MINERS MEET IN SECRET
"WELL, Steve, I hear you joined the new union last night," said Mr.
Penton, halting in the drift where Rush was directing some changes in
the work of his shift.
The Iron Boy flushed.
"Yes, sir. I hope you have no objection to my having done so."
"Not in the least. We have nothing to fear from such upright men as you
in the union. I wish they were all of the same calibre. I want to thank
you for the speech you made last night. Such words do much toward
steering the men in the right direction. I may say that I am very glad
you decided to join."
"I had decided not to do so, until I met and talked with you before
going to the meeting last evening."
"How so?"
"You gave me a new point of view. I decided that it was my duty to join
and I did so. Do you think Mr. Carrhart will mind when he hears of it?"
"He knows all about it now. He knew that the meeting was going to take
place, perhaps even before you learned of it," answered the
superintendent, with a twinkle in his eyes. "Of course that is
confidential, you understand."
"Certainly, sir."
"You may be sure that when he understands the circumstances he will
offer no objections. I know all about what took place last night, and I
heartily approve of your part in it. We have means of knowing what is
going on in our mines. We have to do these things for our own
protection."
"Yes, sir."
Steve felt much more light of heart after this conversation. That his
superiors approved of his action in joining the union relieved him of a
great weight.
By this time the mine had been whipped into working condition once more,
and the work was going on with renewed vigor. The men, too, with the
promises of the labor leaders still fresh in their minds, went about
their duties much more cheerfully than before.
However, there were, if anything, more meetings than before. There were
conferences outside of the mine that the Iron Boys knew nothing about.
Neither did Mr. Penton have knowledge of these secret meetings, in spite
of the detective organization that existed in the mines unknown to the
miners themselves. Cavard himself did not appear to be active, but there
were others who were active for him.
Ten days had passed, then another meeting of the union was held. There
were not more than twenty of the members present. The young secretary
was among the absentees.
Cavard called the meeting to order, commenting upon the small
attendance. Then he made a speech in which he indulged in some plain
talk regarding the purpose of the union. After he had done so he said:
"There is another matter that I wish to bring before the members. That
is the question of our secretary. He is a most estimable young man, but
you--those of you who listened to his remarks the other night--will
agree with me that he is too young, too inexperienced to be entrusted
with so important an office. It should be quite plain to you that he is
not in thorough sympathy with our great work. In other words, I believe
that he is the tool of the bosses. I have good reason for saying this,
though for obvious reasons I hope my words will not be repeated. One of
our members saw the boy, Rush, in earnest conversation with the
superintendent down in the Red Rock Mine to-day, and overheard something
that aroused his suspicion. Rush was reporting some of our private
business. What do you think of that?"
A murmur arose from the audience. Cavard waited that the full force of
his words might take effect.
"He's a traitor!" shouted a voice.
"I should not want to say that, men. I should call him an irresponsible
boy, who is serving the purposes of the bosses without being fully aware
that he is doing so. Of course the matter is in your hands to dispose of
as you may see fit."
"Put him out!" shouted one of the members.
"Down with all traitors!" cried another.
"Mr. President, this is a serious charge that you have made against our
secretary," said an elderly miner. "You are quite sure that he is a
traitor to the union?"
"Quite sure."
"Then what would you suggest?"
"As I have already said, I do not believe the boy is so much to blame,
but the effect is the same as if he were a traitor in reality."
"What shall we do?"
"You might, if you saw fit, choose another secretary," purred the
Russian.
"Yes; that is what should be done under the circumstances. But is such
an act in order?"
"Oh, yes. Charges can be preferred against him. We have as yet no
by-laws. Some one might make a motion to depose him, if you think best,
embodying the charges in that motion; then we can proceed to choose
another secretary," urged the chairman. "The matter is in your hands,
gentlemen," he added, rubbing his palms together. "It is not for me to
suggest."
"Who would you put in his place?"
"It is not for me to say, but some such man as Mike Caldert might make
an excellent secretary."
The motion, as suggested by Cavard, who would not suggest, was made and
quickly carried. Then Mike Caldert was duly elected as the permanent
secretary of the organization.
A gleam of satisfaction shone in the eyes of the Russian. He had
triumphed over the Iron Boy, thus effectually disposing of him, as he
believed. Cavard was a shrewd and unscrupulous man, and one who would
stop at nothing to accomplish his ends, as Steve was presently to learn.
This matter having been disposed of, the president and walking delegate
cleared his throat and began on a new subject that claimed the attention
of the men at once.
"There is another matter, and one of great importance to every man in
every mine on the range," he began. "That is the question of pay and of
hours. We are working ten hours a day and we are getting less money than
is paid by the other mines in the country."
This statement was not true, but the members present were not aware of
the fact. They took all that Cavard said as the truth.
"It is time," he continued, "for us to take action in the matter. You
should formulate your demands and present them to the owners for their
consideration. The bosses are making money. There never has been a time
in the history of the mines when they were making so much money. Your
tonnage is increasing day by day, and day by day you are doing more
work. But let me ask you, do your wages increase proportionately? Do you
work fewer hours than before?"
"No!" shouted a voice.
"Do you share in the profits that you are piling up for the money
kings?"
"No! You're right, we don't."
"Then if that is so, why is it so? It is because those who employ you
are squeezing the lemon until it is dry, in order that their bank
accounts may grow fat. Take the matter into your own hands----"
"We will, we will! How shall we do it?"
The men had become worked up to a high pitch of excitement over their
leader's words, which had been skilfully chosen. He had touched the men
in a spot where he knew they were the weakest. He had sown the seed that
was destined to produce a bountiful crop of bitter weeds, and Cavard,
president and walking delegate, smiled complacently behind the hand that
he drew across his mouth after having delivered himself of the words.
"How shall we go about it?" repeated one of the men.
"I have here a few notes that I drew up hastily. They form a demand upon
our employers for an eight-hour day and a fifty-cent rise for full
miners, and twenty-five cents for miners' helpers and all grades below
that. It is a most moderate demand. The owners will grant it, you will
find, knowing as they do that the power of the union is behind you. I
will appoint a committee to formulate the demands set down here. Then we
will name a further committee to call upon the superintendent and
present these demands."
Cavard named a committee of three, to whom he passed over, not merely
notes, as he had said, but a formal paper drawn up in detail, embodying
the facts as stated by him.
The committee went through the form of touching up the document, making
a mark here and there with a pen and discussing the paper. Finally they
announced their task finished.
"When shall we present our demands to the superintendent?" asked the
president.
"Right away," answered the members.
"Then I will appoint five of our number to call upon the superintendent
to-morrow. Your chairman, of course, will head the committee as its
leader. We will make an appointment to see Mr. Penton at his office
to-morrow evening at eight o'clock, if he will see us, and I think he
will," added Cavard. "I want all of those present to bear witness that
this has been a regular meeting. You all received your notices to be
present this evening, did you not?"
"We did."
"And you are prepared to give evidence, if necessary, that everything
has been done in due form?"
"We are."
"Then, if there is nothing more to come before the members, a motion to
adjourn will be in order."
A motion to adjourn was made and carried, and the members left the
meeting place, Cavard retaining the papers embodying the demands to be
made on the company.
Steve Rush, all unconscious of what had been done, was sound asleep in
his bed. But a surprise was awaiting him on the following day that would
set him thinking harder than ever.