is why the Mooseheart grounds are filled with lilac bushes。
As soon as we landed in Sharon I started out to earn money。 Those feather beds were on my mind and I couldn't rest easy until we should replace them。 Neither could the rest of the family。 I have often told how I scraped up some capital and invested it in a shoe…shining outfit。 Nearly every traveling man who came to the hotel allowed me to shine his shoes。 The townsfolk let their shoes go gray all week； but the gay commercial travelers all were dudes and dressed like Sunday every day。 They brought the new fashions to town and were looked upon as high…toned fellows。 Their flashy get…up caught the girls； which made the town…boys hate them。 But I liked them very well because they brought me revenue。 〃Where a man's treasure is； there is his heart also；〃 says the proverb； and my experience proved it true。 On my first visit to the hotel I got acquainted with the landlord and he put me on his pay…roll。 Behind the hotel was a cow pen where the milk
for the guests was drawn fresh from the cows。 The cows had to be driven to a pasture in the morning and back at night。 I got a dollar and a quarter a month for driving the cows。 And so I had found a paying job within thirty days after landing in America。 The cost of pasturage was a dollar a month for each cow。 That was less than four cents a day for cow feed to produce two gallons of milk； or about two cents a gallon。 The wages of the girls who milked them and my wages for driving them amounted to three cents a gallon。 In other words； the cost of labor in getting the milk from the cows more than doubled the cost of the milk。 This was my first lesson in political economy。 I learned that labor costs are the chief item in fixing the price of anything。
The less labor used in producing milk； the cheaper the milk will be。 The reason wages were high in America was because America was the land of labor…saving machinery。 Little labor was put on any product； and so the product was cheap； like the landlord's milk。 In the iron industry； for instance； the coal mines and iron ore lay near the mills； as the landlord's pasture was near his hotel。 To bring the coal and ore to the blast furnaces took little labor； just as my driving in the cows cost the landlord but four cents a day。 Next to the blast furnaces stood the mixer； the Bessemer open hearth furnaces； the ingot stripper building； the soaking pits and then the loading yards with their freight cars where the finished product in the form of wire； rails or sky…scraper steel is shipped away。
Because the landlord had his cows milked at the back door of his hotel the milk was still warm when it was carried into his kitchen。 And so the steel mills are grouped so closely that a single heat sometimes carries the steel from the Bessemer hearth through all the near…by machines until it emerges as a finished product and is loaded on the railroad cars while it is still warm。 It was this saving of labor and fuel that made American steel the cheapest steel in the world。 And that's why the wages of steel and iron workers in America are the highest in the world。
Father was in the mills getting these good wages； though no puddler was ever paid for all the work he does； and all of us young Davises were eager to grow up so that we could learn the trade and get some of that good money ourselves。 My hands itched for labor； and I wanted nothing better than to be big enough to put a finger in this industry that was building up America before my very eyes。 I have always been a doer and a builder； it was in my blood and the blood of my tribe； as it is born in the blood of beavers。 When I meet a man who is a loafer and a destroyer； I know he is alien to me。 I fear him and all his breed。 The beaver is a builder and the rat is a destroyer； yet they both belong to the rodent race。 The beaver harvests his food in the summer； he builds a house and stores that food for the winter。 The rat sneaks to the food stores of others： he eats what he wants and ruins the rest and then runs and hides in his hole。 He lives in the builder's house； but he is not a builder。 He undermines that house； he is a rat。
Some men are by nature beavers； and some are rats； yet they all belong to the human race。 The people that came to this country in the early days were of the beaver type and they built up America because it was in their nature to build。 Then the rat…people began coming here； to house under the roof that others built。 And they try to undermine and ruin it because it is in their nature to destroy。 They call themselves anarchists。
A civilization rises when the beaver…men outnumber the rat…men。 When the rat…men get the upper hand the civilization falls。 Then the rats turn and eat one another and that is the end。 Beware of breeding rats in America。
CHAPTER IX
THE SCATTERED FAMILY
For three years after we came to Sharon I went to school； and in my spare time worked at my shoe shining and other odd jobs。 We had bought feather beds again and our little home was a happy one。 By hanging around the depot spotting traveling men who needed a shine； or their grips carried； I got acquainted with the telegraph agent。 And so I got the job of telegraph messenger boy。
Few telegrams were sent； and then only when somebody died。 So whenever I carried a telegram I knew that I was the bearer of bad news。 Accidents happened in the mines and iron mills。 And when a man was killed； it often meant his wife and babies would face hunger； for the jobs were not the kind for women and children； muscular men were needed。 Aside from the occupation of housewife； there was nothing for a woman to do in those days except to take in washing or sewing。
Of the many death messages that I bore to the workers' homes in Sharon； few found a home that was able to last a day after the burial of the bread…winner。 He had failed to make provision for such an accident；no savings in the bank； no life insurance。 As soon as the worker was stricken his children were at the mercy of the world。 I saw so much of this； that the pity of it entered deep into my boy…heart and never afterward could I forget it。
I talked with the station agent； the banker and the hotel keeper。 The station agent had money in the bank which he was saving to educate his boy to be a telegrapher。 He also carried life insurance。 〃If I should die；〃 he said； 〃my wife would collect enough insurance to start a boarding…house。 My boy would have money enough to learn a trade。 Then he could get as good a job as I have。〃 The hotel keeper told me that if he should die his wife could run the hotel just the same； it being free of debt and earning enough money so that she could hire a man to do the work he had been doing。 The banker owned bonds and if he died the bonds would go right on earning money for his children。
These men were capitalists and their future was provided for。 Most of the mill…workers were only laborers； they had no capital and the minute their labors ended they were done for。 The workers were kind…hearted； and when a fellow was killed in the mill or died of sickness they went to his widow and with tears in their eyes reached into their pockets and gave her what cash they had。 I never knew a man to hang back when a collection for a widow was being taken。 Contributions sometimes were as high as five dollars。 It made a heartrending scene： the broken body of a once strong man lying under a white sheet； the children playing around and laughing （if they were too young to know what it meant）； the mother frantic with the thought that her brood was now homeless； and the big grimy workers wiping their tears with a rough hand and putting silver dollars into a hat。
With this money and the last wages of the dead man； the widow paid for the funeral and sometimes bought a ticket to the home of some relative who would give her her 〃keep〃 in return for her labor in the house。 Other relatives might each take one of the children 〃to raise；〃 who； thus scattered； seldom if ever got together again。 When I became an iron worker there were several fellows in our union who didn't know whether they had a relative on earth。 One of them； Bill Williams； said to me： 〃Jim； no wonder you're always happy。 You've got so many brothers that there's always two of you together； whether it's playing in the band； on the ball nine or working at the furnace。 If I had a brother around I wouldn't get the blues the way I do。 I've got some brothers somewhere in this world； but I'll probably never know where they are。〃
Then he told how his father had died when he was three years old。 There were several children； and they were taken by relatives。 He was sent to his grandmother； whose name was Williams。 That was not his name。 Before he was seven both his grandparents died and he was taken by a farmer who called him Bill。 The farmer did not send him to school and he grew up barely able to write his name； Will Williams； which was not his real name。 He didn't even know what his real name was。
〃Probably my brothers are alive；〃 he said； 〃but what chance have I got of ever finding them when I don't know what the family name is。 Maybe they've all got new names now like I have。 Maybe I've met my own brothers and we never knew it。 I'd give everything in the world； if I had it； to look into a man's face and know that he was my brother。 It must be a wonderful feeling。〃
These things are the tragedies of the poor。 And although such a misfortune never happened to me； this problem stared me in the face when I began carrying those fatal telegrams。 I tackled the problem with a boyish mind。 I soon resolved it into these propositions：
When a laborer dies his little children are scattered to the winds。 Brothers and sisters may never see one another again。
When a man with property dies； his children are kept together。 Their future is made safe by the property。
Labor provides for to…day。 Property provides for to…morrow。
That truth was driven into my mind when I saw one family after another scattered by the death of a laborer。 A merchant in Sharon died； and his children； after the funeral； kept right on going to school。 There was no doubting the truth of my rule： Labor makes the present day safebut the present day only。 Capital