the iron puddler-第24章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


d　by　much　use　of　it　that　it　was　as　nimble　as　the　hands　of　a　juggler　who　can　keep　several　objects　tossing　in　the　air　at　the　same　time。　We　men　were　clumsy　thinkers；　and　one　thing　at　a　time　was　all　we　could　handle　without　fumbling　it。

The　great　manufacturer　never　showed　any　emotion。　He　was　never　angry；　domineering；　sneering　or　insulting。　He　kept　these　emotions　under　control　because　they　could　do　him　no　good；　and　because　they　would　give　pain　to　others。　We　fellows　never　hesitated　to　show　how　we　felt。　We　would　jibe　one　another；　laugh　at　a　fellow　to　his　chagrin；　and　when　we　were　angry　bawl　each　other　out　unmercifully。　For　a　fellow　to　smile　when　he　was　angry　and　not　let　the　other　fellow　know　it；　was　a　trick　we　had　not　learned。　That　a　bloodthirsty；　cruel　capitalist　should　be　such　a　graceful　fellow　was　a　shock　to　me。　I　saw　from　the　start　that　the　communist　picture　of　a　capitalist　as　a　bristling；　snorting　hog　was　the　farthest　thing　from　the　truth。　The　picture　was　drawn　by　malice　and　not　from　a　desire　to　tell　the　truth。

I　learned　that　when　Mr。　Reid　and　his　fellows　gave　their　word　they　never　broke　it。　It　was　hard　to　get　a　promise　from　them；　but　once　they　made　a　promise　they　always　fulfilled　it。　If　they　said　they　would　meet　us　at　a　certain　hour；　they　were　always　there　on　the　minute。　They　were　patient；　firm　and　reasonable；　and　they　always　treated　us　as　their　equals。

They　always　gave　us　the　reasons　for　the　stand　they　took。　At　first　I　doubted　their　sincerity；　but　in　the　end　I　learned　that　the　reasons　they　cited　were　the　true　reasons。　At　first　they　thought　that　they　would　have　to　guard　themselves　against　roguery　and　doubledealing　on　the　part　of　the　tin　workers。　This　showed　that　they　had　had　unpleasant　experiences。　For；　men　who　knew　their　business　as　well　as　they　did　must　surely　have　had　some　cause　for　their　suspicion。　Baseless　suspicion　is　a　trait　of　ignorant　men；　and　these　men　were　not　ignorant。　A　burnt　child　dreads　the　fire。

I　decided　to　take　them　as　my　models；　to　learn　all　their　virtues　and　let　them　know　that　I　was　as　square　in　my　dealings　with　them　as　they　were　with　me。　I　studied　their　business　as　thoroughly　as　I　studied　the　case　of　the　men。　I　soon　got　from　them　all　the　concessions　we　had　demanded　when　we　called　the　strike。　It　was　fortunate　for　us　that　the　strike　was　cancelled；　for　we　kept　our　jobs　and　in　due　course　got　all　the　things　that　we　were　going　to　strike　for。

In　fact；　I　got　so　many　concessions　by　dickering　with　those　bosses　that　I　made　life　a　burden　for　them　at　times。　I　knew　the　cost　of　every　different　kind　of　plate　the　mill　put　out；　and　so　I　could　demand　a　high　rate　of　wages　and　support　my　demands　with　logic。　My　midnight　studies　had　not　been　in　vain。　It　all　came　back　in　cash　to　the　working　man；　and　yet　it　was　my　own　pals　who　had　rebuked　me　for　being　too　bookish。　This　did　not　make　me　sour。　I　loved　the　fellows　just　the　same；　and　when　they　showed　their　faith　in　me；　it　more　than　paid　me　back。

But　I　had　learned　this　general　rule：　The　average　working　man　thinks　mostly　of　the　present。　He　leaves　to　students　and　to　capitalists　the　safeguarding　of　his　future。



CHAPTER　XXXIV

SHIRTS　FOR　TIN　ROLLERS


In　summer　the　temperature　in　the　tin　mills　is　very　high。　It　is　as　hot　as　the　Fourth　of　July　in　Abyssinia。　One　day　a　philosophical　fellow　was　talking　religion　to　me。　He　said；　〃I　don't　believe　in　hell　as　a　place　where　we　boil　forever　in　a　lake　of　brimstone。　It　can't　be　as　hot　as　that。　My　constitution　never　could　stand　it。〃　His　constitution　stood　up　under　the　heat　in　the　tin　mill。　So　it　is　plain　that　the　tin…mill　temperature　was　somewhat　less　than　the　temperature　of　the　Pit。

Outsiders　began　coming　into　the　mills　and　giving　us　workers　a　chill　by　telling　us　that　the　heat　was　killing　us。　The　men　used　to　cool　themselves　down　with　a　glass　of　beer　at　the　close　of　the　day。　The　social　investigators　told　us　that　alcohol　taken　into　the　system　at　such　a　time　would　cause　sunstroke。　If　beer　was　fatal；　most　of　us　figured　that　we　had　been　dead　for　years　and　didn't　know　it。　The　effect　of　constant　complaints　was　to　demoralize　us　and　make　our　work　harder。　I　thought　at　first　that　these　investigators　were　our　friends　and　I　gave　them　all　the　help　I　could。　But　instead　of　helping　us；　they　only　hurt　us；　and　then　I　soured　on　their　misapplied　zeal。　They　were　a　species　new　to　me　that　seemed　to　have　sprung　up　in　the　hard　times；　just　as　cooties　spring　up　in　time　of　war。　And　like　cooties；　they　attached　themselves　to　us　closer　than　a　brother　and　yet　they　were　no　brothers　of　ours。　The　social　investigators　nibbled　away　at　the　men　and　kept　them　restless　in　their　hours　of　ease。　They　sat　at　our　boarding　table　and　complained　of　the　food。　Corned　beef　and　cabbage　was　one　of　our　regular　dishes。　Mr。　Investigator　turned　up　his　nose　and　said：　〃I　never　touch　corned　beef。　If　you　knew　as　much　about　it　as　I　do；　you　would　insist　on　steaks　or　roast　beef　instead。　You　know　what　corned　beef　is；　don't　you？〃

The　men　got　mad　and　one　fellow　said：　〃Yes；　it　is　dead　cow。　All　meat　is　dead　animals。　Now　give　us　a　rest。〃

〃Yes；　it's　all　dead；　but　some　of　it　is　a　whole　lot　deader　than　you　imagine。　I've　been　investigating　the　packing　business；　and　I'll　tell　you　all　about　corned　beef　and　wienies。〃　He　then　went　on　with　a　lot　of　sickening　details　and　when　he　got　through　he　found　that　the　younger　men　had　not　eaten　any　dinner。　The　older　men　paid　no　attention　to　him　and　worked　right　ahead　to　the　pie　and　toothpick　stage；　but　the　younger　fellows　had　been　euchred　out　of　dinner　and　went　back　to　work　with　wabbly　steps　and　empty　stomachs。

This　convinced　me　that　the　investigator　was　a　false　alarm。　If　corned　beef　was　poison；　as　he　said；　there　wouldn't　be　a　working　man　alive　in　America。　But　millions　have　eaten　corned　beef　all　their　lives　and　have　thrived　on　it。　Things　are　never　one　tenth　so　bad　as　the　agitators　say。　They　merely　take　the　heart　out　of　men　and　send　them　back　to　work　weakened　and　unhappy。

This　fellow　had　a　favorite　joke　which　he　sprang　every　meal。　After　sniffing　at　the　soup　and　meat　and　cabbage　he　would　exclaim：　〃Hebrews；　13…8。〃　We　thought　it　was　some　jibe　about　the　fat　pork；　and　after　he　had　sprung　it　every　day　for　a　week　we　learned　that　he　was　hitting　at　the　monotony　of　the　diet。　The　verse　in　the　Bible　reads：

〃Jesus　Christ　the　same　yesterday；　and　to…day；　and　forever。〃

The　fellow　came　into　the　mills　and　sympathized　with　us　because　we　worked　with　our　shirts　off。　To　withstand　the　heat　we　stripped　to　the　waist。　We　didn't　want　to　wear　a　shirt。　It　would　have　clung　to　our　flesh　and　hampered　our　moving　muscles。　We　were　freer　and　cooler　without　any　cloth　to　smother　us。　It　was　a　privilege　to　go　shirtless。　Adam　enjoyed　that　blessing　in　the　Garden　of　Eden。　And　when　he　sinned　they　punished　him　by　putting　a　shirt；　collar　and　necktie　on　him。　And　yet　this　theorist　in　the　mills　demanded　working　conditions　that　would　let　us　wear　shirts。　Why？　Who　was　asking　for　shirts？　Only　he；　and　he　had　a　shirt。　In　their　own　words；　the　fellows　would　have　enjoyed　making　him　eat　it。



CHAPTER　XXXV

AN　UPLIFTER　RULED　BY　ENVY


The　uplifter　saw　the　men　between　heats　drinking　beer　out　of　tin　pails。

〃Why　do　those　big　fine　fellows　drink　beer；〃　he　asked　me；　〃when　they　have　plenty　of　water？〃

I　asked　him：　〃Why　don't　you　drink　beer？〃

〃It　makes　me　bilious；〃　he　replied。　〃If　I　drink　one　glass　of　beer　every　day　for　a　week　it　upsets　me　and　I　get　weak　and　dizzy。〃

〃Do　you　think　that　one　drink　of　beer　a　day　will　upset　those　fellows　and　make　them　dizzy？〃

〃Evidently　not。〃

〃Then　when　you　oppose　beer　you　are　doing　it　to　keep　yourself　from　getting　sick；　aren't　you？　Do　you　really　care　a　darn　whether　those　fellows　get　sick　at　the　stomach　or　not？〃

〃Certainly；　I〃

〃You　don't　want　them　to　get　sick　at　the　stomach　？〃

〃Then；　why　did　you　give　that　lecture　on　corned　beef　and　make　those　strong　fellows　all　sick　at　the　stomach　while　you　enjoyed　your　own　dinner？〃

〃I　didn't　know　it　would　disturb　them　so。　Besides　I　wanted　to　keep　them　from　getting　sick　later。〃

〃Well；　they　prefer　to　have　their　health　now；　and　wait　for　their　sickness　until　later　on。　You　are　doing　no　man　a　favor　by　making　him　sick　when　he　is　feeling　well。　If　God　is　willing　for　them　to　be　well；　and　they　want　to　be　well；　and　the　only　thing　t