the iron puddler-第13节

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g　expense　seeking　full　time　in　some　other　mill。　There　may　be　no　mill　in　the　land　that　is　running　full　time。〃

This　had　not　occurred　to　him。　What　lay　beyond　the　hills　was　all　mystery。　But　we　young　fellows　had　been　brought　up　in　the　American　atmosphere；　we　had　read　the　Youth's　Companion　and　the　newspapers；　and　our　outlook　was　widened；　we　could　guess　that　conditions　were　the　same　in　other　states　as　they　were　in　our　part　of　Pennsylvania；　for　we　were　studying　economic　causes。

〃It　is　better　for　you　to　stay　here　and　wait　for　good　times　to　come　again。　Hang　on　to　your　home；　and　if　in　a　few　months　or　a　few　years　the　mills　begin　booming　again　you　will　be　secure　for　life。　But　if　the　iron　industry　doesn't　revive；　give　up　that　trade　and　find　other　work　here。　If　necessary　go　out　and　work　on　a　farm；　for　the　farming　industry　will　always　have　to　be　carried　on。〃

Father　saw　the　force　of　our　argument。　So　he　stayed　and　kept　his　home。　He　has　it　to…day。　But　if　he　had　wandered　around　as　millions　of　us　did　in　those　hard　days　he　would　surely　have　lost　it。　This　was　my　first　little　attempt　to　work　out　an　economic　problem。　I　had　studied　all　the　facts　and　then　pronounced　my　judgment。　It　proved　right；　and　so　I　learned　that　in　my　small　way　I　had　a　head　for　financiering。　This　encouraged　me；　for　it　taught　me　that　the　worker　can　solve　part　of　his　problems　by　using　his　head。

The　fear　of　ending　in　the　poor…house　is　one　of　the　terrors　that　dog　a　man　through　life。　There　are　only　three　parts　to　the　labor　problem；　and　this　is　one　of　them。　This　fear　causes　〃unrest。〃　This　unrest　was　used　by　revolutionists　to　promote　Bolshevism　which　turns　whole　empires　into　poor…houses。　Such　a　〃remedy；〃　of　course；　is　worse　than　the　disease。　I　think　I　know　a　plan　by　which　all　workers　can　make　their　old　age　secure。　I　will　go　into　it　more　fully　in　a　later　chapter。



CHAPTER　XX

THE　RED　FLAG　AND　THE　WATERMELONS


I　have　said　that　the　labor　problem　has　three　parts。　I　call　them　（1）　Wages；　（2）　Working　Conditions　and　（3）　Living　Conditions。　By　living　conditions　I　mean　the　home　and　its　security。　My　father　had　reached　the　stage　where　this　was　the　problem　that　worried　him。　He　was　growing　old　and　must　soon　cease　working。　But　his　home　was　not　yet　secure　and　he　was　haunted　with　the　fear　that　his　old　age　might　be　shelterless。　We　told　him　not　to　worry；　the　Davis　boys　were　many　and　we　would　repay　him　for　the　fatherly　care　he　had　given　us。　But　he　was　a　proud　man　（as　all　muscular　men　are）；　and　he　could　find　no　comfort　in　the　thought　of　being　supported　by　his　sons。　I　am　glad　he　never　had　to　be。　Independence　has　made　his　old　age　happy　and　he　has　proved　that　a　worker；　if　he　keeps　his　health；　can　provide　for　his　old　age　and　bring　up　a　big　family　too。

We　older　boys　left　home　and　hunted　work　elsewhere。　I　was　young　and　not　bothered　about　working　conditions　or　living　conditions。　I　was　so　vigorous　that　I　could　work　under　any　conditions；　and　old　age　was　so　far　away　that　I　was　not　worried　about　a　home　for　my　declining　years。　Wages　was　my　sole　problem。　I　wanted　steady　wages；　and　of　course　I　wanted　the　highest　I　could　get。　To　find　the　place　where　wages　were　to　be　had　I　was　always　on　the　go。　When　a　mill　closed　I　did　not　wait　for　it　to　reopen；　but　took　the　first　train　for　some　other　mill　town。　The　first　train　usually　was　a　freight。　If　not；　I　waited　for　a　freight；　for　I　could　sleep　better　in　a　freight　car　than　in　a　Pullmanit　cost　less。　I　could　save　money　and　send　it　to　mother；　then　she　would　not　have　to　sell　her　feather　beds。

All　of　this　sounds　nobler　than　it　was。　In　those　days　workers　never　traveled　on　passenger　trains　unless　they　could　get　a　pass。　Judges　and　statesmen　pursued　the　same　policy。　To　pay　for　a　ticket　was　money　thrown　away；　so　thought　the　upper　classes　and　the　lower　classes。　About　the　only　people　that　paid　car　fare　were　the　Knights　of　Pythias　on　their　way　to　their　annual　convention。　Railroad　workers　could　get　all　the　passes　they　wanted；　and　any　toiler　whose　sister　had　married　a　brakeman　or　whose　second　cousin　was　a　conductor　〃bummed〃　the　railroad　for　a　pass　and　got　it。　None　of　my　relatives　was　a　railroad　man；　and　so　to　obtain　the　free　transportation　which　was　every　American's　inalienable　right；　I　had　to　let　the　passenger　trains　go　by　and　take　the　freights。

Once　I　got　ditched　at　a　junction；　and　while　waiting　for　the　next　freight　I　wandered　down　the　track　to　where　I　had　seen　a　small　house　and　a　big　watermelon　patch。　The　man　who　lived　there　was　a　chap　named　Frank　Bannerman。　I　always　remember　him　because　he　was　a　communist；　the　first　one　I　ever　saw；　and　he　filled　my　pockets　with　about　ten　pounds　of　radical　pamphlets　which　I　promised　to　read。　He　made　a　bargain　with　me　that　if　I　would　read　and　digest　the　Red　literature　he　would　give　me　all　the　watermelons　I　could　eat。

〃I'm　a　comrade　already；〃　I　said；　meaning　it　as　a　merry　jest；　that　I　would　be　anything　for　a　watermelon。　But　he　took　it　seriously　and　his　eyes　lit　up　like　any　fanatic's。

〃I　knew　it；〃　he　said。　〃With　a　face　like　yourslook　at　the　brow；　look　at　the　intellect；　the　intellect。〃　I　was　flattered。　〃Come　here；　wife；〃　he　called　through　the　door。　〃Come　here　and　look　at　the　intellect。〃

The　wife；　who　was　a　barefooted；　freckle…faced　woman；　came　out　on　the　porch　and；　smiling　sweetly；　sized　up　my　intellect。　I　made　up　my　mind　that　here　were　the　two　smartest　people　in　America。　For　they　saw　I　was　bulging　with　intellect。　Nobody　else　had　ever　discovered　it；　not　even　I　myself。　I　thought　I　was　a　muscle…bound　iron　puddler；　but　they　pronounced　me　an　intellectual　giant。　It　never　occurred　to　me　that　they　might　have　guessed　wrong；　while　the　wise　old　world　had　guessed　right。　If　the　world　was　in　step；　they　were　out　of　step；　but　I　figured　that　the　world　was　out　of　step　and　they　had　the　right　stride。　I　thought　their　judgment　must　be　better　than　the　judgment　of　the　whole　world　because　their　judgment　pleased　me。　I　later　learned　that　their　judgment　was　just　like　the　judgment　of　all　Reds。　That's　what　makes　'em　Red。

〃Are　there　many　of　us　where　you　come　from？〃　the　man　asked。

〃Many　what？〃　I　asked。

〃Communists；　communists；〃　he　said　excitedly。

I　wanted　to　please　him；　because　we　were　now　cracking　the　melons　and　scooping　out　their　luscious　hearts。　So　I　told　him　how　many　comrades　there　were　in　each　of　the　rolling　mills　where　I　had　worked。　I　had　to　invent　the　statistics　out　of　my　own　head；　but　that　head　was　full　of　intellect；　so　I　jokingly　gave　him　a　fine　array　of　figures。　The　fact　was　that　there　may　have　been　an　addle…pated　Red　among　the　mill　hands　of　that　time；　but　if　there　was　I　had　never　met　him。

The　figures　that　I　furnished　Comrade　Bannerman　surprised　him。　I　counted　the　seeds　in　each　slice　of　watermelon　and　gave　that　as　the　number　of　comrades　in　each　mill。　The　number　was　too　high。　Comrade　Bannerman　knew　how　many　Reds　there　were　in　the　country；　and　it　appeared　that　the　few　mills　I　had　worked　in　contained　practically　the　whole　communist　party。　He　got　rather　excited　and　said　the　numbers　were　growing　faster　than　he　had　imagined。　He　had　figured　that　it　would　take　forty　years　to　bring　about　the　Red　commonwealth；　but　with　the　new　light　I　had　thrown　on　the　subject　he　concluded　that　the　times　were　ripening　faster　than　he　had　dared　to　hope；　and　that　there　was　no　doubt　the　revolution　would　be　upon　us　within　three　years。

The　comrade　told　me　he　was　not　popular　in　the　village　for　two　reasons。　The　capitalistic　storekeepers　called　him　a　dead　beat　and　the　church　people　had　rotten…egged　him　for　a　speech　he　had　made　denouncing　religion。　I　saw　by　his　hands　that　he　didn't　work　much；　and　from　the　hands　of　his　wife　I　learned　who　raised　the　watermelons　he　was　feeding　to　me。　I　remember　wondering　why　he　didn't　pay　his　grocery　bill　with　the　money　he　spent　on　pamphlets　to　stuff　in　the　pockets　of　passers…by。



CHAPTER　XXI

ENVY　IS　THE　SULPHUR　IN　HUMAN　PIG…IRON


While　I　was　feasting　on　the　watermelons　and　feeling　at　peace　with　all　the　world；　a　long　passenger　train　pulled　into　the　junction。　The　train　was　made　up　of　Pullmans　and　each　car　was　covered　with　flags；　streamers　and　lodge　insignia。　On　the　heels　of　this　train　came　another　and　then　another。　These　gay　cars　were　filled　with　members　of　the　Knights　of　Pythias　going　to　their　convention　in　Denver。

At　the　sight　of　these　men　in　their　Pullmans；　my　friend　the　communist　first　turned　pale；　then　green；　then　red。　His　eyes　narrowed　and　blazed　like　those　of　a　madman。　He　stood　up　on　his　porch；　clenched　his　fists　and　launched　into　the　most　violent　fit　of　cursing　I　ever　heard。　The　sight　of　those　holiday…makers　had　turned　him　into　a　demon。　He　thought　they　were　capitalists。　Here　was　the　hated　tribe　of　rich　men；　the　idle　classes；　all　dressed　up　with　flags　flying；　riding　across　the　country　on　a　jamboree。

〃The　blood…sucking　parasites！　The　bleareyed　barnacles！〃　yelled　Comrade　Bannerman。　He　shook　his　fists　at　the　plutocrats　and　cursed　until　he　made　me　sick。　He　was　a　tank…town　nut　who　didn't　like　to　work；　had　built　up　a　theory　that　work　was　a　curse　and　that　the　〃idle　classes〃　had　forced　this　curse　on　the　masses；　of　which　he　was　one。　He　believed　that　all　the　classes　had　to　do　was　to　clip　coupons；　cash　them　and　ride　around　the　country　in　Pullman　palace　cars。　Here　was　the　whole　bunch　of　them　in　seven　〃specials〃　rolling　right　by　his　fron