Page:Stanwood Pier--The ancient grudge.djvu/425

414 went into session. Day after day they sat, patiently scrutinizing and weighing every detail. For more than a week Floyd was able to give almost uninterrupted attention to this task. No problems arose at New Rome to demand his special care. The daily reports from Gregg showed that the town, though idle, was orderly, and that the incessant patrolling and picketing of the union men was on the whole of a peaceable nature. Stewart seemed to be the most active agent for the enemy, and even he was using somewhat less intemperate language than that in which he had first assailed Floyd. How much this modification was due to the quiet influence of Lydia or to the correction of the more astute union leaders, Floyd could not guess; at any rate in the newspaper reports of the speeches which Stewart was making nightly to men of various trades there was no personal attack; the economic and humanitarian aspects of the struggle were those with which the advocate dealt. Besides putting forth these efforts, Stewart conducted a column in the Evening Telegram inviting subscriptions to a fund, under the heading, "For Families of Men Locked Out of Employment." He announced in this column that, although there was no immediate need of aid, winter was approaching, and in the event of a protracted struggle, which now seemed only too probable in view of the obstinacy and relentlessness of the management, suffering was to be expected. He felt that steps to relieve this could not be taken too early, and he called on every one who sympathized with brave fighters for liberty to give even the smallest assistance. He himself headed the list of contributions to the fund with one thousand dollars. In comparison with this amount the other subscriptions that he was able to publish looked ludicrously—or pathetically—small. Stewart had not been successful in enlisting the interest of any of his wealthy friends in his charitable purpose. When he had approached two or three men in whose liberality of view he had had reason to believe, he had been bluntly