the iron puddler-第7章

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　I　know　a　thousand　others　who　had　harder　struggles　than　I。　And　none　of　them　showed　the　yellow　streak。　The　Pilgrim　Fathers　landed　in　the　winter　when　there　were　no　houses。　Half　of　them　perished　from　hardship　in　a　single　year。　Did　they　turn　anarchists？

The　man　who　says　that　hard　sledding　in　America　made　a　yellow　cur　out　of　him　fools　no　one。　He　was　born　a　yellow　cur。　Hard　sledding　in　America　produced　the　man　who　said：　〃With　malice　toward　none；　with　charity　for　all。〃



CHAPTER　VIII

MY　FIRST　REGULAR　JOB


We　stayed　a　week　with　father's　brother　in　Hubbard。　Then　we　went　to　Sharon；　Pennsylvania；　where　father　had　a　temporary　job。　A　Welshman；　knowing　his　desperate　need　of　money；　let　him　take　his　furnace　for　a　few　days　and　earn　enough　money　to　move　on　to　Pittsburgh。　There　father　found　a　job　again；　but　mother　was　dissatisfied　with　the　crowded　conditions　in　Pittsburgh。　She　wanted　to　bring　up　her　boys　amid　open　fields。

In　those　days　the　air　was　black　with　soot　and　the　crowded　quarters　where　the　workers　lived　offered　no　room　for　gardens。　Mother　wanted　sunlight　and　green　grass　such　as　we　had　about　Tredegar。　There　Lord　Tredegar　had　his　beautiful　castle　in　the　midst　of　a　park。　On　certain　days　this　great　park　was　open　to　the　villagers；　and　the　children　came　to　picnic；　and　Lord　Tredegar　gave　them　little　cakes　and　tea　in　doll…size　cups。　Doubtless　he　looked　upon　us　as　〃my　people。〃

But　the　lords　of　steel　in　Pittsburgh　were　too　new　at　the　game　to　practice　the　customs　of　the　nobility　in　beautifying　their　surroundings。　The　mills　had　made　things　ugly　and　the　place　was　not　what　mother　thought　it　ought　to　be　for　bringing　up　children。　So　father　took　us　back　to　Sharon；　and　there　we　had　sunlight　and　grass　and　trees。　We　rented　a　neat　little　company…house　with　a　big　garden　in　the　rear；　where　we　raised　enough　potatoes　to　supply　our　table。　There　were　window　boxes　filled　with　morning…glories；　and　lilacs　grew　in　the　yard。　They　company　had　planted　those　lilacs　to　nourish　the　souls　of　the　worker's　children。　They　gave　me　joy；　and　that　is　why　the　Mooseheart　grounds　are　filled　with　lilac　bushes。

As　soon　as　we　landed　in　Sharon　I　started　out　to　earn　money。　Those　feather　beds　were　on　my　mind　and　I　couldn't　rest　easy　until　we　should　replace　them。　Neither　could　the　rest　of　the　family。　I　have　often　told　how　I　scraped　up　some　capital　and　invested　it　in　a　shoe…shining　outfit。　Nearly　every　traveling　man　who　came　to　the　hotel　allowed　me　to　shine　his　shoes。　The　townsfolk　let　their　shoes　go　gray　all　week；　but　the　gay　commercial　travelers　all　were　dudes　and　dressed　like　Sunday　every　day。　They　brought　the　new　fashions　to　town　and　were　looked　upon　as　high…toned　fellows。　Their　flashy　get…up　caught　the　girls；　which　made　the　town…boys　hate　them。　But　I　liked　them　very　well　because　they　brought　me　revenue。　〃Where　a　man's　treasure　is；　there　is　his　heart　also；〃　says　the　proverb；　and　my　experience　proved　it　true。　On　my　first　visit　to　the　hotel　I　got　acquainted　with　the　landlord　and　he　put　me　on　his　pay…roll。　Behind　the　hotel　was　a　cow　pen　where　the　milk

for　the　guests　was　drawn　fresh　from　the　cows。　The　cows　had　to　be　driven　to　a　pasture　in　the　morning　and　back　at　night。　I　got　a　dollar　and　a　quarter　a　month　for　driving　the　cows。　And　so　I　had　found　a　paying　job　within　thirty　days　after　landing　in　America。　The　cost　of　pasturage　was　a　dollar　a　month　for　each　cow。　That　was　less　than　four　cents　a　day　for　cow　feed　to　produce　two　gallons　of　milk；　or　about　two　cents　a　gallon。　The　wages　of　the　girls　who　milked　them　and　my　wages　for　driving　them　amounted　to　three　cents　a　gallon。　In　other　words；　the　cost　of　labor　in　getting　the　milk　from　the　cows　more　than　doubled　the　cost　of　the　milk。　This　was　my　first　lesson　in　political　economy。　I　learned　that　labor　costs　are　the　chief　item　in　fixing　the　price　of　anything。

The　less　labor　used　in　producing　milk；　the　cheaper　the　milk　will　be。　The　reason　wages　were　high　in　America　was　because　America　was　the　land　of　labor…saving　machinery。　Little　labor　was　put　on　any　product；　and　so　the　product　was　cheap；　like　the　landlord's　milk。　In　the　iron　industry；　for　instance；　the　coal　mines　and　iron　ore　lay　near　the　mills；　as　the　landlord's　pasture　was　near　his　hotel。　To　bring　the　coal　and　ore　to　the　blast　furnaces　took　little　labor；　just　as　my　driving　in　the　cows　cost　the　landlord　but　four　cents　a　day。　Next　to　the　blast　furnaces　stood　the　mixer；　the　Bessemer　open　hearth　furnaces；　the　ingot　stripper　building；　the　soaking　pits　and　then　the　loading　yards　with　their　freight　cars　where　the　finished　product　in　the　form　of　wire；　rails　or　sky…scraper　steel　is　shipped　away。

Because　the　landlord　had　his　cows　milked　at　the　back　door　of　his　hotel　the　milk　was　still　warm　when　it　was　carried　into　his　kitchen。　And　so　the　steel　mills　are　grouped　so　closely　that　a　single　heat　sometimes　carries　the　steel　from　the　Bessemer　hearth　through　all　the　near…by　machines　until　it　emerges　as　a　finished　product　and　is　loaded　on　the　railroad　cars　while　it　is　still　warm。　It　was　this　saving　of　labor　and　fuel　that　made　American　steel　the　cheapest　steel　in　the　world。　And　that's　why　the　wages　of　steel　and　iron　workers　in　America　are　the　highest　in　the　world。

Father　was　in　the　mills　getting　these　good　wages；　though　no　puddler　was　ever　paid　for　all　the　work　he　does；　and　all　of　us　young　Davises　were　eager　to　grow　up　so　that　we　could　learn　the　trade　and　get　some　of　that　good　money　ourselves。　My　hands　itched　for　labor；　and　I　wanted　nothing　better　than　to　be　big　enough　to　put　a　finger　in　this　industry　that　was　building　up　America　before　my　very　eyes。　I　have　always　been　a　doer　and　a　builder；　it　was　in　my　blood　and　the　blood　of　my　tribe；　as　it　is　born　in　the　blood　of　beavers。　When　I　meet　a　man　who　is　a　loafer　and　a　destroyer；　I　know　he　is　alien　to　me。　I　fear　him　and　all　his　breed。　The　beaver　is　a　builder　and　the　rat　is　a　destroyer；　yet　they　both　belong　to　the　rodent　race。　The　beaver　harvests　his　food　in　the　summer；　he　builds　a　house　and　stores　that　food　for　the　winter。　The　rat　sneaks　to　the　food　stores　of　others：　he　eats　what　he　wants　and　ruins　the　rest　and　then　runs　and　hides　in　his　hole。　He　lives　in　the　builder's　house；　but　he　is　not　a　builder。　He　undermines　that　house；　he　is　a　rat。

Some　men　are　by　nature　beavers；　and　some　are　rats；　yet　they　all　belong　to　the　human　race。　The　people　that　came　to　this　country　in　the　early　days　were　of　the　beaver　type　and　they　built　up　America　because　it　was　in　their　nature　to　build。　Then　the　rat…people　began　coming　here；　to　house　under　the　roof　that　others　built。　And　they　try　to　undermine　and　ruin　it　because　it　is　in　their　nature　to　destroy。　They　call　themselves　anarchists。

A　civilization　rises　when　the　beaver…men　outnumber　the　rat…men。　When　the　rat…men　get　the　upper　hand　the　civilization　falls。　Then　the　rats　turn　and　eat　one　another　and　that　is　the　end。　Beware　of　breeding　rats　in　America。



CHAPTER　IX

THE　SCATTERED　FAMILY


For　three　years　after　we　came　to　Sharon　I　went　to　school；　and　in　my　spare　time　worked　at　my　shoe　shining　and　other　odd　jobs。　We　had　bought　feather　beds　again　and　our　little　home　was　a　happy　one。　By　hanging　around　the　depot　spotting　traveling　men　who　needed　a　shine；　or　their　grips　carried；　I　got　acquainted　with　the　telegraph　agent。　And　so　I　got　the　job　of　telegraph　messenger　boy。

Few　telegrams　were　sent；　and　then　only　when　somebody　died。　So　whenever　I　carried　a　telegram　I　knew　that　I　was　the　bearer　of　bad　news。　Accidents　happened　in　the　mines　and　iron　mills。　And　when　a　man　was　killed；　it　often　meant　his　wife　and　babies　would　face　hunger；　for　the　jobs　were　not　the　kind　for　women　and　children；　muscular　men　were　needed。　Aside　from　the　occupation　of　housewife；　there　was　nothing　for　a　woman　to　do　in　those　days　except　to　take　in　washing　or　sewing。

Of　the　many　death　messages　that　I　bore　to　the　workers'　homes　in　Sharon；　few　found　a　home　that　was　able　to　last　a　day　after　the　burial　of　the　bread…winner。　He　had　failed　to　make　provision　for　such　an　accident；no　savings　in　the　bank；　no　life　insurance。　As　soon　as　the　worker　was　stricken　his　children　were　at　the　mercy　of　the　world。　I　saw　so　much　of　this；　that　the　pity　of　it　entered　deep　into　my　boy…heart　and　never　afterward　could　I　forget　it。

I　talked　with　the　station　agent；　the　bank