Mary Heaton Vorse

“ Tessie's sister warned her. "He don't spend money on a girl for nothin'."
"He's goin' to get stung then," Tessie answered. "He's stung everybody else—it's his turn now."
Tessie's visit was almost over, and the madness for her was in Tarleton's blood, and time was against him. He relaxed his grip ever so lightly on the mine. Ever so little the hold of the men slipped from him, and a venal mine boss must be as watchful as a lookout in a storm.
What worried Tarleton was that he needed money. Like easy-come money, it was easy-go. He was always hard up. ”

“ One of the men higher up had informed Allen that this was a good time for "that pirate Tarleton to quit his funny business"—war-time was no time for mine bosses to get gay, and Allen had better give Tarleton a hint.
A mine boss has legitimate power, but an unscrupulous boss can use this power in illegitimate ways. There was talk in the Range, plenty of it, of men buying good shifts from their bosses, for a man is paid by the number of tons of ore he mines. ”

“ There are hard places that yield little ore, and soft shifts that yield a great deal, and men who had worked to good ore found themselves suddenly transferred and their places given to a boss's favorite. There were other ways in which a boss who needed a piece of change could get it—he could engage in a raffle, for instance. The men—in theory—didn't have to take a chance. If any one wanted to complain, let him complain to the company and see what happened—they don't believe in collective bargaining on the Range. ”

“ And the men streamed down the road which uncoils its lengths past the grim regiments of blackened stumps of the fire-swept country, past the sanguinary scars of the open-pit mines, and wherever they went others joined them. ”

“ There's plenty o' comp'ny officers that's all right—they want steady men like Joe."
Tarleton had drawn himself up. His manner expressed worth and gravity, but Allen saw the devil glancing and gleaming in his eye.
"Young lady," he said, severely, yet with kindness, "I admire the way you stick up for your folks, but you been misinformed. Every time I have to change men on their shift, there's a howl I been bribed. There's a howl every time such things happen; but why don't they howl to me? Tell me that." He addressed Allen, his jaws stuck out, his dangerous violent face ablaze. ”

“ Again the accusing nod in Tarleton's direction. "Took a married man's good shift from him an' gave it to one o' the unmarried ones, an' got a rake-off—an' my poor sister not off her bed yet. Took him off a shift where he was makin' maybe five a day, an' put him on one that couldn't keep body and soul together. They think if they come to the comp'ny to complain they'll get fired." Here her voice rose menacingly. "Let 'em fire Joe, an' I'll go up and down the Range an' tell every comp'ny officer there is what Mister Tarleton's doin' to Dawes Hole." ”