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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1879)
IB January, 1879. THE WEST SHORE. reading as it were their thoughts, many of them whom he had befriended turned their hacks to hide the blush of shame which was covering their faces. They now negan to realize wliat they had done, that they had abused and insulted their best friend had struck at the baud that fed them, and some did even shed tears ot bitter regret. At length he motioned for them to come near. They knew him to be a man of few words, and no hand had ever dared to disobey one of his commands. Thev gathered around with trembling hearts, Knowing tnat whatever he should say would be carried out to the letter. He had always addressed them as boys. yet some of them had seen more years than he; but now, as he slowly raised his hand, he sternly said: "Gentlemen, every one of you who is willing to go 10 work again at one shilling per day less than his former wages, can do so at once; all others must leave this yard immediately." In an instant all of these men went into the mill, and within ten minutes every saw but two was in mo-lion. Mr. A. seeing no one at these gates, inquired lor Kearny and Wellock. The boy answers again, "When they seed you coming, they run 'round behind the mill." These men had heard all that had been said, and when Mr. A. looked behind the mill he Baw them making tracks up stream as fast as their legs could carry them. Mr. A. went hack to the office and the business went 011 without any further interruption. Although strikes are always wrong, dishonest, and dishonorable, effecting no good to either party, and always harm to the striker, there never was.a more unjust one, or one less called for than this. The statement that Mr. A. was hoarding money was false. He Mailed in life without help, was a hired hand for several years in this mill which he now owned. Here he earned the money to make the cash payment Decenary to purchase it. He invested his money in mills and limber lots as fast, yes faster, as it proved, than he hail obtained it, thus giving employment to more men every year. After a few months these old hands, having proved faithful to their former trust, their wages were again raised to the old standard, but they had learned a lesson not soon to be for gotten. Kearny and Wellock fled to 1 rts unknown. The lumber business still increasing, the future supply of logs became a mat ter of the utmost importance. Compe tition among mill owners caused a rise in the price of timber tracts, so that they could only be obtained at enor mous rates, and A. must cither pay these prices, or allow his business to die out. He reasoned thus: The scarcity f timber standing along the streams and lakes, or in ready access to them, Would cause a rise in the prices of lum ber, and would, in the end, warrant the outlay. Ho he bargained for immense tracts, for which he was unable to pay cash, but promised time payments, such as his ordinary sales of lumber would easily meet. But these perilous times soon after Commenced, The sale of lumber was almost at a stand-still. Prices of all kinds of property went down, pay. ment8 were falling due these expen sive tracts of timber were now unsale able at any price. Hut Mr. A., having almost unbounded credit, borrowed money at high rates of interest to meet these payment! mid kept his mills run ning. 1 1 in men were given work at full wages, month after month, in hopes of better times, w hile their expenses of living had fallen ofl'nearl"' 50 per cent, within the two years. Hat there is a limit to every man's puno and credit, and that of Mr. A. s m at lenirih reached. A crash came, which as-4 tonished many of the wisest heads. The news flashed over the wires thai Mr. A. had failed. Creditors packed around the mills, clamorous for their money. Mr. A. tried to make a compromise and keep the mills running until better times, when business would again re vive, and he could then soon pay up these claims. Hut the men quarreled over the property, like eagles over a carcass, and finally took his mills and other property away, and now the old gray-headed man, who has spent al most his life-time benefiting other peo ple, has to earn the bread for his family by his daily labor, while most of the men (a full thousand have hern in his employ) are in good, Comfortable cir cumstances, and scores of them are do ing a good and prosperous business, started with the money earned in his employ. Had he succeeded in Weath ering the storm and saved his property, he would undoubtedly have been called a bloated capitalist, who, with others, ought to lie put down. These are the men against whom all of this great tirade of socialism is aimed, and such men as Kearny and Wellock are the leaders in the work. When laboring men can understand their true position they can readily ee that they are now standing in the same position in life from which most of our present capitalistsstai ted, and that perseverance, good judgment and economy is all thai is needed to secure the same amount of capital for themselves, and that now, while at their dally lalor, saving up little by little, they are comparatively safe from these great financial storms, by which so many fortunes arc swept away. A mule's head docs not contain a brain capable of culture and refined rearing, nut it is wonderful to what an extent the other end of him can he reared. SUNDAY IN Till-: HOMS. We know a household in which the Sunday is hardly over before the little ones begin the m.purv, " Mamma, when will it be Sunday again?" To these children Sunday is the "red letter" day of the week, looked for ward to, and backward to, on every other day. And Ibis, because on Sun day they have their father at home all day. 'I his wise father makes Sunday the children' day. lie dismisses his business cares, gathers his children close about him, listens to their histo. ries of the week, reads to them, or talks to them, or walks with them, lie is making beautiful associations to clutter about this beautiful day. This should be the day of days in every household. Six days must the bread and butler be earned, and the bread and butter be pii pared, the rai ment taken thought Of, and the raiment stitched. Six days must the fathers and sous and daughters and little chil dren go abroad lo their work and Iheir lessons. Hut i,eu Kinies the seventh day, the beautiful Sunday, in which business may be set. aside, the lessons dismissed, husbands and wives, parents and children, brothers and sisters re united. Lei this day be consecrated lo all that is highest and best in our na tures, to thanksgiving and aspiration, and to the development in the home of those spiritual graces which make our homes heavenly places. Wise parents will make the dav so hritrht I III I NU-l-fl with their joy in their children, their sympathetic conversation, their choice books, their songs, and their hits of DO eli y, I hat those who come lo the hearth sloue weary or discouraged will be re newed and cheered for the work of the Coming week, and all will bear in their hearts a bright memory to shine on them in all cloudy weather. Kmiaa)i urn him The Skagit river valley (W. T.l is fast lo. uning up 11s a desirable locality for new seiilers. Settlement extend some sixty or seventy miles above the mouth of' that noble slrcam, which is only second in volume ami current to the majestic Columbia. This valley has now a saw-mill and five or six logging camps; is rich in mineral rcsouues and will probably ere long have coal ami gold mines in successful oicra tion, as lx,th have been discovered there In fair "prosHtts." The agri cultural, mineral and timber resource of that ast region will eventually be come a source of wonder and admira tion to this our northwestern common wealth. Mail. The (juicksilvor mine near Oakland, Oregon, produce rotk which assays i( pound of pure quicksilver from a ton of rock. A company with a cap ital of one bundled thousand dollar will commence work there shortly.