respecting American workman," I said.

Turning now to the chairman of the blast-furnaces committee, an
Irishman named Kelly, I addressed the same question to him:

"Mr. Kelly, have we an agreement with you covering the remainder of
this year?"

Mr. Kelly answered that he couldn't say exactly. There was a paper
sent round and he signed it, but didn't read it over carefully, and
didn't understand just what was in it. At this moment our
superintendent, Captain Jones, excellent manager, but impulsive,
exclaimed abruptly:

"Now, Mr. Kelly, you know I read that over twice and discussed it with
you!"

"Order, order, Captain! Mr. Kelly is entitled to give his explanation.
I sign many a paper that I do not read--documents our lawyers and
partners present to me to sign. Mr. Kelly states that he signed this
document under such circumstances and his statement must be received.
But, Mr. Kelly, I have always found that the best way is to carry out
the provisions of the agreement one signs carelessly and resolve to be
more careful next time. Would it not be better for you to continue
four months longer under this agreement, and then, when you sign the
next one, see that you understand it?"

There was no answer to this, and I arose and said:

"Gentlemen of the Blast-Furnace Committee, you have threatened our
firm that you will break your agreement and that you will leave these
blast furnaces (which means disaster) unless you get a favorable
answer to your threat by four o'clock to-day. It is not yet three, but
your answer is ready. You may leave the blast furnaces. The grass will
grow around them before we yield to your threat. The worst day that
labor has ever seen in this world is that day in which it dishonors
itself by breaking its agreement. You have your answer."

The committee filed out slowly and there was silence among the
partners. A stranger who was coming in on business met the committee
in the passage and he reported:

"As I came in, a man wearing spectacles pushed up alongside of an
Irishman he called Kelly, and he said: 'You fellows might just as well
understand it now as later. There's to be no d----d monkeying round
these works.'"

That meant business. Later we heard from one of our clerks what took
place at the furnaces. Kelly and his committee marched down to them.
Of course, the men were waiting and watching for the committee and a
crowd had gathered. When the furnaces were reached, Kelly called out
to