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.