an Interborough Shop]

The next time I addressed a big shop meeting I gave the musician all
the minutes save three. Several hundreds of men stood around
me--disorganized, poorly paid men.

"Men," I said, "there is in this city a thing called the Civic
Federation. Its leaders are directly the owners of this shop. In it
are also leaders of labour, Mitchell and Gompers. There are several
bishops of various beliefs. Now the Civic Federation tells us--tells
the world--that it believes in labour unions. What I want to suggest
is this: A dozen of you get together; write a note to your masters and
ask them if that belief applies to _you_?"

Of course I knew it didn't apply to them, but I got very tired merely
telling the slaves to be good, and ended my service there in that way.
A spy at once informed the superintendent, and I was told--the
Y.M.C.A. was told--that I could never enter their shops again. The man
who succeeded me as a speaker at that shop, the following week, went
much further; he positively advised them to organize, for hardly in
the United States could one find greater need of organization.

CHAPTER XIX

I INTRODUCE JACK LONDON TO YALE

The last piece of work in New Haven was a master stroke. It was an
inoculation. Jack London was in the East and I persuaded him to pay
the comrades in New Haven a visit and make a speech. The theatres were
all engaged, so were the halls.

The new Y.M.C.A. hall could not be rented--for London. There was only
one hope left--Yale. I knew a student who was a Socialist. We outlined
a plan. London was a literary man; Yale had probably heard of him. The
Yale Union was canvassed. It was a Freshman debating society.
Certainly; they had read London's books--"The Call of the Wild," "The
Sea Wolf," etc.

"Well now, boys, here's your chance. Jack London can be had for a
lecture."

The Union had no money and Woolsey Hall cost fifty dollars. "That's
easy," I suggested, though I didn't have fifty cents at the time. That
seemed fine. "Of course," I said, as I remembered the empty Socialist
treasury, "we'll have to charge an admission fee of ten cents." That,
too, was all right. In case of frost or failure I promised to make
good so that the Union would have no responsibility. I meekly
suggested that as compensation for "risk involved" I would take the
surplus--if there was any.

"They say Jack London is Socialistically inclined, Doctor," said the
youthful president of the Y