the iron puddler-第14章

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My　batch　of　biscuits　is　now　done　and　I　must　take　them　out　at　once　and　rush　them　to　the　hungry　mouth　of　the　squeezing　machine。　A　bride　making　biscuits　can　jerk　them　out　of　the　oven　all　in　one　pan。　But　my　oven　is　larger　and　hotter。　I　have　to　use　long…handled　tongs；　and　each　of　my　biscuits　weighs　twice　as　much　as　I　weigh。　Suppose　you　were　a　cook　with　a　fork　six　feet　long；　and　had　three　roasting　sheep　on　the　grid　at　once　to　be　forked　off　as　quickly　as　possible。　Could　you　do　it？　Even　with　a　helper　wouldn't　you　probably　scorch　the　mutton　or　else　burn　yourself　to　death　with　the　hot　grease？　That　is　where　strength　and　skill　must　both　come　into　play。

One　at　a　time　the　balls　are　drawn　out　on　to　a　buggy　and　wheeled　swiftly　to　the　squeezer。　This　machine　squeezes　out　the　slag　which　flows　down　like　the　glowing　lava　running　out　of　a　volcano。　The　motion　of　the　squeezer　is　like　the　circular　motion　you　use　in　rolling　a　bread　pill　between　the　palms　and　squeezing　the　water　out　of　it。　I　must　get　the　three　balls；　or　blooms；　out　of　the　furnace　and　into　the　squeezer　while　the　slag　is　still　liquid　so　that　it　can　be　squeezed　out　of　the　iron。

From　cold　pig…iron　to　finished　blooms　is　a　process　that　takes　from　an　hour　and　ten　minutes；　to　an　hour　and　forty　minutes；　depending　on　the　speed　and　skill　of　the　puddler；　and　the　kind　of　iron。　I　was　a　fast　one；　myself。　But　you　expected　that；　from　the　fact　that　I　am　telling　the　story。　The　man　that　tells　the　story　always　comes　out　a　winner。



CHAPTER　XIX

I　START　ON　MY　TRAVELS


Now　that　I　was　a　master　puddler；　I　faced　the　problem　of　finding　a　furnace　of　my　own。　I　saw　no　chance　in　Sharon。　Furnaces　passed　from　father　to　son；　so　I　could　not　hope　to　get　one　of　the　furnaces　controlled　by　another　family。　My　father　was　not　ready　to　relinquish　his　furnace　to　me；　as　he　was　good　for　twenty　years　more　of　this　vigorous　labor。

I　wanted　to　be　a　real　boss　puddler；　and　so；　when　I　was　eighteen　I　went　to　Pittsburgh　and　got　a　furnace。　But　a　new　period　of　hard　times　was　setting　in；　jobs　were　getting　scarce　as　they　had　been　in　1884。　That　was　the　year　when　we　had　no　money　in　the　house　and　I　was　chasing　every　loose　nickel　in　town。　The　mill　at　Sharon　was　down；　and　father　was　hunting　work　in　Pittsburgh　and　elsewhere。　Then　after　a　period　of　prosperity　the　hard　times　had　come　again　in　1891　and　'92。　My　furnace　job　in　Pittsburgh　was　not　steady。　The　town　was　full　of　iron　workers　and　many　of　them　were　in　desperate　need。　Those　who　had　jobs　divided　their　time　with　their　needy　comrades。　A　man　with　hungry　children　would　be　given　a　furnace　for　a　few　days　to　earn　enough　to　ward　off　starvation。　I　had　no　children　and　felt　that　I　should　not　hold　a　furnace。　I　left　Pittsburgh　and　went　to　Niles；　Ohio；　where　I　found　less　competition　for　the　jobs。　I　worked　a　few　weeks　and　the　mill　shut　down。　I　wandered　all　over　the　iron　district　and　finally；　deciding　that　the　North　held　no　openings；　I　began　working　my　way　toward　the　iron　country　in　the　South。

The　Sharon　mill　did　not　shut　down　completely。　The　owner　operated　it　at　a　loss　rather　than　throw　all　his　old　hands　out　on　the　world。　Twenty　years　later　I　met　him　on　a　train　in　the　West　and　we　talked　of　old　times　when　I　worked　in　his　mill。　As　long　as　he　lived　he　was　loved　and　venerated　by　his　former　employees。

Father　was　putting　in　short　time　at　Sharon　and　was　badly　worried。　He　was　thinking　of　setting　out　again　to　go　from　town　to　town　looking　for　work；　but　I　had　advised　him　against　it。　I　had　told　him　that　he　would　merely　find　crowds　of　idle　men　roaming　from　mill　to　mill　along　with　him。　My　brothers　gave　him　similar　advice。

〃Father；〃　we　said；　〃it　is　a　time　of　business　depression　and　wide…spread　unemployment。　If　you　went　to　Pittsburgh　you　might　find　a　few　weeks'　work；　but　it　would　not　pay　you　to　go　there　for　it。　You　would　have　to　lay　out　cash　for　your　board　and　lodging　there　before　you　could　send　anything　home　to　mother。　Keeping　up　two　establishments　is　harder　than　keeping　up　one。　You　have　a　home　here　partly　paid　for；　and　a　big　garden　that　helps　support　that　home。　It　is　better　for　you　to　stick　with　this　establishment　and　work　at　half　time　in　the　mill　than　to　roam　around　at　big　expense　seeking　full　time　in　some　other　mill。　There　may　be　no　mill　in　the　land　that　is　running　full　time。〃

This　had　not　occurred　to　him。　What　lay　beyond　the　hills　was　all　mystery。　But　we　young　fellows　had　been　brought　up　in　the　American　atmosphere；　we　had　read　the　Youth's　Companion　and　the　newspapers；　and　our　outlook　was　widened；　we　could　guess　that　conditions　were　the　same　in　other　states　as　they　were　in　our　part　of　Pennsylvania；　for　we　were　studying　economic　causes。

〃It　is　better　for　you　to　stay　here　and　wait　for　good　times　to　come　again。　Hang　on　to　your　home；　and　if　in　a　few　months　or　a　few　years　the　mills　begin　booming　again　you　will　be　secure　for　life。　But　if　the　iron　industry　doesn't　revive；　give　up　that　trade　and　find　other　work　here。　If　necessary　go　out　and　work　on　a　farm；　for　the　farming　industry　will　always　have　to　be　carried　on。〃

Father　saw　the　force　of　our　argument。　So　he　stayed　and　kept　his　home。　He　has　it　to…day。　But　if　he　had　wandered　around　as　millions　of　us　did　in　those　hard　days　he　would　surely　have　lost　it。　This　was　my　first　little　attempt　to　work　out　an　economic　problem。　I　had　studied　all　the　facts　and　then　pronounced　my　judgment。　It　proved　right；　and　so　I　learned　that　in　my　small　way　I　had　a　head　for　financiering。　This　encouraged　me；　for　it　taught　me　that　the　worker　can　solve　part　of　his　problems　by　using　his　head。

The　fear　of　ending　in　the　poor…house　is　one　of　the　terrors　that　dog　a　man　through　life。　There　are　only　three　parts　to　the　labor　problem；　and　this　is　one　of　them。　This　fear　causes　〃unrest。〃　This　unrest　was　used　by　revolutionists　to　promote　Bolshevism　which　turns　whole　empires　into　poor…houses。　Such　a　〃remedy；〃　of　course；　is　worse　than　the　disease。　I　think　I　know　a　plan　by　which　all　workers　can　make　their　old　age　secure。　I　will　go　into　it　more　fully　in　a　later　chapter。



CHAPTER　XX

THE　RED　FLAG　AND　THE　WATERMELONS


I　have　said　that　the　labor　problem　has　three　parts。　I　call　them　（1）　Wages；　（2）　Working　Conditions　and　（3）　Living　Conditions。　By　living　conditions　I　mean　the　home　and　its　security。　My　father　had　reached　the　stage　where　this　was　the　problem　that　worried　him。　He　was　growing　old　and　must　soon　cease　working。　But　his　home　was　not　yet　secure　and　he　was　haunted　with　the　fear　that　his　old　age　might　be　shelterless。　We　told　him　not　to　worry；　the　Davis　boys　were　many　and　we　would　repay　him　for　the　fatherly　care　he　had　given　us。　But　he　was　a　proud　man　（as　all　muscular　men　are）；　and　he　could　find　no　comfort　in　the　thought　of　being　supported　by　his　sons。　I　am　glad　he　never　had　to　be。　Independence　has　made　his　old　age　happy　and　he　has　proved　that　a　worker；　if　he　keeps　his　health；　can　provide　for　his　old　age　and　bring　up　a　big　family　too。

We　older　boys　left　home　and　hunted　work　elsewhere。　I　was　young　and　not　bothered　about　working　conditions　or　living　conditions。　I　was　so　vigorous　that　I　could　work　under　any　conditions；　and　old　age　was　so　far　away　that　I　was　not　worried　about　a　home　for　my　declining　years。　Wages　was　my　sole　problem。　I　wanted　steady　wages；　and　of　course　I　wanted　the　highest　I　could　get。　To　find　the　place　where　wages　were　to　be　had　I　was　always　on　the　go。　When　a　mill　closed　I　did　not　wait　for　it　to　reopen；　but　took　the　first　train　for　some　other　mill　town。　The　first　train　usually　was　a　freight。　If　not；　I　waited　for　a　freight；　for　I　could　sleep　better　in　a　freight　car　than　in　a　Pullmanit　cost　less。　I　could　save　money　and　send　it　to　mother；　then　she　would　not　have　to　sell　her　feather　beds。

All　of　this　sounds　nobler　than　it　was。　In　those　days　workers　never　traveled　on　passenger　trains　unless　they　could　get　a　pass。　Judges　and　statesmen　pursued　the　same　policy。　To　pay　for　a　ticket　was　money　thrown　away；　so　thought　the　upper　classes　and　the　lower　classes。　About　the　only　people　that　paid　car　fare　were　the　Knights　of　Pythias　on　their　way　to　their　annual　convention。　Railroad　workers　could　get　all　the　passes　they　wanted；　and　any　toiler　whose　sister　had　married　a　brakeman　or　whose　second　cousin　was　a　conductor　〃bummed〃　the　railroad　for　a　pass　and　got　it。　None　of　my　relatives　w