Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 61, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 November 1909 — PAID IN FULL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

PAID IN FULL

Novelized From Eugene Walter’s Great Play

. ...By... JOHN W. HARDING

SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS. CHAPTER I—lntroduces Captain Amos Williams, president of the Latin-Ameri-can Steamship company. In very bad humor over a threatened strike of his dock laborers. Joseph Brooks, underpaid accountant and collector for Williams, expresses his sympathy for the strikers and Is ridiculed by his fellow clerks. ll—The president sends for James Smith, superintendent of the company’s docks, and instructs him to spare no expense In crushing the strikers. Smith advises pacific measures, but is overruled and prepares to obey orders. Ill—Mrs. Emma Brooks, the handsome young wife of the discontented clerk, tries to encourage him on hfs return to their bandbox apartment, but he is bitter against his employer and also against his wife’s mother and sister, who dislike him on account of his inability to gain position. In his desperation he turns on his wife and suggests that she must regret her choice of him when she might have had Smith, who had offered himself. IV—Smith, who is the intimate friend of the family, makes his appearance on the scene, and Brooks continues his bitter arraignment of his employer and violent protest against his own impoverished condition. The discussion becomes rather personal, and Brooks takes his hat and leaves the premises. V—Accompanied by Captain Williams, who is an old friend of the family. Mrs. Harris and daughter Beth, mother and sister of Mrs. Brooks, enter the room. During the visit Brooks returns and makes a scene, accusing Williams of being the cause of his unhappiness. Mrs. Brooks reminds her husband of his breach of hospitality, and he apoliglzes and leaves the house. VI When Brooks returns he astonishes his wife and Smith by inviting them to go theater - Smith offers to lend him 1 he declines. Brooks extracts from a roll of money collected for the company.

CHAPTER VII. SOMETHING untoward was happening or impending at the extensive piers and docks of the Latin-Amercan Steamship company bn South street Manhattan. This had been evident from an early hour, for when as whistle sounding time approached the workmen trooped toward the docks and warehouses to begin their daily toll they found groups of policemen stationed about the approaches to the Latin-American line’s property. On the faces of the men who entered its gates was an expression of expectancy and determination. The earliest man to arrive saw the tall, gaunt form of Mr. Smith, the superintendent, standing at the door of the office building. He had been working hard while they slept, but there was no evidence of his all night labor upon his cheerful visage, nor was any sign of anxiety or of the knowledge that any unusual situation bad arisen discernible in his phlegmatic demeanor. He appeared to be enjoying the morning air and hir cigar without a care in the world. His presence there at that hour was the only indication that he expected trouble. He had not allowed one policeman to remain within the gates. Hardly a man passed in but saluted him verbally or with a touch of the hat, and not a salute was given without being acknowledged. To some he responded with a genial smile and a “Hello, Tom!” or “Howdy, Bill!” When they had started their work, which was to be stopped completely at 10 o’clock, he vanished upstairs, nor was he seen again until the hands of the clock approached that hour and the strike leaders began to go among the restless men. Then he sauntered out ordered work stopped, and, mounting a crate of merchandise, assembled the men about him.

“You boys.” be said in bls slow, distinct voice, “have made up your minds to quit at 10 o’clock because somebody told you you ought to be getting more pay and a raise was refused. Well, this is a free country, and every man’s right to sell his labor where he likes and at what price he likes Is guaranteed him by the constitution. If you want to walk out of here you are free to do so, but If you take my advice"— “See here.” Interrupted one of the leaders roughly, pushing to the front, “we ain’t askin’ no advice from you nor no one else. What we want is money. Do we get that raise or don’t we? If we do, all right; if we don’t, we quit here and now. and that’s all there is to It” A murmur of approval greeted this ultimatum. “No,” answered the superintendent “I ain’t going to leave you in doubt about it for a minute. You don’t get it." “Then shut up!” ordered the man. “We ain’t goln’ to lose our time listenin' to no cheap talk. We’ve voted to quit and all talk is off." “All right,” retorted Smith. “Consider you’ve all quit Now. that being the case, you have heaps of time on your bands and are likely to have for an indefinite period unless you have provided Jobs for yourselves in anticipation of this. I’ve got something I’d like to say to you. Those who don’t want to bear me don’t have to As 1 said, is a free country." "Go ahead. Jlmsy!” cried a voice in the crowd. “You’re all right! You've always given us a square deal.” “I hope so,” be replied, “and one square deal deserves another.” “Aw, come on, fellows!” admonished the leader. “We’re not kids, a strike’s a strike This ain’t no debatin' bee. •nd we don’t beloug to no mutual admiration society." Some of the men'turned nwny. bnt pthers voiced the view that a bearing

ought to be given to the superintendent since be wished to speak to them, and. seeing that their fellows remained, the others soon returned. “I haven’t got a lot to say, and I’m nd preacher,” be continued. “What I want to give you is not a lecture on what you’ve got to do—that’s your business—but an explanation tn your Interest 1 want to tell you things other people haven’t told you and that you evidently don’t know. Please let me get through, then yon do as you like. I don’t have to tell you that the rate of pay Is governed, like everything else, by the law of supply and demand. What is the situation today? We have had rush work for several weeks, and the docks here and al) along the water front are choked up with freight. But back of this, although you may not know it, the rail-

roads everywhere are laying off freight cars, mills are laying off men, and signs point to a serious slump in business all over the country, which will reach here soon. The indications are that in the natural course of things during the coming winter there won’t be work for more than half of you and that you’ll need badly all the spare coin you can save now. Yet you chose this very time to demand an increase from the company and give it eighteen hours’ notice, including twelve nonworking hours, in which to think it over. I don’t call that a square deal, whatever you may think about it. Now, the country towns are full of men anxious to get jobs, and the company, notwithstanding the short notice. is fully prepared for a strike, in that shed yonder are 3,000 cots, put there during last night, and provision has been made to feed 3,000 men for several days. Captain Williams”— An outburst of curses and yells greeted this mention of the president's name with cries of "We know Williams!” “Captain Williams,” went on the superintendent calmly, “says that any man who goes out on strike now will never enter the employ of the line again in this or any other port And I’ll see personally to it that he doesn’t. This man here said a strike had been decided on, but anybody who wants to stay and work Instead of making a fool of himself by quitting will be taken care of. I’ll promise that That’s all. It’s up to you.” Amid dead silence he got down from the crate and returned to his office. The men remained assembled for consultation, and in the crowd were many doubtful faces. It was clear that Smith’s calm, drawled harangue had made a profound impression. Just as in private life he attracted the warmest friendships, so In business, to which he gave strict and intelligent attention, he earned the respect of all with whom he had to deal. The strike leader mounted the crate and. amid the applause of the hot headed and discontented, delivered himself of a fierce denunciation of the company as a greedy, grasping, oppressive corporation and of its dock superintendent as a “flour flusher” and a dispenser of “con” talk, meaning thereby of words Intended to deceive. But there were too many who knew that Smith was neither.

“For my part,” one of the laborers said. “I’ve got a wife and six kids, the eldest of which is nine. I move that we take another vote on this here strike.” The motion was adopted with acclamation. The result of the ballot was overwhelmingly In favor of remaining at work. While delegates appointed to inform the superintendent that there would be no turnout were waiting upon him in his office, the other men passed the shed indicated by Smith, pushed open the door and gazed in, while others crowded up behind them. Arranged all around the vast space were neat, white cots, and in the center were long tables and benches. “Say,” remarked one of the men. “Jlmsy Smith ain’t no bluff, is he? For a slow speakin* and movin’ man he’s the liveliest hustler 1 ever seen.” Half an hour later Smith once more lowered himself Into the chair beside the president’s desk. “Well.” said Captain Williams gruff ly, “I understand the strike’s off.” “Yep.” was the reply. “How did you do it?” “Told ’em the truth.” The captain regarded him from under his busby t eyebrows, brought together in bis usual frown.

“1 guess you don't often lie, Smith.” “Not more than 1 have to.” “What preparations bad you made for trouble?" “Three thousand hired army cots in No. 2 shed, with tables and benches. Then there’s thesp.” He laid l>efore the president a number of bids for supplying rations three times a day so from SUO to 3.000 men and telegrams from various towns worded something to this effect: On terms offered can ship ‘M> men wltnin forty-eight hours. Williams read each paper carefully “A strike at this time would have meant heavy loss to the line," he <»t> served Smith nodded. Then the captain gave utterance to the highest compliment be had ever made to a man tn bls life. “1 put It up to you.” be said, "and you’ve made good. 1 guessed it was likely you would. Have a cigar.” (To be Continued.)