the iron puddler-第5节

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ground。　When　I　saw　the　anguish　in　my　mother's　face；　I　was　sobered　to　life's　responsibilities。　The　song　had　died　out　of　her　heart；　and　I　must　make　it　sing　again。　While　she　was　crying　in　distraction；　I　wrapped　my　own　tearful　face　in　her　skirts　and　prayed　to　God　that　I　might　grow　up　in　a　daythat　He　would　make　my　arms　strong　so　I　could　go　to　work　at　once　earning　money　to　replace　the　lost　feather　beds。　I　was　then　not　quite　eight　years　old。　It　was　early　in　April；　1881。　Before　the　month　was　out　I　had　found　a　job　in　the　new　country　and　was　earning　money。　I　gave　all　my　earnings　to　my　mother。　I　have　been　earning　money　ever　since。　As　long　as　I　lived　at　home　I　turned　over　all　my　wages　to　my　mother。　When　I　went　away　I　sent　her　weekly　a　percentage　of　my　earnings。　This　I　have　ever　continued　to　do。

My　love　for　my　mother　and　her　grief　at　the　loss　of　the　feather　beds　turned　a　careless　boy　into　a　serious　money…maker。　This　led　to　the　study　of　economics　and　finance。　A　man's　destiny　is　often　made　by　trifles　light　as　feathers。



CHAPTER　VI

HUNTING　FOR　LOST　CHILDREN


The　loss　of　our　baggage　was　only　the　beginning　of　our　troubles　in　New　York。　With　the　feather　ticks　went　also　the　money　mother　had　got　from　selling　the　bedsteads　and　other　furniture。　She　had　nothing　with　which　to　buy　food　and　while　we　were　walking　the　streets　we　smelt　the　delicious　odor　of　food　from　the　restaurants　and　became　whining　and　petulant。　This　was　the　first　time　mother　had　ever　heard　her　children　crying　for　bread　when　she　had　none　to　give　them。　The　experience　was　trying；　but　her　stout　heart　faced　it　calmly。　In　the　Old　World；　her　folks　and　father's　folks　had　been　rated　as　prosperous　people。　They　always　had　good　food　in　the　larder　and　meat　on　Sunday；　which　was　more　than　many　had。　They　were　the　owners　of　feather　beds；　while　many　never　slept　on　anything　but　straw。　True　they　could　not　raise　the　passage　money　to　America　until　father　came　and　earned　itthat　would　have　been　riches　in　Wales。　Now　we　were　in　America　hungry　and　penniless；　and　hard　was　the　bed　that　we　should　lie　on。

From　Pittsburgh　father　had　sent　us　railroad　tickets；　and　these　tickets　were　waiting　for　us　at　the　railroad　office。　All　we　would　have　to　do　would　be　to　hold　our　hunger　in　check　until　we　should　reach　Hubbard；　Ohio；　where　a　kinsman　had　established　a　home。　But　while　mother　was　piloting　her　family　to　the　depot；　two　of　the　children　got　lost。　She　had　reached　Castle　Garden　with　six　children　and　her　household　goods。　Now　her　goods　were　gone　and　only　four　of　the　children　remained。　My　sister　was　ten　and　I　was　eight；　we　were　the　oldest。　The　baby；　one　year　old；　and　the　next；　a　toddler　of　three；　mother　had　carried　in　her　arms。　But　two　boys；　Walter　and　David；　four　and　six　years　old；　had　got　lost　in　the　traffic。　Mother　took　the　rest　of　us　to　a　hotel　and　locked　us　in　a　room　while　she　went　out　to　search　for　the　missing　ones。　For　two　days　she　tramped　the　streets　visiting　police　stations　and　making　inquiry　everywhere。　At　night　she　would　return　to　us　and　report　that　she　had　found　no　trace　of　little　Walter　and　David。　To　try　to　picture　the　misery　of　those　scenes　is　beyond　me。　I　can　only　say　that　the　experience　instilled　in　me　a　lasting　terror。　The　fear　of　being　parted　from　my　parents　and　from　my　brothers　and　sisters；　then　implanted　in　my　soul；　has　borne　its　fruit　in　after…life。

Finally　mother　found　the　boys　in　a　rescue　home　for　lost　children。　Brother　David；　curly…haired　and　red…cheeked；　had　so　appealed　to　the　policeman　who　found　them　that　he　had　made　application　to　adopt　the　boy　and　was　about　to　take　him　to　his　own　home。

After　finding　the　children；　mother　stood　on　Broadway　and；　gazing　at　the　fine　buildings　and　the　good　clothes　that　all　classes　wore　in　America；　she　felt　her　heart　swell　with　hope。　And　she　said　aloud：　〃This　is　the　place　for　my　boys。〃

Every　one　had　treated　her　with　kindness。　A　fellow　countryman　had　lent　her　money　to　pay　the　hotel　bill；　telling　her　she　could　pay　it　back　after　she　had　joined　her　husband。　And　so　we　had　passed　through　the　gateway　of　the　New　World　as　thousands　of　other　poor　families　had　done。　And　our　temporary　hardships　had　been　no　greater　than　most　immigrants　encountered　in　those　days。

I　later　learned　from　a　Bohemian　of　the　trials　his　mother　met　with　on　her　first　days　in　New　York。　He　told　me　that　she　and　her　three　children；　the　smallest　a　babe　in　arms；　tramped　the　streets　of　New　York　for　days　looking　in　vain　for　some　one　who　could　speak　their　native　tongue。　They　slept　at　night　in　doorways；　and　by　day　wandered　timid　and　terrified　through　the　streets。

〃At　last　a　saloon…keeper　saw　that　we　were　famishing；〃　the　Bohemian　told　me。　〃He　was　aaOh；　what　do　you　call　them　in　your　language？　I　can　think　of　the　Bohemian　word　but　not　the　English。〃

〃What　was　he　like？〃　I　asked　to　help　find　the　word。　〃Red…headed？　Tall？　Fat？〃

〃No；　he　was　one　of　those　people　who　usually　run　clothing　stores　and　are　always　having　a　'SALE。'〃

〃Jew；〃　I　said。

〃Yes；　he　was　a　Jew　saloon…keeper。　He　took　pity　on　us　and　took　us　into　his　saloon　and　gave　us　beer；　bread　and　sausages。　We　were　so　nearly　starved　that　we　ate　too　much　and　our　stomachs　threw　it　up。　The　saloon…keeper　sent　word　to　the　Humane　Society；　and　they　came　and　put　us　on　the　train　for　Chicago；　where　our　father　was　waiting　for　us。〃

The　Bohemians　saved　from　starvation　by　the　pity　of　a　Jewish　saloon…keeper　is　a　sample　of　how　our　world　was　running　fifty　years　ago。　Who　can　doubt　that　we　have　a　better　world　to…day？　And　the　thing　that　has　made　it　better　is　the　thing　that　Jew　exhibited；　human　sympathy。

When　I　found　myself　head　of　the　Labor　Department　one　of　my　earliest　duties　was　to　inspect　the　immigrant　stations　at　Boston　and　New　York。　In　spite　of　complaints；　they　were　being　conducted　to　the　letter　of　the　law；　to　correct　the　situation　it　was　only　necessary　to　add　sympathy　and　understanding　to　the　enforcement　of　the　law。

An　American　poet　in　two　lines　told　the　whole　truth　about　human　courage：


〃The　bravest　are　the　tenderest；

The　loving　are　the　daring。〃

Tenderness　and　human　sympathy　to　the　alien　passing　through　Ellis　Island　does　not　mean　that　we　are　weak；　or　that　the　unfit　alien　is　welcome。　The　tenderer　we　treat　the　immigrant　who　seeks　our　hospitality；　the　harder　will　we　smash　him　when　he　betrays　us。　That's　what　〃the　bravest　are　the　tenderest〃　means。　He　who　is　tenderest　toward　the　members　of　his　household　is　bravest　in　beating　back　him　who　would　destroy　that　house。

For　example；　I　received　a　hurry…up　call　for　more　housing　at　Ellis　Island　in　the　early　days　of　my　administration。　The　commissioner　told　me　he　had　five　hundred　more　anarchists　than　he　had　roofs　to　shelter。

〃Have　these　anarchists　been　duly　convicted？〃　I　asked。

He　said　they　had　been；　and　were　awaiting　deportation。

I　told　the　commissioner　not　to　worry　about　finding　lodging　for　his　guests；　they　would　be　on　their　way　before　bedtime。

〃But　there　is　no　ship　sailing　so　soon；〃　he　said。　〃They　will　have　to　have　housing　till　a　ship　sails。〃

Now　this　country　has　a　shortage　of　houses　and　a　surplus　of　ships。　There　aren't　enough　roofs　to　house　the　honest　people；　and　there　are　hundreds　of　ships　lying　idle。　Let　the　honest　people　have　the　houses；　and　the　anarchists　have　the　ships。　I　called　up　the　Shipping　Board；　borrowed　a　ship；　put　the　Red　criminals　aboard　and　they　went　sailing；　sailing；　over　the　bounding　main；　and　many　a　stormy　wind　shall　blow　〃ere　Jack　come　home　again。〃

On　the　other　hand　I　discovered　a　family　that　had　just　come　to　America　and　was　about　to　be　deported　because　of　a　technicality。　The　family　consisted　of　a　father　and　mother　and　four　small　children。　The　order　of　deportation　had　been　made　and　the　family　had　been　put　aboard　a　ship　about　to　sail。　I　learned　that　the　children　were　healthy　and　right…minded；　the　mother　was　of　honest　working　stock　with　a　faith　in　God　and　not　in　anarchy。　I　had　been　one　of　such　a　family　entering　this　port　forty　years　ago。　Little　did　I　dream　then　that　I　would　ever　be　a　member　of　a　President's　Cabinet　with　power　to　wipe　away　this　woman's　tears　and　turn　her　heart's　sorrowing　into　a　song　of　joy。　I　wrote　the　order　of　admission；　and　the　family　was　taken　from　the　departing　ship　just　before　it　sailed。　I　told　the　mother　that　the　baby　in　her　arms　might　be　secretary　of　labor　forty　years　hence。



CHAPTER　VII

HARD　SLEDDING　IN　AMERICA


It　had　been　our　plan　to　go　from　New　York　to　Pittsburgh；　but　the　mill　that　father　was　working　in　had　shut　down。　And　so　he　had　sent　us　tickets　to　Hubbard；　Ohio；　where　his　brother　had　a　job　as　a　muck　rollerthe　man　who　takes　the　bloom　from　the　squeezer　and　throws　it　into　the　rollers。　That's　all　I　can　tell　you　now。　In　later　chapters　I　shall　take　you　into　a　rolling　mill；　and　show　you　how　we　worked。　I　believe　I　am　the　first　puddler　that　ever　described　his　job；　for　I　have　found　no　book　by　a　puddler　in　any　American　library。　But　I　wanted　to　explain　here　that　a　muck　roller　is　not　a　muck　raker；　but　a　worker　in　raw　iron。

When　we　boarded　the　train　for　Ohio；　mother　had　nothing　to　look　after　except　the　six　children。　When　the　porter　asked　her　where　her　baggage　was；　she　smiled　sadly　and　said　that　was　a　question　for　a　wiser　head　than　hers　to　answer。　She　was　glad　enough　to　have　all　her　babies　safe。　Everything　we　owned　was　on　our　backs。　Our　patient