the iron puddler-第25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！


　feeling　well。　If　God　is　willing　for　them　to　be　well；　and　they　want　to　be　well；　and　the　only　thing　that　keeps　them　from　being　well　is　you；　aren't　you　afraid　that　they　will　pile　on　to　you　and　knock　the　daylights　out　of　you？〃

〃I　am　really　working　for　their　good。〃

〃Then　you　want　their　stomachs　to　have　what　agrees　with　them？〃

〃Certainly。〃

〃Well；　I'll　tell　you　something；　then。　Water　doesn't　always　agree　with　the　stomach　as　well　as　beer　does。　You　never　worked　at　terrific　muscular　exertion　handling　white…hot　iron　in　a　mill　like　this。　You　haven't　got　the　muscles　to　do　it；　and　I　doubt　if　you've　got　the　heart。　You　can　not　know　the　condition　a　man　is　in　when　he　hits　his　hardest　lick　here。　But　they　know；　and　I　know。　Some　of　the　men　feel　they　can't　drink　water　at　that　time。　My　pal　tells　me　that　his　stomach　rejects　it；　his　throat　seems　to　collapse　as　he　gulps　it。　But　beer　he　can　drink　and　it　eases　him。　The　alcohol　in　beer　is　a　blessing　at　that　time。　It　soothes　his　laboring　stomach　until　the　water　can　get　into　his　system　and　quench　the　man's　thirst。　Iron　workers　in　the　Old　World　have　used　malt　beverages　for　generations。　Why　take　away　the　other　man's　pleasure　if　it　doesn't　injure　you？　If　it　was　deadly　we　would　have　been　weakened　in　the　course　of　generations。　But　look　at　the　worker's　body。　It　is　four　times　as　strong　as　yours。〃　I　saw　an　envious　look　in　his　eye。

〃Of　course　I　inherited　my　muscular　build；〃　I　apologized；　〃and　so　I　try　to　make　the　most　of　it　in　boasting　to　you　fellows　who　haven't　any　muscle。　But　really　I　envy　you。　You　have　education　and　brain　power。　That's　what　I　lack　and　that's　what　I　want　above　all　other　things。　I　try　to　study　at　night　and　educate　myself。　But　I　haven't　got　any　chance　against　you　fellows　who　are　born　intellectual　and　have　college　training　on　top　of　it。　So　if　I　have　talked　sharp　to　you；　my　cussedness　is　really　due　to　envy。　I　really　want　to　be　in　your　shoes；　and　I　haven't　got　the　brains　for　the　job。〃

This　worked。

〃There　is　nothing　about　me　for　a　fellow　like　you　to　envy；〃　he　said　condescendingly。　〃I'm　no　better　off　than　you　are。　In　fact；　I　envy　you　fellows。　You　are　never　sick；　you　can　eat　and　digest　anything。　I　really　envy　you。　You　are　built　like　a　young　Hercules　and　are　never　ashamed　when　you　strip。　When　I　put　on　a　bathing　suit　I　am　embarrassed　until　I　get　out　of　sight　in　the　water；　because　I'm　all　skin　and　bones。　My　arms　and　legs　are　the　size　of　broomsticks。〃

〃Oh；　well；〃　I　said；　〃you're　just　as　well　off　without　the　Hercules　shape。　You　are　always　healthy。〃

〃Healthy？　What　I　call　health；　you　fellows　would　regard　as　the　last　stages　of　decrepitude。　A　little　beer　and　tobacco　knocks　me　over。　If　I　drank　coffee　and　ate　pie　the　way　you　do；　I'd　have　to　take　morphine　to　get　a　night's　sleep。　You　fellows　need　never　envy　us　intellectuals。　You　can　drink　and　smoke　and　eat　anything；　and　all　the　poisons　you　take　in　are　sweated　out　of　your　pores　in　this　terrific　labor；　so　that　every　night　you　come　out　as　clean　and　lusty　as　a　new…born　child。　I'd　swap　all　my　education　in　a　minute　for　the　mighty　body　and　the　healthy　and　lusty　living　that　you　enjoy。　If　you　knew　how　much　I　envy　you；　you　would　never　think　of　envying　me。〃

He　had　blurted　out　the　truth。　It　wasn't　love　of　comrades　that　gave　a　motive　to　his　life。　It　was　envy　that　turned　him　inside　out。　Envy　was　the　whole　story；　and　he　admitted　it。



CHAPTER　XXXVI

GROWLING　FOR　THE　BOSSES'　BLOOD


I　thought　I　made　a　number　of　enemies　among　the　men　while　I　was　head　of　the　mill　committee。　When　a　man　dissipated　and　afterward　came　back　to　work；　trembling　and　weak；　the　boss　would　refuse　to　let　him　take　up　his　tools；　but　would　lay　the　man　off　for　a　few　days。　The　man　usually　thought　this　a　useless　and　cruel　punishment；　　and　to　lose　a　few　days'　wages　would　make　him　all　the　poorer。

The　man　thus　laid　off　would　come　to　me　and　ask　that　I　get　him　reinstated。

〃Tell　'em　you'll　call　a　strike；〃　the　man　would　say。　〃Tell　'em　that　if　they　don't　let　me　work；　nobody　will　work。〃

I　always　refused　to　take　such　complaints　to　the　office。　I　never　approached　the　boss　with　a　demand　that　I　did　not　think　was　right。　Some　of　the　men　thought　we　ought　to　be　vindictive　and　take　every　opportunity　to　put　a　crimp　in　the　business　for　the　owners。　I　envied　the　owners　（we've　all　got　a　touch　of　that　in　our　system）；　because　they　were　rich　and　were　making　profits。　I　knew　what　their　profits　averaged。　By　calling　fussy　little　strikes　often　enough　I　could　have　kept　the　profits　close　to　the　zero　mark。　Thus　the　men　would　be　making　wages　out　of　the　business　and　the　owners　would　be　making　nothing。　But　I　declined　to　let　my　actions　be　governed　by　envy。　The　Ten　Commandments　forbid　covetousness。　The　Golden　Rule　also　forbade　my　practicing　sabotage。　And　I　have　never　tried　to　find　a　better　guide　than　the　Ten　Commandments　and　the　Golden　Rule。　The　test　of　my　misconduct　would　have　come　when；　having　cleverly　destroyed　their　profits；　I　found　them　quitting　in　discouragement；　closing　up　the　business　and　throwing　us　all　out　of　our　jobs　for　keeps。

I　tried　to　point　out　these　things　to　the　men。　Some　of　them　felt　as　I　did　about　it。　Others　couldn't　see　it。　So　I　learned　darn　early　in　life　that　you　can't　reform　'em　all。

I　used　to　say　to　the　complaining　man：

〃Look　here；　Bill；　you're　in　no　shape　to　work。　Go　home　and　lie　down　for　a　couple　of　days。　You　wouldn't　last　here　two　hours　in　your　present　shaky　condition。　You'd　pinch　the　rolls　with　your　tongs　and　probably　get　your　neck　broke。　That's　why　they　won't　let　you　work。　You　can't　work。　So　back　to　your　bed；　Bill；　we　will　not　call　them　out　to…day。〃

Bill　usually　went　away　cursing　me　as　the　friend　of　the　〃plutes〃　and　the　enemy　of　labor。　〃I'll　get　you　yet；〃　he'd　say；　〃you　black…　headed　buzzard。〃

And　so　while　I　was　making　enemies　among　many　of　the　men　who　thought　I　wasn't　standing　up　for　their　rights；　I　was　making　myself　even　more　unpopular　with　the　owners　by　sticking　up　too　firmly　for　the　rights　of　the　men。　They　told　me　they　believed　I　knew　as　much　about　the　tin　plate　business　as　any　man　in　the　trade。　This　knowledge　would　enable　me　to　do　better　in　the　distributing　end　of　the　business；　while　as　a　worker　I　could　only　make　the　union　wages　that　all　the　fellows　were　getting。　This　gave　me　an　idea　that　has　since　become　the　dominating　purpose　of　my　life。　Handicraft　is　the　basis　of　the　best　schooling。　By　working　with　my　hands　as　well　as　with　my　head　I　learned　the　actual　cost　of　production　of　every　kind　of　plate　they　put　out。　This　was　something　that　I　could　not　have　learned　from　books。　Without　such　knowledge　the　business　would　have　to　be　run　partly　on　guesswork。　With　a　thorough　knowledge　of　the　production　end　of　the　business　I　became　a　valuable　man。　The　way　was　open　for　me　to　get　out　of　the　labor　field　and　into　the　field　of　management。

But　here　is　where　my　natural　feeling　of　fraternity　stepped　in。　I　liked　to　be　among　the　men。　I　felt　at　home　there。　I　was　only　twenty…two；　and　salesmanship　was　a　field　I　had　never　tried；　except　for　a　season　when　I　sold　Mark　Twain's　book；　Following　the　Equator。　There　were　plenty　of　men　who　had　the　knack　of　selling。　My　natural　gift；　if　I　had　any；　was　to　smooth　the　path　for　working　men　and　help　them　solve　their　problems。　I　had　learned　that　labor　was　the　first　step　on　the　road　to　knowledge。　It　was　the　foundation　of　all　true　knowledge。　I　wanted　to　help　the　fellows　take　the　next　step。　That　step　would　be　to　learn　how　labor　can　enrich　itself　and　do　away　with　strikes　and　unemployment。　That　is　a　question　that　still　fascinates　me。　I　did　not　care　to　dodge　it　and　become　a　manufacturer。　I　am　the　kind　of　fellow　who；　when　he　takes　hold　of　a　question；　never　lets　go。　The　picture　of　Comrade　Bannerman　shaking　his　fist　at　the　trainload　of　〃plutes〃　lingered　with　me。　I　still　heard　the　voice　of　the　knock…kneed　reformer　who　envied　my　husky　limbs。　The　cry　for　bloody　revolution　was　already　in　the　air。　When　would　the　mob　be　started　and　what　would　it　do？　When　Comrade　Bannerman　had　robbed　the　rich　and　piled　their　corpses　in　a　Caesar's　column；　would　not　the　knock…kneed　uplifter　break　my　legs　in　making　all　men　equal？　These　men　were　moved　by　envy　and　they　lusted　for　blood。　I　faced　the　problem　with　a　thirst　for　accurate　knowledge；　and　my　passion　was　not　for　bloodshed　but　for　brotherhood。