the iron puddler-第22节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃Yes；　it's　all　dead；　but　some　of　it　is　a　whole　lot　deader　than　you　imagine。　I've　been　investigating　the　packing　business；　and　I'll　tell　you　all　about　corned　beef　and　wienies。〃　He　then　went　on　with　a　lot　of　sickening　details　and　when　he　got　through　he　found　that　the　younger　men　had　not　eaten　any　dinner。　The　older　men　paid　no　attention　to　him　and　worked　right　ahead　to　the　pie　and　toothpick　stage；　but　the　younger　fellows　had　been　euchred　out　of　dinner　and　went　back　to　work　with　wabbly　steps　and　empty　stomachs。

This　convinced　me　that　the　investigator　was　a　false　alarm。　If　corned　beef　was　poison；　as　he　said；　there　wouldn't　be　a　working　man　alive　in　America。　But　millions　have　eaten　corned　beef　all　their　lives　and　have　thrived　on　it。　Things　are　never　one　tenth　so　bad　as　the　agitators　say。　They　merely　take　the　heart　out　of　men　and　send　them　back　to　work　weakened　and　unhappy。

This　fellow　had　a　favorite　joke　which　he　sprang　every　meal。　After　sniffing　at　the　soup　and　meat　and　cabbage　he　would　exclaim：　〃Hebrews；　13…8。〃　We　thought　it　was　some　jibe　about　the　fat　pork；　and　after　he　had　sprung　it　every　day　for　a　week　we　learned　that　he　was　hitting　at　the　monotony　of　the　diet。　The　verse　in　the　Bible　reads：

〃Jesus　Christ　the　same　yesterday；　and　to…day；　and　forever。〃

The　fellow　came　into　the　mills　and　sympathized　with　us　because　we　worked　with　our　shirts　off。　To　withstand　the　heat　we　stripped　to　the　waist。　We　didn't　want　to　wear　a　shirt。　It　would　have　clung　to　our　flesh　and　hampered　our　moving　muscles。　We　were　freer　and　cooler　without　any　cloth　to　smother　us。　It　was　a　privilege　to　go　shirtless。　Adam　enjoyed　that　blessing　in　the　Garden　of　Eden。　And　when　he　sinned　they　punished　him　by　putting　a　shirt；　collar　and　necktie　on　him。　And　yet　this　theorist　in　the　mills　demanded　working　conditions　that　would　let　us　wear　shirts。　Why？　Who　was　asking　for　shirts？　Only　he；　and　he　had　a　shirt。　In　their　own　words；　the　fellows　would　have　enjoyed　making　him　eat　it。



CHAPTER　XXXV

AN　UPLIFTER　RULED　BY　ENVY


The　uplifter　saw　the　men　between　heats　drinking　beer　out　of　tin　pails。

〃Why　do　those　big　fine　fellows　drink　beer；〃　he　asked　me；　〃when　they　have　plenty　of　water？〃

I　asked　him：　〃Why　don't　you　drink　beer？〃

〃It　makes　me　bilious；〃　he　replied。　〃If　I　drink　one　glass　of　beer　every　day　for　a　week　it　upsets　me　and　I　get　weak　and　dizzy。〃

〃Do　you　think　that　one　drink　of　beer　a　day　will　upset　those　fellows　and　make　them　dizzy？〃

〃Evidently　not。〃

〃Then　when　you　oppose　beer　you　are　doing　it　to　keep　yourself　from　getting　sick；　aren't　you？　Do　you　really　care　a　darn　whether　those　fellows　get　sick　at　the　stomach　or　not？〃

〃Certainly；　I〃

〃You　don't　want　them　to　get　sick　at　the　stomach　？〃

〃Then；　why　did　you　give　that　lecture　on　corned　beef　and　make　those　strong　fellows　all　sick　at　the　stomach　while　you　enjoyed　your　own　dinner？〃

〃I　didn't　know　it　would　disturb　them　so。　Besides　I　wanted　to　keep　them　from　getting　sick　later。〃

〃Well；　they　prefer　to　have　their　health　now；　and　wait　for　their　sickness　until　later　on。　You　are　doing　no　man　a　favor　by　making　him　sick　when　he　is　feeling　well。　If　God　is　willing　for　them　to　be　well；　and　they　want　to　be　well；　and　the　only　thing　that　keeps　them　from　being　well　is　you；　aren't　you　afraid　that　they　will　pile　on　to　you　and　knock　the　daylights　out　of　you？〃

〃I　am　really　working　for　their　good。〃

〃Then　you　want　their　stomachs　to　have　what　agrees　with　them？〃

〃Certainly。〃

〃Well；　I'll　tell　you　something；　then。　Water　doesn't　always　agree　with　the　stomach　as　well　as　beer　does。　You　never　worked　at　terrific　muscular　exertion　handling　white…hot　iron　in　a　mill　like　this。　You　haven't　got　the　muscles　to　do　it；　and　I　doubt　if　you've　got　the　heart。　You　can　not　know　the　condition　a　man　is　in　when　he　hits　his　hardest　lick　here。　But　they　know；　and　I　know。　Some　of　the　men　feel　they　can't　drink　water　at　that　time。　My　pal　tells　me　that　his　stomach　rejects　it；　his　throat　seems　to　collapse　as　he　gulps　it。　But　beer　he　can　drink　and　it　eases　him。　The　alcohol　in　beer　is　a　blessing　at　that　time。　It　soothes　his　laboring　stomach　until　the　water　can　get　into　his　system　and　quench　the　man's　thirst。　Iron　workers　in　the　Old　World　have　used　malt　beverages　for　generations。　Why　take　away　the　other　man's　pleasure　if　it　doesn't　injure　you？　If　it　was　deadly　we　would　have　been　weakened　in　the　course　of　generations。　But　look　at　the　worker's　body。　It　is　four　times　as　strong　as　yours。〃　I　saw　an　envious　look　in　his　eye。

〃Of　course　I　inherited　my　muscular　build；〃　I　apologized；　〃and　so　I　try　to　make　the　most　of　it　in　boasting　to　you　fellows　who　haven't　any　muscle。　But　really　I　envy　you。　You　have　education　and　brain　power。　That's　what　I　lack　and　that's　what　I　want　above　all　other　things。　I　try　to　study　at　night　and　educate　myself。　But　I　haven't　got　any　chance　against　you　fellows　who　are　born　intellectual　and　have　college　training　on　top　of　it。　So　if　I　have　talked　sharp　to　you；　my　cussedness　is　really　due　to　envy。　I　really　want　to　be　in　your　shoes；　and　I　haven't　got　the　brains　for　the　job。〃

This　worked。

〃There　is　nothing　about　me　for　a　fellow　like　you　to　envy；〃　he　said　condescendingly。　〃I'm　no　better　off　than　you　are。　In　fact；　I　envy　you　fellows。　You　are　never　sick；　you　can　eat　and　digest　anything。　I　really　envy　you。　You　are　built　like　a　young　Hercules　and　are　never　ashamed　when　you　strip。　When　I　put　on　a　bathing　suit　I　am　embarrassed　until　I　get　out　of　sight　in　the　water；　because　I'm　all　skin　and　bones。　My　arms　and　legs　are　the　size　of　broomsticks。〃

〃Oh；　well；〃　I　said；　〃you're　just　as　well　off　without　the　Hercules　shape。　You　are　always　healthy。〃

〃Healthy？　What　I　call　health；　you　fellows　would　regard　as　the　last　stages　of　decrepitude。　A　little　beer　and　tobacco　knocks　me　over。　If　I　drank　coffee　and　ate　pie　the　way　you　do；　I'd　have　to　take　morphine　to　get　a　night's　sleep。　You　fellows　need　never　envy　us　intellectuals。　You　can　drink　and　smoke　and　eat　anything；　and　all　the　poisons　you　take　in　are　sweated　out　of　your　pores　in　this　terrific　labor；　so　that　every　night　you　come　out　as　clean　and　lusty　as　a　new…born　child。　I'd　swap　all　my　education　in　a　minute　for　the　mighty　body　and　the　healthy　and　lusty　living　that　you　enjoy。　If　you　knew　how　much　I　envy　you；　you　would　never　think　of　envying　me。〃

He　had　blurted　out　the　truth。　It　wasn't　love　of　comrades　that　gave　a　motive　to　his　life。　It　was　envy　that　turned　him　inside　out。　Envy　was　the　whole　story；　and　he　admitted　it。



CHAPTER　XXXVI

GROWLING　FOR　THE　BOSSES'　BLOOD


I　thought　I　made　a　number　of　enemies　among　the　men　while　I　was　head　of　the　mill　committee。　When　a　man　dissipated　and　afterward　came　back　to　work；　trembling　and　weak；　the　boss　would　refuse　to　let　him　take　up　his　tools；　but　would　lay　the　man　off　for　a　few　days。　The　man　usually　thought　this　a　useless　and　cruel　punishment；　　and　to　lose　a　few　days'　wages　would　make　him　all　the　poorer。

The　man　thus　laid　off　would　come　to　me　and　ask　that　I　get　him　reinstated。

〃Tell　'em　you'll　call　a　strike；〃　the　man　would　say。　〃Tell　'em　that　if　they　don't　let　me　work；　nobody　will　work。〃

I　always　refused　to　take　such　complaints　to　the　office。　I　never　approached　the　boss　with　a　demand　that　I　did　not　think　was　right。　Some　of　the　men　thought　we　ought　to　be　vindictive　and　take　every　opportunity　to　put　a　crimp　in　the　business　for　the　owners。　I　envied　the　owners　（we've　all　got　a　touch　of　that　in　our　system）；　because　they　were　rich　and　were　making　profits。　I　knew　what　their　profits　averaged。　By　calling　fussy　little　strikes　often　enough　I　could　have　kept　the　profits　close　to　the　zero　mark。　Thus　the　men　would　be　making　wages　out　of　the　business　and　the　owners　would　be　making　nothing。　But　I　declined　to　let　my　actions　be　governed　by　envy。　The　Ten　Commandments　forbid　covetousness。　The　Golden　Rule　also　forbade　my　practicing　sabotage。　And　I　have　never　tried　to　find　a　better　guide　than　the　Ten　Commandments　and　the　Golden　Rule。　The　test　of　my　misconduct　would　have　come　when；　having　cleverly　destroyed　their　profits；　I　found　them　quitting　in　discouragement；　closing　up　the　business　and　throwing　us　all　out　of　our　jobs　for　keeps。

I　tried　to　point　out　these　things　to　the　men。　Some　of　them　felt　as　I　did　about　it。　Others　couldn't　see　it。　So　I　learned　darn　early　in　life　that　you　can't　reform　'em　all。

I　used　to　say　to　the　complaining　man：

〃Look　here；　Bill；　you're　in　no　shape　to　work。　Go　home　and　lie　down　for　a　couple　of　days。　You　wouldn't　last　here　two　hours　in　your　present　shaky　condition。　You'd　pinch　the　rolls　with　your　tongs　and　probably　get　your　neck　broke。　That's　why　they　won't　let　you　work。　You　can't　work。　So　back　to　your　bed；　Bill；　we　will　not　call　them　out　to…day。〃

Bill　usually　went　away　cursing　me　as　the　friend　of　the　〃plutes〃　and　the　enemy　of　labor。　〃I'll　get　you　yet；〃　he'd　say；　〃you　black…　headed　buzzard。〃

And　so　while　I　was　making　enemies　among　many　of　the　men　who　thought　I　wasn't　standing　up　for　their　rights；　I　was　making　myself　even　more　unpopular　with　the　owners　by　sticking　up　too　firmly　for　the　rights　of　the　men。　They　told　me　they　believed　I　knew　as　much　about　the　tin　plate　business　as　any　man　in　the　trade。　This　knowledge　would　enable　me　to　do　better　in　the　distributing　end　of　the　business；　while　as　a　worker　I　could　only　mak