the iron puddler-第6章
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s had done。 And our temporary hardships had been no greater than most immigrants encountered in those days。
I later learned from a Bohemian of the trials his mother met with on her first days in New York。 He told me that she and her three children； the smallest a babe in arms； tramped the streets of New York for days looking in vain for some one who could speak their native tongue。 They slept at night in doorways； and by day wandered timid and terrified through the streets。
〃At last a saloon…keeper saw that we were famishing；〃 the Bohemian told me。 〃He was aaOh； what do you call them in your language？ I can think of the Bohemian word but not the English。〃
〃What was he like？〃 I asked to help find the word。 〃Red…headed？ Tall？ Fat？〃
〃No； he was one of those people who usually run clothing stores and are always having a 'SALE。'〃
〃Jew；〃 I said。
〃Yes； he was a Jew saloon…keeper。 He took pity on us and took us into his saloon and gave us beer； bread and sausages。 We were so nearly starved that we ate too much and our stomachs threw it up。 The saloon…keeper sent word to the Humane Society； and they came and put us on the train for Chicago； where our father was waiting for us。〃
The Bohemians saved from starvation by the pity of a Jewish saloon…keeper is a sample of how our world was running fifty years ago。 Who can doubt that we have a better world to…day？ And the thing that has made it better is the thing that Jew exhibited； human sympathy。
When I found myself head of the Labor Department one of my earliest duties was to inspect the immigrant stations at Boston and New York。 In spite of complaints； they were being conducted to the letter of the law； to correct the situation it was only necessary to add sympathy and understanding to the enforcement of the law。
An American poet in two lines told the whole truth about human courage：
〃The bravest are the tenderest；
The loving are the daring。〃
Tenderness and human sympathy to the alien passing through Ellis Island does not mean that we are weak； or that the unfit alien is welcome。 The tenderer we treat the immigrant who seeks our hospitality； the harder will we smash him when he betrays us。 That's what 〃the bravest are the tenderest〃 means。 He who is tenderest toward the members of his household is bravest in beating back him who would destroy that house。
For example； I received a hurry…up call for more housing at Ellis Island in the early days of my administration。 The commissioner told me he had five hundred more anarchists than he had roofs to shelter。
〃Have these anarchists been duly convicted？〃 I asked。
He said they had been； and were awaiting deportation。
I told the commissioner not to worry about finding lodging for his guests； they would be on their way before bedtime。
〃But there is no ship sailing so soon；〃 he said。 〃They will have to have housing till a ship sails。〃
Now this country has a shortage of houses and a surplus of ships。 There aren't enough roofs to house the honest people； and there are hundreds of ships lying idle。 Let the honest people have the houses； and the anarchists have the ships。 I called up the Shipping Board； borrowed a ship； put the Red criminals aboard and they went sailing； sailing； over the bounding main； and many a stormy wind shall blow 〃ere Jack come home again。〃
On the other hand I discovered a family that had just come to America and was about to be deported because of a technicality。 The family consisted of a father and mother and four small children。 The order of deportation had been made and the family had been put aboard a ship about to sail。 I learned that the children were healthy and right…minded； the mother was of honest working stock with a faith in God and not in anarchy。 I had been one of such a family entering this port forty years ago。 Little did I dream then that I would ever be a member of a President's Cabinet with power to wipe away this woman's tears and turn her heart's sorrowing into a song of joy。 I wrote the order of admission； and the family was taken from the departing ship just before it sailed。 I told the mother that the baby in her arms might be secretary of labor forty years hence。
CHAPTER VII
HARD SLEDDING IN AMERICA
It had been our plan to go from New York to Pittsburgh； but the mill that father was working in had shut down。 And so he had sent us tickets to Hubbard； Ohio； where his brother had a job as a muck rollerthe man who takes the bloom from the squeezer and throws it into the rollers。 That's all I can tell you now。 In later chapters I shall take you into a rolling mill； and show you how we worked。 I believe I am the first puddler that ever described his job； for I have found no book by a puddler in any American library。 But I wanted to explain here that a muck roller is not a muck raker； but a worker in raw iron。
When we boarded the train for Ohio； mother had nothing to look after except the six children。 When the porter asked her where her baggage was； she smiled sadly and said that was a question for a wiser head than hers to answer。 She was glad enough to have all her babies safe。 Everything we owned was on our backs。 Our patient father had toiled for months in Pittsburgh and had sent us nearly every cent to pay our transportation from the Old World。 Now he was out of a job； and we were coming to him without as much as a bag of buns in our hands。
Before leaving New York； I want to tell what kind of city it was in those days。
In a recent magazine article a writer picturing our arrival at Castle Garden said that we 〃climbed the hill into Broadway and gazed around at the highest buildings we had ever seen。〃 But there were no tall buildings in New York at that time。 The spires of Trinity Church and St。 Paul's towered above everything。 And we had seen such churches in the Old Country。 Brooklyn Bridge had just been built and it overtopped the town like a syrup pitcher over a plate of pancakes。 The tallest business blocks were five or six stories high； and back in Wales old Lord Tredegar； the chief man of our shire； lived in a great castle that was as fine as any of them。
The steel that made New York a city in the sky was wrought in my own time。 My father and his sons helped puddle the iron that has braced this city's rising towers。 A town that crawled now stands erect。 And we whose backs were bent above the puddling hearths know how it got its spine。 A mossy town of wood and stone changed in my generation to a towering city of glittering glass and steel。 〃All of which〃I can say in the words of the poet 〃all of which I saw and part of which I was。〃
The train that was taking us to Ohio was an Erie local； and the stops were so numerous that we thought we should never get there。 A man on the train bought ginger bread and pop and gave us kids a treat。 It has been my practice ever since to do likewise for alien youngsters that I meet on trains。
When we reached Hubbard； father met us and took us to an uncle's。 We did not stop to wash the grime of travel from our faces until after we had filled our stomachs。 Once refreshed with food； our religion returned to us； in the desire to be clean and to establish a household。 I learned then that food is the first thing in the world。 Cleanliness may be next to godliness； but food is ahead of them all； and without food man loses his cleanliness； godliness and everything else worth having。 When I wish to sound out a man； I ask him if he has ever been hungry。 If I find he has never missed a meal in his life； I know his education has been neglected。 For I believe that experience is the foremost teacher。 I have learned something from every experience I ever had； and I hold that Providence has been kind to me in favoring me with a lot of rather tough adventures。
Our hardships on entering America taught me sympathy and filled me with a desire to help others。 I have heard aliens say that America had not treated them with hospitality； and that this had made them bitter； and now these aliens would take revenge by tearing down America。 This is a lie that can not fool me。 My hardships did not turn me bitter。 And I know a thousand others who had harder struggles than I。 And none of them showed the yellow streak
