hand。
A tired Thomas whose wife supported him by running a rooming house once asked me：
〃How many do you 'spose there are in the United States that don't have to work？〃
〃None；〃 I replied； 〃except invalids and cripples。 Every healthy man in this country has to work just the same as he has to breathe。 If you don't want to work it is because you're sick。 I'm a well man； and I've got to be working all the time or I'd go crazy。 I have no more desire to be idle like you than I have a desire to wear women's clothes。 It is contrary to normal nature； and that's why I say that any man that gets that way is a sick man。〃
The fellow was a 〃free thinker；〃 as he called himself。 He was too lazy to shave and his beard was always about two weeks ahead of him。 He was working out a plan for communism in the United States。 He believed that enough work had now been done to supply the race forever。 It was just a question of so evenly dividing the goods that all men instead of a few could loaf the rest of their years。
He had such a tired feeling that he didn't have the ambition of an oyster。 He didn't have enough energy to realize he was all in。 He took it for granted that the whole race was as tired as he was。
He thought he needed one of the Utopias they talk so much about。 What he needed was a dose of castor…oil。 I never knew a communist in my life that was a well man。
CHAPTER XIV
BOILING DOWN THE PIGS
An iron puddler is a 〃pig boiler。〃 The pig boiling must be done at a certain temperature （the pig is iron） just as a farmer butchering hogs must scald the carcasses at a certain temperature。 If the farmer's water is too hot it will set the hair； that is； fix the bristles so they will never come out； if the water is not hot enough it will fail to loosen the bristles。 So the farmer has to be an expert； and when the water in his barrel is just hot enough； he souses the porker in it； holding it in the hot bath the right length of time； then pulling it out and scraping off the hair。 Farmers learned this art by experience long before the days of book farming。
And so the metal 〃pig boiler〃 ages ago learned by experience how to make the proper 〃heat〃 to boil the impurities out of pig… iron； or forge iron； and change it into that finer product； wrought iron。 Pig…iron contains silicon； sulphur and phosphorus； and these impurities make it brittle so that a cast iron teakettle will break at a blow； like a china cup。 Armor of this kind would have been no good for our iron…clad ancestors。 When a knight in iron clothes tried to whip a leather…clad peasant； the peasant could have cracked him with a stone and his clothes would have fallen off like plaster from the ceiling。 So those early iron workers learned to puddle forge iron and make it into wrought iron which is tough and leathery and can not be broken by a blow。 This process was handed down from father to son； and in the course of time came to my father and so to me。 None of us ever went to school and learned the chemistry of it from books。 We learned the trick by doing it； standing with our faces in the scorching heat while our hands puddled the metal in its glaring bath。
And that is the way the farmer's son has learned hog scalding from the time when our ancient fathers got tired of eating bristles and decided to take their pork clean shaven。 To…day there are books telling just how many degrees of heat make the water right for scalding hogs； and the metallurgists have written down the chemical formula for puddling iron。 But the man who learns it from a book can not do it。 The mental knowledge is not enough； it requires great muscular skill like that of the heavyweight wrestler； besides great physical endurance to withstand the terrific heat。 The worker's body is in perfect physical shape and the work does not injure him but only exhilarates him。 No iron worker can be a communist； for communists all have inferior bodies。 The iron worker knows that his body is superior； and no sour philosophy could stay in him； because he would sweat it out of his pores as he sweats out all other poisons。
The old man that I worked with when I first entered the rolling mill was gray with his sixty years of toil。 Yet his eye was clear and his back was straight and when he went to the table he ate like a sixteen…year…old and his sleep was dreamless。 A man so old must conserve his strength； and he made use of his husky helper whenever he could to save his own muscles and lengthen his endurance。 My business was to do the little chores and save time for the helper。 I teased up the furnace； I leveled the fire； I dished the cinders in to thicken the heat； and I watched the cobbles。 During the melting of the pig…iron the furnace had to be kept as hot as coal could make it。
Before the use of coal was discovered； the ancient iron makers used charcoal。 So iron could only be made where there were forests to give fuel。 Even as late as 1840 the iron smelters in Pennsylvania were using wood in their furnaces。 Our forefathers did not know that coal would burn。 And yet here lay the coal； the ore and the limestone side by side； which meant that Pittsburgh was to be the iron capital of the world。 But Americans will not long sleep in the presence of such an opportunity。 Other races will。 The Chinese have slumbered for five thousand years above a treasure trove of oil； coal and iron。 They never discovered its uses。 Instead of oil they lit themselves to bed with mutton tallow。 Instead of burning coal they put on two pairs of pants when winter came。 In place of steel plows drawn by oil…burning tractors they scratched the ground with a wooden stick； and when the crop failed they starved to death by millions。 With our steel ships we send bread to China to save them。 If they had the wit to use their resources they could save themselves。 In man's fight against the hostile forces of nature； his safety lies in applying his wit to the resources that nature gave him。 The Americans can do that。 There are others that can not。
I was riding on a train in Indiana when a gypsy…looking youth came in and sat beside me。 His hair was black； his skin was yellow and he was dressed in flashy American clothes。 He had a cock…sure air about him that attracted my attention。 I have seldom seen a young man more pleased with himself。 He was entirely too cocky for me。 He began talking。 He said he was a Syrian and was worth a thousand dollars。 Soon he would be worth a million； he said。 He was already putting on his million…dollar airs。
〃While selling bananas and ginger pop； he told me； 〃I made some money and learned the American ways。 I have a brother in South Bend who has made some money shining shoes。 I am going to get my brother and we will go back to the old home in Asia Minor。 The hills where we were born are full of coal。 The people call it black stone。 They do not know that it will burn。 We will go
