The Iron Boys as Foremen; or, Heading the Diamond Drill Shift

by Mrs. Molesworth

  CHAPTER IX

  THE LABOR LEADER'S LURE

  "WHY, Rush, this is, indeed, a surprise," exclaimed the newcomer, whowas none other than the Russian, Cavard. "How are you, Driscold? But Ifear I am intruding."

  "Not at all. Take a seat. We were discussing matters in which you areinterested, I know."

  "Well, I'm listening," laughed the Russian. "What is the nature of thisinteresting discussion?"

  "We were talking of improving the condition of the miners byorganization. My young friend Rush rather misunderstood the purport ofmy remarks. I was about to show him wherein he was wrong when youentered."

  "Yes; I am in thorough sympathy with organization," nodded the Duke. "Itis the one needful thing in the mines here, and it is bound to come atno distant day. I am glad we three are alone here, so we can talk thematter over. You know, most of our men lack the intelligence toappreciate fully the kind of argument we are making."

  "Do you mean that the miners in our mines are thinking of organizing?"asked Steve, without appearing to take any great interest in theannouncement.

  "Well, I might say that such a thing is within the range ofpossibility."

  "Form a union?"

  "Oh, yes; that would be the natural result. 'In union there isstrength,' you know."

  "So I have read," replied the lad, with a faint smile. "Then you areunionizing the mines? Is that it?"

  "I should hardly want to go so far as to say that, my dear, youngfriend," answered the Duke. "But I will say that the men have beenconsidering the matter for some time. I am placing implicit confidencein you. This information is not mine to give at the present moment, so Ishall have to ask you to consider all that I may say as beingconfidential."

  Steve did not reply to this directly. He sat thoughtful and silent for afew seconds.

  "Are you a union man, Mr. Driscold?" he asked suddenly.

  "Mr. Driscold is the president of the Central Iron Miners' Association,"said Cavard, speaking for the red-haired man.

  "Indeed."

  Steve regarded the president curiously.

  "Then you represent all of the unions in the country, sir?"

  "No; not quite that. I am the state president only. The national body isrepresented by another man. Then, in case a union is organized here,there will be a local president and other officers, all playing aprominent part in the organization. Believe me, my dear young friend,there is a great chance for bright young men. We want young men to holdour offices, young men of brains, like yourself. It is the history ofour organization that such young men, almost from the moment that theyassume office in the union, make rapid strides in their work. They aresure to earn rapid promotion. We see to that; we push them along. Why, Iknow of a young man about your age who, like yourself, was a foremanbefore joining the union. In less than a year after doing so he waspromoted to be a superintendent. That happened right in this state, notmore than a hundred miles from where we are sitting at this very moment.Stand by the union, and work for its interests, and you will be welltaken care of at all times."

  "Who are the gainers by the organization of a union?"

  "The rank and file of the men, of course."

  "But how are the officers paid? Surely they do not work for nothing."

  "They are paid very moderate salaries," Mr. Driscold hastened toexplain, after which he returned to his original subject. "Are there anyother questions that you would like to ask?"

  "Yes; I should like to know how all that you promise is brought about.You say that the men will get better wages and shorter hours. How do youexpect to accomplish that?"

  "I will explain. I see that you do not understand. That is notsurprising, since you have had no experience."

  "No, sir; I have not."

  "I will be very frank with you. Corporations are grasping. They get allthey can out of their men, and when those men are no longer useful tothem, they cast the men aside as they would a piece of worn-outmachinery. They care nothing for you; they would discharge you to-morrowwere it not for the fact that you are useful to them."

  "I think you are wrong, sir," retorted Steve sharply. "I have neverworked for a corporation before. The corporation I am now working for isinterested in me to the same extent that I am interested in my work. Ibelieve all of these great industrial organizations are looking foryoung men who are in earnest. I believe that they are willing to advancesuch young men just as fast as they are fitted for advancement. At leastI have found that to be so in my own case. Of course we have to worklong hours and work hard. But what do you expect? Surely you do not lookfor pay for doing nothing?"

  "No, no; you misunderstand me entirely."

  "I beg your pardon. You were starting to tell me how you brought aboutthe conditions you mentioned a few moments ago."

  "Yes. In the first place, the corporations like to have their menorganized. It makes for better service all around. Well, to proceed, Iwill explain that, having organized, we should appoint a committee towait upon the official who is in charge of the mines. This committeewould lay before the superintendent, if he were the man called upon,such grievances as we might think existed. There would be a friendlydiscussion, and he, seeing the wisdom of what our committee demanded,would no doubt grant the request made."

  "What if he refused?" interjected Steve.

  "I presume it would go before the president of the mining company. Atleast, we should see that the grievances were carried to him."

  "And if he refused to grant your demands, what then?" persisted SteveRush, his keen eyes fixed upon the red-headed president of theAssociation.

  "Well, we should find a way to compel them to grant our demands,"answered Mr. Driscold significantly.

  "It seems to come back to the point of throttling a man," said Rush. "Inever could become enthusiastic over the profession of highwayman, andit strikes me that this is about what the proposition amounts to."

  The Iron Boy was pitting his wits against those of two shrewd andexperienced men, who were seeking to lure him on by offering himsugar-coated pills. But Steve Rush knew full well, young as he was inthe world's ways, that the inside of the pill was bitter andunpalatable. The lad was holding his own to such an extent that the manDriscold had adopted a sharp, incisive tone at several points in thediscussion.

  "You are wrong, Rush," interrupted Cavard. "You are altogether wrong."

  "Perhaps I am, but I am trying to get to the bottom of the question. Youspoke, Mr. Driscold, a moment ago, of finding a way to compel theofficials of the company to agree to your demands. How would you goabout it?"

  The president hesitated a moment before replying.

  "Why, our only recourse then--our only remedy, in that event--would beto call a strike."

  "_Ah!_"

  The exclamation escaped young Rush almost before he realized it. He bithis lips, and his face flushed slightly.

  "And while the strike was on your men and their families would gohungry?"

  "Oh, no; we look out for that. We give them money."

  "How much?"

  "Enough."

  "How much?" persisted Steve.

  "A few dollars a week, perhaps, so long as the money holds out."

  "Who gets the money that the men who join pay in?"

  "The dues go to the union, of course. The initiation fee naturally goesto recompense the walking delegate who, you must understand, workswithout pay."

  "It strikes me that he is pretty well paid. I have not had muchexperience in the world, gentlemen, but I am satisfied that your wholescheme is wrong. It is a hold-up game from start to finish----"

  "You're a fool!" exploded Driscold. "You're a----"

  "Never mind the trimmings. I may be all you accuse me of, but I pridemyself on possessing common sense. That, sometimes, is worth more thanknowledge. Mr. Cavard, are you helping to unionize the mines here?"

  "Whatever I am doing is done wholly in the interest of the rank and fileof the mines," snapped Ca
vard. "You are making a mistake in antagonizingus in this way. We had hoped that you would see the matter in its truelight, and that you might prove a valuable aid to us."

  "In what way?" demanded Steve.

  "You are popular with the men; you have a great deal of influence withthem, even though you are a boy. We had hoped that you might enter intothe plan and accept an important office in the union."

  "So that's it, eh?"

  "That is what we had hoped. Think it over. Say nothing to anyone, but goover the matter carefully, and I am sure you will change your mind. Meetus here to-morrow night at eight o'clock and give us your answer. Youhave everything to gain and nothing to lose."

  "Gentlemen, there is no necessity of waiting until to-morrow night. Ican give you my answer now. I want nothing to do with such crookedbusiness as you have proposed to me to-night. I bid you good night,gentlemen."

  Steve Rush rose and left the room without another word.