338 THE FAT OF THE LAND 



and had experienced, for the first time, real dif- 

 ficulties in finding anything like good help. 

 Hitherto I had been especially fortunate in this 

 regard. I had met some reverses, but in the 

 main good luck had followed me. I had nine 

 good men who seemed contented and who were 

 all saving money, an excellent sign of stability 

 and contentment. Even Lars had not fallen 

 from grace but once, and that could hardly be 

 charged against him, for Jack and Jarvis had 

 tempted him beyond resistance ; while Sam's 

 nose was quite blanched, and he was to all 

 appearances firmly seated on the water wagon. 

 Really, I did not know what labor troubles 

 meant until 1898, but since then I have not had 

 clear sailing. 



From my previous experience with working- 

 men, I had formed the opinion that they were 

 reasoning and reasonable human beings, with 

 peculiarities, of course ; and that as a class they 

 were ready to give good service for fair wages 

 and decent treatment. In early life I had been 

 a working-man myself, and I thought I could 

 understand the feelings and sympathize with the 

 trials of the laborer from the standpoint of per- 

 sonal experience. I was sorely mistaken. The 

 laboring man of to-day is a different proposition 

 from the man who did manual labor before the 

 war." That he is more intelligent, more provi- 

 dent, happier, or better in any way, I sincerely 

 doubt ; that he is restless, dissatisfied, and less 



