The Harris-Ingram Experiment Part 11

Four years before, his employees were out on a strike for several months.

Then the issue was, "Will the company recognize the demands of the Amalgamated a.s.sociation of Iron and Steel Workers of America?" The reply of the company was, "No!" The struggle then was severe, but the strike failed. The present issue was, "Will the company pay an increase of wages?"

The committee of five of the employees soon entered the mayor's office.

They were much surprised to find that Colonel Harris had returned to the city; it was believed that he had actually set sail for Europe. The committee unfortunately was a radical one, and did not represent the average thoughtful and conservative type of workingmen. Evidently the committee had been selected for the purpose of intimidating capital, as their manner did not indicate a conciliatory policy.

Mr. Burns, acting as spokesman, said, "Mr. Mayor, it is 3 o'clock, and we are back again promptly, as you requested, and you see that our committee is increased by several thousand workingmen on the street below who have come to demand bread of a soulless corporation. Mayor Duty, what do you advise us to do?"

The Mayor was nervous as he replied, "Mr. Burns and members of the committee, I confess that so many thousands of honest and upturned faces of workingmen move my heart. If I were able it would give me pleasure first to ask you all to partake of a good meal, for more satisfactory business is usually accomplished after people are well fed. You ask my advice. Here, gentlemen of the committee, is Colonel Harris, your employer, let him speak to you."

Memories of a wife and three babies at home, dependent for bread upon his own earnings at the forge, flashing upon the mind of Colonel Harris, sweetened his spirit and softened his voice, so that he spoke briefly and kindly to the committee, repeating, however, what his manager had told the committee at ten o'clock, viz., "that the present bad condition of the steel market would not permit the company to grant the advance of wages they asked."

The committee, aware of the large profits of former years, sullenly retired, and after the company's decision had been communicated to the anxious thousands below, the employees of the Harrisville Iron & Steel Co. slowly returned to their homes. The mayor ordered his chief of police to dispatch immediately in patrol wagons fifty men to the steel works, to guard the property and keep the peace.

After the committee retired, the mayor said, "Well, Colonel Harris, what will be the outcome?"

"Mr. Mayor, we cannot foretell anything. You never know what workingmen in their lodges will do. There, as a rule, the 'Walking delegate' and a few agitators rule with despotic power. If a workman, whose large family forces him to take conservative views, dares in his lodge to suggest peaceful measures, an agitator rises at once in indignation and demands that traitors to the cause of labor be expelled. This throttles freedom of action in many labor unions, so that often what appears on the surface to be the unanimous action of the members of workingmen's leagues, is but the exercise of despotic power by a few men who have nothing to lose, and whose salary is paid from the slim purses of honest labor.

"Usually those who talk much and loudly think little and unwisely, and the opposite to their advice is safest to follow. The greatest need to-day in most of our labor organizations is wise leadership, and this will result when the best element in the labor lodges a.s.serts itself.

"The despotism of ill-advised labor is to be dreaded by civilization more than the reign of intelligent capital. This is especially true in the United States, where under wise laws, wealth cannot be entailed, and where most large fortunes soon disappear among the heirs.

"A simple pair of shears ill.u.s.trates perfectly the relationship that capital and labor should sustain each to the other. Capital is one blade of the shears, and labor is the other blade; either blade without the other is useless, and the two blades are useless unless the rivet is in place. Confidence is to capital and labor what the rivet is to the two blades. The desideratum to-day in the business world is full and abiding confidence between capital and labor." Thus speaking Colonel Harris and his friends left the mayor and returned to their homes.

After a visit to Niagara Falls, Mr. Searles and his party went on to Harrisville, where Mrs. Eastlake rejoined some friends and continued her long journey to the Pacific Coast. Colonel Harris met his daughter and Mr. Hugh Searles at the station, the latter, under the circ.u.mstances, being the last person he cared to see. The carriage was driven at once to Reuben Harris's beautiful home that overlooked Harrisville and blue Lake Erie.

After dinner Colonel Harris explained to Mr. Searles all about the inopportune strike; also that it was impossible to say when the steel plant would be started again. Mr. Searles decided next morning that after a short ride through Harrisville he would continue his journey through the States to California, and possibly to Australia, where he had another important interest to attend to in behalf of a London client.

It was further arranged that he would return to London via Harrisville in about six months, if so desired by Colonel Harris, otherwise he would complete the journey around the world, returning to England by way of the Suez Ca.n.a.l.

CHAPTER X

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

The Ingrams lived not far from the steel mills in one of two wooden houses, each two stories in height, which Reuben Harris and James Ingram had built for their families, when they began in a modest way to manufacture steel. As Reuben Harris grew rich he moved his family into a beautiful home in the fashionable part of the city, and good society accepted them as their equals.

The large family and small income of James Ingram forced him to continue his residence in the same brown house near the steel mills. The Ingram family kept much to their English ways and knew little or nothing of society. The English and Germans cling tenaciously to their old habits and customs which they carry across seas and over mountains. Generations must elapse before it will be safe to predict what the national type of an American citizen will be. One discovers on the British Isles the mixture of centuries of European blood which has developed a virility of body and brain that dominates the globe. "More honor to be a British subject to-day than to have been a Roman in Rome's palmiest days," thought James Ingram, who was proud of his race and his family blood.

James Ingram came from a well-bred English household. His environment now hedged him in. In England ill-health, and now, in America, ill-treatment made him miss golden opportunities. Except good qualities are inbred, it is almost as impossible for a person in one stratum of society to be lifted up into another as it is for the geological strata of the earth to change positions.

The grandmother of James Ingram had good blood in her veins; she came from a family that had performed valiant deeds in war and in peace. James Ingram's father had erred in judgment, and a large estate, partially inherited, had been swept away as by a flood. He died, leaving James the eldest son to aid in supporting his mother and several children.

James Ingram was now over fifty years of age. Could he, or his children, retrieve their family prestige was a question he often asked himself. He still had energy, unconquerable determination, and faith in himself.

These are some of the essential elements in a successful character; but the fates thus far had decreed adversely. His early education was not of the best, but by carefully devoting not less than two hours a day to good reading, he had not only kept pace with current history, but had also acquired a helpful knowledge of the sciences.

When his oldest son George was born, he planned to give his children the best education possible. Two of his three daughters were teaching in the public schools; May Ingram taught music. Two of his sons worked in the mills, one as chemist and one as an electrician; a third son was conductor on a pa.s.senger train, and a fourth was studying to be a physician.

The father and his son, George, after the day's work at the mills was over, spent much time over a problem which, if solved, would revolutionize many things. Twice they thought they were on the eve of a solution of the subject, but unforeseen obstacles were encountered, and still they struggled on.

It is no wonder that the father was proud of George, now chemist of the vast steel works, for he was manly and respected by all the employees.

When a boy, George worked nights, Sat.u.r.days, and during his vacations in the mills, and the men came to know and love his genial ways and fair methods, and thus he gained a good knowledge of steel-making.

His father was urgent that his son should not miss a single day in his schooling. At length he graduated at the high school with the esteem of his teachers and his cla.s.s. During the twelve years spent in public schools he had acquired a fine discipline of mind, a love of the sciences, and enough of Latin and Greek to aid him in determining the derivation and exact meaning of words. Co-education too had refined his nature, and enabled him to estimate correctly his own abilities, but best of all he had come to know at the high school the second daughter of Reuben Harris, Gertrude, who graduated in his own cla.s.s. During the senior year he had frequently walked and talked with her, and came to know somewhat of her plans.

Gertrude's parents, especially Mrs. Harris, were anxious that both their daughters should go to private schools, and Lucille was easily persuaded to attend a young ladies' seminary, where aesthetic accomplishments were emphasized and considered essentials and a pa.s.sport into good society.

But Gertrude decided in favor of a public school education.

Lucille and Gertrude as sisters were fond of each other, but Lucille lived more for self, while Gertrude preferred others to self. Gertrude had learned early how by a smile or bow to retain an old friend or to win a new one. She spent very little time thinking about her own needs, preferring to take flowers or fruit, even when given her, to some sick or aged person. Nothing pleased her more than to visit the Old Ladies' Home with a few gifts and read the Bible or comforting stories to the inmates.

Mrs. Harris when east chanced to spend a June day at Wellesley College near Boston. By early moonlight several hundred Wellesley girls and thousands of spectators had a.s.sembled on the banks of Lake Waban to enjoy the "Float." Gaily uniformed crews in their college flotilla formed a star-shaped group near the sh.o.r.e for their annual concert. Chinese lanterns, like giant fire-flies, swung in the trees and on many graceful boats. The silver notes of the bugle and the chant of youthful voices changed the college-world into a fairyland.

Both mother and daughter were charmed and Lucille gladly decided to enter Wellesley. Hard study, however, and the daily forty-five minutes of domestic work then required, did not agree with her nature, and after a few weeks she decided upon a change, and continued her education at one of the private schools on the Back-Bay in Boston.

Gertrude, possessing a more active mind and ambition, resolved to obtain an education as good as her brother Alfonso had had at Harvard. She had read of a prominent benefactor who believed that woman had the same right as man to intellectual culture and development, and who in 1861 had founded on the Hudson, midway between Albany and New York, an inst.i.tution which he hoped would accomplish for women what colleges were doing for men.

So Gertrude applied for enrollment and was admitted to Va.s.sar College.

Rooms were a.s.signed her in Strong Hall. She liked Va.s.sar's sensible way of hazing, a cordial reception being given to freshmen by the soph.o.m.ores.

She was glad to be under both men and women professors, for this in part fulfilled her idea of the education that women should receive.

At Va.s.sar were several girls from Harrisville whom Gertrude knew, but no boys. She wrote her mother that she would be better pleased if Va.s.sar had less Greek and more boys. She could not understand why co-education at the high school in Harrisville, that worked perfectly, should stop at the threshold of Va.s.sar, or other women's and men's colleges.

The two following years on the beautiful Hudson were happy years for Gertrude. She conquered mathematics, stood well in Latin, and was enthusiastic in the study of psychology, the science of mind, which teaches the intimate relation of mental phenomena to the physical organism. German was an elective study with Gertrude, which she had studied at the high school, but at Va.s.sar she learned to write and talk the language with accuracy and freedom, which is not usual, unless one lives in a German family.

Gertrude was already planning to study history and some of the sciences in original German text-books, if occasion offered. She cared little for music, though she was extremely fond of poetry and now and then contributed verses for publication. Her essay on architecture at the close of the second year elicited applause from the students and praise in red ink across the first page of the composition.

Self-government of the Va.s.sar girls develops self-respect and self-control. A Va.s.sar girl is bound on her honor to retire every night at ten o'clock, with three exceptions a month, to exercise in the gymnasium three hours a week, and to take at least one hour of outdoor exercise daily. Regular exercise, regular meals, nine hours of sleep, and plenty of mental work were rapidly preparing Gertrude to fill some n.o.ble position in the world.

At Va.s.sar other sources of mental rest and physical strength are, tennis-court tournaments, basket ball, rowing and skating on the lake, bicycling, or five-mile tramps, studying birds, photographing scenery, or gathering wild flowers. The Va.s.sar girl is also enthusiastic over the "Tree and Trig Ceremonies" and amateur dramatic entertainments.

Gertrude closed her second and last year at Va.s.sar with regret. The farewell "fudge" party was for Gertrude, and given in her own room by a score of her warm personal friends. The rule for "fudge-making" is, two cups of sugar, milk, two rolls of b.u.t.ter melted with chocolate in a copper kettle over a gas stove. The fused compound is poured into paper plates and cut into tiny squares. So eager is the Va.s.sar girl for "fudge"

that the struggle is earnest for the first taste, and for the cleaning of the big spoon and kettle. The Va.s.sar girl has a sweet tooth, and "fudge"

parties always evolve love stories and fun in abundance.

After a pleasant vacation in the Adirondacks with friends, Gertrude resolved to complete her education at Smith College on the lovely Connecticut River, which winds through western Ma.s.sachusetts. To educate a whole family of boys and girls at the "dear old alma mater" is now an exploded fancy. A better plan is to educate the half dozen brothers and sisters at a half dozen good colleges. What faculty of educators can lay claim to all the best methods of evolving characters?

The industry and economy of James Ingram had enabled him to send his son George for two years to the Polytechnic Inst.i.tute at Troy. Suddenly financial troubles made it impossible for him longer to a.s.sist his son.

Mrs. Harris, very likely by Gertrude's suggestion, offered to provide funds for the third and last year at the inst.i.tute, and George was delighted to complete his course.

By invitation, George had spent the last days of his vacation with Gertrude in the Adirondacks, and he had accompanied Mrs. Harris and her daughters back to Albany, while the mother continued the journey leaving Gertrude at Smith College, Northampton, and Lucille at Boston. Mrs.

Harris was justly proud of her girls. Their figure and dress often caused people to stop in their conversation or reading, as mother and daughters entered a car or a hotel.

George Ingram returned to the inst.i.tute with high hopes. A few of his plans were revealed to Gertrude on the last night of his vacation. He told her some things he never dared mention before to any one. They were on Saranac Lake and the moon seemed to change the water to silver. Their birch canoe drifted along the sh.o.r.e and George, dropping his oars, reversed his seat and faced the girl he loved as he told her much of his plan for life. Gertrude dipped her oars lightly in the water, George guiding the canoe beneath the forest overhanging the pebbly sh.o.r.e.