the iron puddler-第13部分
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g expense seeking full time in some other mill。 There may be no mill in the land that is running full time。〃
This had not occurred to him。 What lay beyond the hills was all mystery。 But we young fellows had been brought up in the American atmosphere； we had read the Youth's Companion and the newspapers； and our outlook was widened； we could guess that conditions were the same in other states as they were in our part of Pennsylvania； for we were studying economic causes。
〃It is better for you to stay here and wait for good times to come again。 Hang on to your home； and if in a few months or a few years the mills begin booming again you will be secure for life。 But if the iron industry doesn't revive； give up that trade and find other work here。 If necessary go out and work on a farm； for the farming industry will always have to be carried on。〃
Father saw the force of our argument。 So he stayed and kept his home。 He has it to…day。 But if he had wandered around as millions of us did in those hard days he would surely have lost it。 This was my first little attempt to work out an economic problem。 I had studied all the facts and then pronounced my judgment。 It proved right； and so I learned that in my small way I had a head for financiering。 This encouraged me； for it taught me that the worker can solve part of his problems by using his head。
The fear of ending in the poor…house is one of the terrors that dog a man through life。 There are only three parts to the labor problem； and this is one of them。 This fear causes 〃unrest。〃 This unrest was used by revolutionists to promote Bolshevism which turns whole empires into poor…houses。 Such a 〃remedy；〃 of course； is worse than the disease。 I think I know a plan by which all workers can make their old age secure。 I will go into it more fully in a later chapter。
CHAPTER XX
THE RED FLAG AND THE WATERMELONS
I have said that the labor problem has three parts。 I call them （1） Wages； （2） Working Conditions and （3） Living Conditions。 By living conditions I mean the home and its security。 My father had reached the stage where this was the problem that worried him。 He was growing old and must soon cease working。 But his home was not yet secure and he was haunted with the fear that his old age might be shelterless。 We told him not to worry； the Davis boys were many and we would repay him for the fatherly care he had given us。 But he was a proud man （as all muscular men are）； and he could find no comfort in the thought of being supported by his sons。 I am glad he never had to be。 Independence has made his old age happy and he has proved that a worker； if he keeps his health； can provide for his old age and bring up a big family too。
We older boys left home and hunted work elsewhere。 I was young and not bothered about working conditions or living conditions。 I was so vigorous that I could work under any conditions； and old age was so far away that I was not worried about a home for my declining years。 Wages was my sole problem。 I wanted steady wages； and of course I wanted the highest I could get。 To find the place where wages were to be had I was always on the go。 When a mill closed I did not wait for it to reopen； but took the first train for some other mill town。 The first train usually was a freight。 If not； I waited for a freight； for I could sleep better in a freight car than in a Pullmanit cost less。 I could save money and send it to mother； then she would not have to sell her feather beds。
All of this sounds nobler than it was。 In those days workers never traveled on passenger trains unless they could get a pass。 Judges and statesmen pursued the same policy。 To pay for a ticket was money thrown away； so thought the upper classes and the lower classes。 About the only people that paid car fare were the Knights of Pythias on their way to their annual convention。 Railroad workers could get all the passes they wanted； and any toiler whose sister had married a brakeman or whose second cousin was a conductor 〃bummed〃 the railroad for a pass and got it。 None of my relatives was a railroad man； and so to obtain the free transportation which was every American's inalienable right； I had to let the passenger trains go by and take the freights。
Once I got ditched at a junction； and while waiting for the next freight I wandered down the track to where I had seen a small house and a big watermelon patch。 The man who lived there was a chap named Frank Bannerman。 I always remember him because he was a communist； the first one I ever saw； and he filled my pockets with about ten pounds of radical pamphlets which I promised to read。 He made a bargain with me that if I would read and digest the Red literature he would give me all the watermelons I could eat。
〃I'm a comrade already；〃 I said； meaning it as a merry jest； that I would be anything for a watermelon。 But he took it seriously and his eyes lit up like any fanatic's。
〃I knew it；〃 he said。 〃With a face like yourslook at the brow； look at the intellect； the intellect。〃 I was flattered。 〃Come here； wife；〃 he called through the door。 〃Come here and look at the intellect。〃
The wife； who was a barefooted； freckle…faced woman； came out on the porch and； smiling sweetly； sized up my intellect。 I made up my mind that here were the two smartest people in America。 For they saw I was bulging with intellect。 Nobody else had ever discovered it； not even I myself。 I thought I was a muscle…bound iron puddler； but they pronounced me an intellectual giant。 It never occurred to me that they might have guessed wrong； while the wise old world had guessed right。 If the world was in step； they were out of step； but I figured that the world was out of step and they had the right stride。 I thought their judgment must be better than the judgment of the whole world because their judgment pleased me。 I later learned that their judgment was just like the judgment of all Reds。 That's what makes 'em Red。
〃Are there many of us where you come from？〃 the man asked。
〃Many what？〃 I asked。
〃Communists； communists；〃 he said excitedly。
I wanted to please him； because we were now cracking the melons and scooping out their luscious hearts。 So I told him how many comrades there were in each of the rolling mills where I had worked。 I had to invent the statistics out of my own head； but that head was full of intellect； so I jokingly gave him a fine array of figures。 The fact was that there may have been an addle…pated Red among the mill hands of that time； but if there was I had never met him。
The figures that I furnished Comrade Bannerman surprised him。 I counted the seeds in each slice of watermelon and gave that as the number of comrades in each mill。 The number was too high。 Comrade Bannerman knew how many Reds there were in the country； and it appeared that the few mills I had worked in contained practically the whole communist party。 He got rather excited and said the numbers were growing faster than he had imagined。 He had figured that it would take forty years to bring about the Red commonwealth； but with the new light I had thrown on the subject he concluded that the times were ripening faster than he had dared to hope； and that there was no doubt the revolution would be upon us within three years。
The comrade told me he was not popular in the village for two reasons。 The capitalistic storekeepers called him a dead beat and the church people had rotten…egged him for a speech he had made denouncing religion。 I saw by his hands that he didn't work much； and from the hands of his wife I learned who raised the watermelons he was feeding to me。 I remember wondering why he didn't pay his grocery bill with the money he spent on pamphlets to stuff in the pockets of passers…by。
CHAPTER XXI
ENVY IS THE SULPHUR IN HUMAN PIG…IRON
While I was feasting on the watermelons and feeling at peace with all the world； a long passenger train pulled into the junction。 The train was made up of Pullmans and each car was covered with flags； streamers and lodge insignia。 On the heels of this train came another and then another。 These gay cars were filled with members of the Knights of Pythias going to their convention in Denver。
At the sight of these men in their Pullmans； my friend the communist first turned pale； then green； then red。 His eyes narrowed and blazed like those of a madman。 He stood up on his porch； clenched his fists and launched into the most violent fit of cursing I ever heard。 The sight of those holiday…makers had turned him into a demon。 He thought they were capitalists。 Here was the hated tribe of rich men； the idle classes； all dressed up with flags flying； riding across the country on a jamboree。
〃The blood…sucking parasites！ The bleareyed barnacles！〃 yelled Comrade Bannerman。 He shook his fists at the plutocrats and cursed until he made me sick。 He was a tank…town nut who didn't like to work； had built up a theory that work was a curse and that the 〃idle classes〃 had forced this curse on the masses； of which he was one。 He believed that all the classes had to do was to clip coupons； cash them and ride around the country in Pullman palace cars。 Here was the whole bunch of them in seven 〃specials〃 rolling right by his fron
