Again, it would have been better to remain and find the trouble;
but as there was no extra coil to be had in the village, it seemed
fairly prudent to start on and get as far as possible. Possibly
the coil would hold out to Worcester; anyway, the road is a series
of villages, some larger than Brookfield, and a coil might be
found at one of them.

When within two miles of Spencer the spark gave out again; this
time no amount of coaxing would bring it back, so there was
nothing to do but appeal to a farmer for a pair of horses to pull
the machine into his yard. The assistance was most kindly given,
though the day was Sunday, and for him, his men and his animals,
emphatically a day of rest.

Only twice on the entire trip were horses attached to the machine;
but a sparking coil is absolutely essential, and when one gives
out it is pretty hard to make repairs on the road. In case of
necessity a coil may be unwound, the trouble discovered and
remedied, but that is a tedious process. It was much easier to
leave the machine for the night, run into Worcester on the trolley
which passed along the same road, and bring out a new coil in the
morning.

Monday happened to be Labor Day, and it was only after much
trouble that a place was found open where electrical supplies
could be purchased. In addition to a coil, the electrician took
out some thoroughly insulated double cable wire; the wiring of the
machine had been so carelessly done and with such light, cheap
wire that it seemed a good opportunity to rewire throughout.

The electrician--a very competent and quick workman he proved to
be--was so sure the trouble could not be in the coil that he did
not wish to carry out a new one.

When ready to start, we found the trolley line blocked by a Labor
Day parade that was just beginning to move. The procession was
unusually long on account of striking trades unionists, who turned
out in force. As each section of strikers passed, the electrician
explained the cause of their strike, the number of men out, and
the length of time they had been out.

It seemed too bad that big, brawny, intelligent men could find no
better way of adjusting differences with employers than by
striking.

A strike is an expensive luxury. Three parties are losers,--the
community in general by being deprived for the time being of
productive forces; the employers by loss on capital invested; the
employees by loss of wages. The loss to the community, while v