e
man who climbed down from the cab that morning on the "Q" was as far
ahead of the man who held the seat twenty years earlier, as an English
captain is ahead of the naked savage whose bare feet beat the sands of
the Soudan. By keeping clear of entangling alliances and carefully
avoiding serious trouble, the Brotherhood had, in the past ten years,
piled up hundreds of thousands of dollars. This big roll of the root of
all evil served now to increase the confidence of the leaders, and to
encourage the men to strike.

At each annual convention mayors, governors and prominent public men
paraded the virtues of the Brotherhood until its members came to regard
themselves as just a little bit bigger, braver and better than ordinary
mortals. Public speakers and writers were for ever predicting that in a
little while the Brotherhood would be invincible.[1] And so, hearing
only good report of itself the Brotherhood grew over-confident, and
entered this great fight top-heavy because of an exaggerated idea of its
own greatness.

[1] "_I dare say that the engineers' strike will end, as all strikes
have hitherto ended, in disaster to the strikers. But I am sure that
strikes will not always end so. It is only a question of time, and of a
very little time, till the union of labor shall be so perfect that
nothing can defeat it. We may say this will be a very good time or a
very bad time; all the same it is coming._"--_W. D. Howells, in Harper's
Weekly, April 21, 1888._

The Engineers' Brotherhood was not loved by other organizations. The
conductors disliked it, and it had made itself offensive to the firemen
because of its persistent refusal to federate or affiliate in any manner
with other organizations having similar aims and objects. But now,
finding itself in the midst of a hard fight, it evinced a desire to
combine. The brakemen refused to join the engine-men, though
sympathizing with them, but the switchmen were easily persuaded. The
switchman of a decade ago could always be counted upon to fight. In
behind his comb, tooth-brush and rabbit's foot, he carried a neatly
folded, closely written list of grievances upon which he was ready to do
battle. Peace troubled his mind.

Some one signed a solemn compact in which the engineers bound themselves
to support the switchmen--paying them as often as the engine-men drew
money--and the switchmen went out. They struck vigorously, and to a
man, and remained loyal long after the Brotherh