«s
[is BROTHER'S KEEPER;
i Or, Christian Stewardship.
| BY CHARLES* M!'SHELDON,
P Author of "In His Steps,'' "The Crucifixion of Philip Strong," "Robert Hardy's
A Seven Days," "Malcom Kirk," Etc.
CornUtlHT, IBM. IT CONOREOATIONAL AND 81.VDAV SCHOOL rrilLIUUNU
I
I
" " i\u jei i niiuy   J
BillSU SOCIETY. I
sk cms am
[CONTINDF.D. ]
Stuart took advantage of the lull that
followed these and other shouts to
speak as he had never thought of doing
when he came to the park. He believ-
ed that the result of the men's action
would he exceedingly important for
themselves and hlnuelf. lie had never
had such a great desire to explain his
own attitude toward the whole prob-
lem of labor and capital as it affected |
him.
It Is not possible to describe his j
speech. Eric thought at the time that
It was the best speech he had ever
heard from a moneyed man. At times
It was Impassioned, then quiet and con-
versational. It is doubtful if very
many of the miners understood it as
Stuart meant. lie was in reality voic-
ing a policy for the men of money
which he afterward followed out with
some changes.
This much he made clear to the men:
He sympathized with their demands |
for larger wages, while lie could not
agree with their methods, and he would
do all in his power to give them their
just demands as far as be was at liber-
ty to act independently. He told them
ho was going to Cleveland the next day
to confer with the other mine owners
and would use all his influence to get
the others to agree to the rise in wages.
He repeated his offer to treat with the
thousand or more men employed in the
Champion mines at any time they
chose to return. As he closed he made
an appeal to the men to use reason and
spoke of the religious influence that so
far had prevailed for the good of the
community.
use of man. During that year the min-
ers received only fair wages. Since
then financial depression and a drop In
the price of ore have followed. What
do those men do who have in prosper-
ous years made their fortunes? Do
they say, 'We will draw on this re-
serve. and in order that the miners
may not suffer we will declare smaller
dividends and lose something?' No;
they say at once, 'Cut down wages, be
cause ore is cheaper, and we cannot a I'
ford to lose.' And who suffers? Not
PW. 1 '."'I I
As soon as he finished there was a great
uproar.
the mine owner. He eats just as good
food, goes to Europe in his steam pal-
ace, drives his elegant carriage, keeps
up his amusements. Hut the poor man,
I to whom every cer t means something,
There ran through the whole of Stu-
art's speech this second time a passion-
ate desire to be understood as a man
before men. He had never before had | fortuno 0I1 |,js business is not willing to
such a longing to lie understood; neither
had he ever felt the gap between himself
goes without the common necessaries
of life, and his wife and children suffer
because the millionaire who made his
yet precipitate matters by getting new
men either for the stock plies or the j
mines. He came back home the next
day with the feeling that he was at
present in a condition of indecision and
waiting. He could not sympathize
with the strike, he did not believe the !
unlou was wise Id refusing to let the
Champion miners go to work, and he
could not help feeling that a great ca-
lamity of some kind was Impending.
It was two days after his return that
the event occurred which really shaped
and molded his whole qfter life The
mines were still manned by pump men.
They had not been called out by the
union, for the reason that if once the
water in the mines rose above the dif-
ferent levels and Bowed in among the
timbers the mines would become ruin-
ed, and the loss would be as heavy for
the miners as the owners in case the
strike ended and'work was again re-
sumed. From six to eight men remain-
ed at each mine. There were an engi
neer, an assistant engineer, two Bre-
men and three or four pump men, ac-
cording to the size and number of
pumps. These were kept going day
and night, as the water rose very rap
idly if left to flow.
Stuart had gone up to the Davis
mine, one of the newer ventures of his
father and recently developed. Its
greatest depth was 900 feet. It had a
manbote with ladders and a shaft at
some distance from It for the "skip" or
iron carriage used for hauling ore to
the surface. There were six men at
this mine in charge at this time.
Stuart had come to the engine boose
aud. was talking with the engineer
when Eric came in.
Stuart called him over to the drv
room, where the miners changed their
I clothing for miner's dress.
"Eric, I want to go down into the
mine. Won't you go with me? I want
to see again for myself what tlfe work
is, and besides there is n new pump at
the bottom that I want to look at."
j Erie consented, and the two soon had
on the miner's dress and were going
down the ladders. It was getting late in
the afternoon, and they left orders with
the engineer that when they gave the
signal from the bottom he might let
down the skip, and they would come
up in that.
For an hour they explored different
levels. Stuart was restless and seemed
Intent on realizing as fully as possible
just how the miners worked. He climb-
ed up into difficult places and even
fired off a blast in one chamber, using
one of the powder sticks left by the
and the men to be so wide and deep.
■ As has been said, it is doubtful if parts
of his speech were understood at all by
the men.
As soon as he finished there was a
great uproar of applause and shouts. j
Eric himself could not restore quiet
The committee politely asked Stuart
to leave the park while the union went
into a conference over bis proposals.
Stuart was glad to get away. lie felt
exhausted with his unusual effort.
It was 3 o'clock in the afternoon
when Erie came to the house with the
news of the decision reached by the j
miners' union. Stuart at once saw by
his face that the situation was serious. |
"The men voted by a large majority j
not to go back to work till all could go j
back on the same terms—that is, they j
demanded that all the mine owners rec
ognize the union and make terms with
it for all the men."
"Do you mean that the men who j
with the men who made possible his
wealth with their labor. 1 tell you.
Stuart, my heart is on Are with these
conditions, and no man knows how the
workingmen in this country feel unless
he lias been one himself. As to the
union, it is an organization that has
sprung up out of wrongs that are sim-
ply devilish in their human selfish-
ness."
Stuart sat with his head bowed dur-
ing this speech. Then he said gently:
"What if the union develops the same
kind of selfishness in the workingmen?
What then?"
"Then the workingmen will suffer
That is inevitable."
"What if the mine owners decide tc
put new men into the mines?"
"Then there will be trouble."
"Do you mean that you will incite
the men tc violence?"
"Good God, Stuart, you know I will
not! 1 shall use my utmost power tc
work in the Champion mines refuse to j prevent anything of the kind."
accept my offer of the wages they de-
mand?"
"Yes—that is, the Champion miuers
will not go back until the other owners
make the same terms you make and
make them to the union."
"Which means simply that this strike
Is a deadlock," replied Stuart decided-
ly, "for I know the men at Cleveland,
and they will never agree to any such
terms."
'The miners will not agree to any oth-
er." Eric spoke quietly, but sadly.
"Eric," said Stuart suddenly after a
pause, "tell me frankly, as brother to
brother, is this a reasonable step for
the men to take? Do you believe the
uniou will make anything by such ac-
tion? Is it just or fair?"
Eric's face worked under a passion-
ate feeling. Then he said: "The men
have a right to combine for mutual i time, not now.'
support. In this instance they feel j
driven to It by their condition. Why j
should not labor seek to defend Itself
as capital does? You—that is, I mean j
the mine owners generally—get togeth- J
er In a combine and fix wages. Why i
should not the miners get together and
have a say about it? We have been 1
working for years at the price set by j
men at a distance who never saw a !
mine or a miner, far less went down j
into the grouud to see what the labor
is. These meu sit in nice upholstered
offices iu elegant buildings aud make
it their business to get just as much
out of the Iron ore as they can. The
wages of the men are cut e\ery time
ore falls In price. Instead of taking It
out of their own large dividends iu tlie
years when they have made enormous
profits every time there is a depression
in file market they cut this end instead
of theirs. You know this is the case,
Stuart.
"Three years ago a dozen men In the
Iron industry grew to be millionaires
from the profits of this metal which
God put In the ground for the qpmmon
"But what if it cannot be prevented?'
Eric said nothing. His face changeo
with a torrent of feeling and passion
At last he and Eric stood at the bot-
tom of the mine. This was an excava-
tion about 14 feet across, and the wa-
ter ran in very much as if it had been
a cistern. By leaning back against the
ladders the light from 900 feet above
could be seen. Eric was sitting thus
with his back to the ladder rounds and
his feet in the water which ran over
the floor of the mine about four inches
deep aud Stuart was examining the
pump at the other side of the shaft
when a terrible thing happened. A
noise like the roar of a torrent grew
about these two men. and before Eric
could get out from his position against
the ladders a mass of iron ore came
rushing down the manhole, breaking
out rounds of tlie ladders as it fell. and.
bounding from side to side, struck Erie
on the shoulders with terrific force and
threw him face downward in the wa-
ter.
Stuart was at his side in a moment.
He raised him and by the light of the
candle in ti is hat saw the nature of the ! "ke mist over a ridge,
accident. He could not think whether
the mass had fallen or been thrown
lie luppnrtcl Rrin 'it b'st he. "tiillil.
ter was now above Bis knees aud rap
idly rising.
CHATTER III.
THE RESCUE.
As the facts of his position forced
themselves more clearly upon him, the
first excitemeut over. Stuart grew
calmer. The candle in his hat was
neaMy burned out, but he had another
one that, after the fashion of the min-
ers, he had thrust into his boot when
he changed his dress in the dryroom.
He pulled tills out aud lighted it, put-
ting it in the candle holder in place of
the piece so nearly gone.
Then he looked at the ladders care-
fully. The mass of broken ore which
had fallen down the manhole had bro-
ken out a dozen rounds at the very
foot of the ladder. By stretching up
to his full height Stuart could just
reach an unbroken round.
But what could he do with the dead
weight of Eric? He could never lift
him up that distance. For once and
only one swift second Stuart consider-
ed the thought of leaving Eric. It was
simply the love of life asserting itself.
Why should both men die? His death
would not save Eric. It was only a
second, and then he felt the shock of a
statement he made to himself that life
was not worth having if certain mem-
ories had always to be carried with
one. He could never abandon the man
who had once risked his life to save
him. when the danger was fully as
great as now.
"But, O God." Stuart cried out, "to
die drowned like a rat in a hole!" The
love of life was strong in him. He felt
the water rising more and more rapid-
ly. It was nearly to his waist now lie
felt the blood from the wound in his
shoulder warming his own side as lie
held up the unconscious body. Once
in awhile Eric stirred. Once he opened
his eyes, and Stuart thought he was re
covering. If only he could regain
enough strength to help himself even a
little! Stuart's mind went into a whirl
as he thought of all possible ways to
pull himself and Eric up even a short
distance But the bottom of the mine
was of such a shape that there were
no projections or slopes which afforded
even a foothold.
The fire at the top was evidently
blazing fiercely. Fragments of charred
wood dropped down the ore shaft.
Leaning over and looking up. Stuart
could see a great flaming mass of
twisted beams and iron rods curling
over the mouth of the shaft. He moved
over under the manhole, dragging Eric
with him, and looked up that. The
flames and smoke were sweeping over
He thought
"If it comes to that, let God be judge j purposely into the shaft. He dragged
if the owners and not the men are real-
ly the ones most to blame. 1 shall use
all my influence to prevent violence ot
lawlessness. The union has a right tc
combine for such wages as it thiuks
ate just. It has no right to prevent
other men from working at any wages j
they choose to take. Since I joined the
Salvation Army I have become con
viuced that the only permanent basis j
for any true settlement of labor and !
capital differences must be a religious
basis—that is, Christian."
Stuart listened with an interest be j
felt to be genuine. "How did you hap
peu to join the Salvation Army, Eric?"
"It's a long story. I'll tell you some I
"I've heard part of it, but I want yoti
to tell me all of It."
"I can't now I must go. I have
hardly had a minute's time to myself
since this movement came on. I must
be going now. You leave for Cleve-
land"—
"Tonight I want to be there to-
morrow I can tell beforehand what
the companies will say. Is there no
other way out of it?"
"I don't see any." replied Eric.
The two men shook bauds silently,
aud Eric went out.
Stuart went down on the uiglit ex-
press and next day at Cleveland was
iu conference with the other owners.
The result of the conference was what
lie had anticipated. The terms of the
union were rejected. It was decided
by the other owners that a force of
men should lie at once placed at work
with steam shovels on the stock piles
so as to move the ore, and in case
there was trouble the troops would be
called out. Stuart refused to take ae
tion on Iji&.own mines. He would not
Eric awaj from the foot of the ladder.
He was seriously injured. With the
one thought of getting him to the to,
as soon as possible Stuart seized th<
lever at the bottom of the ore shaff
and pulled it back as a signal to tin
engineer to let down the skip. Then
was no answering signal, and Stuart
pulled the wire rope again. Still no an
swer. He looked up through the mail
shaft. What was that? The pump liac
suddenly stopped below. But what was
that great light at the top? It must hi
nearly sundown now. Something wa:
on fire! The trutli flashed upon bin
that the engine house over the mait
shaft was on tire. The ladders afford
ed escape for a mau possibly, but no.
incumbered with a body, and a deac
body perhaps at that. Stuart dashec
instinct of life strong in him. lie drag
ged Eric over to the pump, which stood
just out of the water now, and by the
exercise of all his strength he managed
to place the body upon it in such a
way that it was two or three feet
above himself as be stood on the bot-
tom of the floor of the mine. The wa-
ter had risen now to his armpits and
was whirling around him in a great red
pool. He shuddered, it looked so like
blood in the light of the candle. The
movement he had made with Eric, to-
gether with the contact with the cold
water, had roused him. He stirred and
even spoke feebly.
"Where are we?" he muttered.
"You have been hurt, Eric."
Erie groaned and closed his eyes.
Then he opened them again, and the
water in Eric's face, and he groaned sjK|lt 0f Stuart's pale face seemed to
that even at that distance he could see
that the ladders at the top had caught
and were blazing fantastically.
He gave up all hope. Still, with the I tunnel let into the side of the hill at a
art could Tiear wor<Ts o7 encouragement
and then a voice speaking from the
point where the last round of the lad-
der remained, saying very distinctly
and in eveu precise English, "Who la
there?"
"It Is I, Stuart Duncan. I am here
with Erie, and lie Is burt and helpless.
I can't lift him up alone."
"t Always believed Iu being on time,"
replied 'he voice. "If you can move up
und"r the foot of the shaft I will throw
you this rope."
S'uart lifted Eric from his position
ami plunged over toward the ladder
bole The water was above his shoul-
ders. A rope was thrown, and he se-
cured it under Eric, who had again
fainted from the pain aud shock. Then
with an exercise of strength and skill
such as men possess in times of facing
death, the two men, one above and one
below, succeeded in drawing Eric up,
and the man above secured liim some-
how, while Stuart, using the sides of
the ladder for support, pulled himself
out. of that watery grave.
He wijs not a minute too soon, for
the water was flowing in more rapidly
now, and the large cavity at the bot-
tom being almost tilled the torrent be-
gan to rise in the shafts very fast. He
had no time to ask any questions of bis
rescuer. All three were in great peril.
The ladders were blazing above them
and the water rising below them. With
superhuman exertions they lifted Eric
up When they came to places where
the ladders were badly broken, they
were obliged to use their utmost skill
to move the body in safety. Once they
were so long about starting up again
that the water caught up with them,
and Stuart, who was the last one, felt
the torrent swirling around his feet.
At last, after a struggle that left
them completely exhausted, they
reached the first drift from the bot-
tom There was a wooden platform
here, and the drift ran out into the
sides of the bill several hundred feet.
Stuart and bis unknown rescuer lean-
ed a moment panting against the side
of the wall, while Eric lay on the plat-
form to all appearances lifeless.
"We can't stay here long," gasped
Stuart. "See the water coming up!"
He pointed down the black wfill from
which they had climbed so painfully.
The rushing water and the falling in of
ore banks made a terrifying uproar
about them.
"We can get out on this level," re-
plied his companion.
"What! How's that? We are 800
feet below ground here."
"The old Beury shaft opens into this
drift. I walked in here this afternoon
myself. Here is where 1 heard you
shout for help. There! Don't you feel
that breeze blowing through the drift?"
Stuart turned his face and felt the
passing of a cool wave of air. Anil
then it flashed across his memory that
several years before, when a boy, lie
had himself climbed down into the old
Beury shaft, which opened up on the
side of the hill, and made his way to
the level of the Davis mine where lit;
now stood. The mines were some-
times connected in this way, though
the abandoned passage would often be-
come choked and blocked up by falling
masses of ore.
But there was no time to lose, even
with this unexpected avenue of escape.
The two men caught up Eric and hur-
ried as fast as their burden would, al-
low up the passage connecting tins
main with the deserted shaft. After
walking with their burden about 200
feet the drift turned abruptly to the
right and began to ascenil sharply. It
grew more difficult to carry Eric, but
the danger from the water was now
over. The old passage was really
He was not dead, but unconscious. Anc
then the whole situation forced itseh
Into Stuart's mind He was h prisonet
witli a helpless wounded ma" at the
bottom of a mine 000 feet deep. the en
gine bouse was on fire or some accident
bail happened to prevent tin- loweritiB
of the skip, the pumps had stopped, anil
the water in the mine was rising rapid i
ly. It was half way to his Un<*es now.
lie pulled the lever again and again
and iu his excitement shouted like a
madman There was no answer from
above. The manhole ladders were still
clear. Even as they were, with the
broken places, he was strong and vig
orons and could climb out. But not
with the burden of Eric. At that mo-
ment a charred fragment of wood float
ed down the ore shaft aud dropped
hissing in the water, lie realized that
he stood iu the presence of death. He
offered a prnyer for help, lie sup
ported Eric as best he could. The wa-
tell him a part of the truth. The water
was running over the hand of his right
arm, which hung down helpless from
his wounded shoulder. He roused him
self, evidently with the greatest ilitti
culty.
"You will drown. Leave me. I am
dying anyway."
"No. no. Eric. I will not leave you
here alone!" Stuart spoke calmly, al-
most cheerfully. Eric's face was droop-
ing over close to Stuart's shoulder.
Stuart kissed his cheek and at that
very moment he heard a man's voice,
the sweetest sound ho ever heard,
echoing down the ladder shaft.
He shouted back iu reply and wait-
ed. Again the cry came iu response
Some one was coming down the lad-
ders to the rescue. Whoever he was lie
was evidently coming as fast as the
nature of the passage would allow, for
the next time the cry was uttered Stu-
sharp incline Instead of a shaft sunk
down vertically from above. When
they bad reached a point above the im-
mediate reach of the water, they sank
down exhausted again, and by the
flickering light Stuart first noticed who
bis rescuer was.
"1 haven't any cards with me, but I'll
Introduce myself," he said in a tone
that made Stuart smile, and yet there
was nothing flippant or lacking in seri-
ousness about the man. "1 am the new-
minister at the church ;vith the clock
in the tower—St. John's. I arrived In
Champion two days ago. My name is
Andrew Burke. You are Mr. Duncan,
the mine owner? I am glad to meet
you."
He reached out his hand, and Stuart
took it, clasping it over the body of
Eric. He felt a strange thrill as he did
so. Somehow the peculiar formality of.
the man's speech struck him as a token
of a special kind of strength. He
seemed to feel that here was a man
who, whatever his oddities, was pos-
sessed of qualities that were really
very rare and valuable.
"1 owe you my life and that of my
friend here." he said. "It all seem*
very strange to me, your nppearance.
1 had given myself up for lost. 1
thould certainly have drowned if you
bail not appeared."
"Yes; 1 think you would—that is, un-
less you had left the body of youi
friend here, and you don't look like the
kind of man to do that. But we ought
to move on. We need to get him to the
doctor as soon as possible. My appear-
ance here is vjtiy simple, and I can Jell
[to be continued. 1