The Free lance., October 01, 1903, Image 14

reclaim a small part of what rightfully belonged to them, This
pleasant dream was only broken by a realization that they were
almost destitute, and that he must have work of some kind.
“Nothing to do but 'scab/ ” he said half aloud, as he thought :>{
the thousands of idle men walking the streets and asking for work.
Tom left the house and started toward No. 7, as the Mud Creek
colliery was usually called.
Tom was not at ease. First he cursed the companies for having
robbed his unsuspecting father. Then he cursed the union which
forbade all men to work. He hated the companies for personal
reasons. But he hated the union because they made thousands of
homes as destitute his own. “ 'Scab’ or no ‘scab/ ”he said,
“this is a free country.”
It was near night ( when Tom returned and walked into the
kitchen where Bertha was preparing supper. He had been to see
Mr Conrad, the superintendent of No. 7, and had hired out to run
a pump, in spite of what might happen. Bertha feared and ob
jected, but Tom was immovable, and, finaly, Bertha reluctantly
consented to fill a pail with the best eatables that the house afford
ed. Tom kissed his mother and Bertha good night, and went out
to be hissed and jeered as a “scab.”
Tom was not yet at rest. He was a “scab” helping the very
company that he had reasons for hating. But bitter as was his
hatred to the companies, he hated much more that organization of
men who were neither willing to work nor let any one else work,
and who threatened life and property if their demands were not
granted.
Time went on and Tom was changed to the day shift so that
he might spend the nights at home. As yet No. 7 had been un
molested by the strikers, possibly because by position it was less
conspicuous, or possibly because as yet there were collieries in the
city that still worked a force of non-union men. But now some
t mg was to be expected. All the other mines had been forced
to shut down, and the attention of the strikers was more par
icularly drawn toward the defiant No. 7. All possible precau
tions had already been taken. The colliery was surrounded by a