America 1881: They Call Me Legend

Chapter 399 The Eve of the Storm
Billy O'Neill seemed like an honest and honest man.

At least that's the impression he left on Holly during the time he spent with him.

No matter what it is, I either don’t express my opinion, or even if I express my opinion, it’s "hmmmmm, okay, okay".

This made the blond boy a little confused.

If this is the case, then why does the bearded man keep staring at him like an enemy?

This is their second week in Stone Springs.

The situation is much more complicated than Hawley had imagined.

The Knights of Labor had no chapter in Wyoming, but a simple liaison organization at Stone Springs to develop membership in the coal mines.

In addition, there is also a local white group in Shiquan Township, which is rooted in extreme anti-China ideas, called "Rock Springs White Mutual Aid Association."

Strictly speaking, the organization is a branch of the "3K" party.

The members of this group overlap with the miners of the Knights of Labor, and some are members of gangs of unknown origin.

Their leader was named Marvin Hayden.

The Labor Knights Hall at the entrance of the town rang the bell again.

This is a call for a strike meeting.

Holly came out from where he lived.

A group of workers flocked to the mouth of the town from the direction of No. [-] well, while another wave of workers came out from No. [-] well.

These people passed by the edge of the Chinese district, crossed the wooden bridge over the river, and walked towards the entrance of the town.

When Hawley and the crowd came to the Labor Knights Hall, it was crowded with people inside and out.

"Excuse me, please let me go."

He turned sideways and squeezed in through the gap.

Several stools formed a circle, and a few people who could talk sat face to face on the waiting stools, while others stood behind them.

O'Neill saw Hawley, smiled and waved at him, pointing to an empty stool next to him.

"A strike is inevitable and we are all prepared."

A miner with a gray beard was speaking.

He is the temporary head of the Labor Knights of Shiquan Town, named Thomas Hanks.

He looked at O'Neill:
"I don't know when the preparations at the headquarters will start."

"Anytime," O'Neill said, with a polite smile on his face.

"Hey, no, strikes are only effective if they form a linkage. Unity is our weapon." Hanks was a little anxious.

"Well, yes, not bad."

O'Neill nodded, expressing support for Hanks' statement.

"You also know that unity and linkage are effective?"

A burly man sitting on the stool next to him suddenly spoke.

The burly man has blond curly hair, but it looks more brown because of the soot.

He folded his hands on his chest and looked at Hanks coldly.

The white miners in Stone Springs were mainly Irish and Swedish.

This is the leader of the Swedish workers, Larson.

"What's the use of our strike alone? People will turn around and hire those Chinese workers. They are cheap and obedient."

He said grumpily.

O'Neill turned to look at him and nodded:

"Yes, Not Bad."

"Then what can we do? The government's orders have been issued, but they don't want to leave, why don't I ask them if they want to go on strike together?"

Hanks spread his hands.

"Although they don't like to talk, they are not bad people. We have worked together in a mine for a long time."

"Hmph, if you want me to tell you, just tell them to leave! I'm fed up with these scabs!" Larson said angrily.

"But they are more numerous than us, how can we let them go? Fight in groups?" Hanks confronted each other.

While the two were still arguing, O'Neill had already looked at Marvin Hayden who was sitting aside.

The man was picking his own nose and seemed uninterested in the discussion of the two union members.

"What do you think? Mr. Hayden?" O'Neal asked with a smile.

Hayden made a ball of the dirt that had come out of his nostril and bounced it.

He lazily stood up:
"Let me tell you, you're all softies."

"What did you say?"

"Can you say that again!"

Hayden's words aroused considerable repercussions in the lobby, and everyone was enraged by his provocation and scolded them one after another.

"I said! You! You are all! Softass!" Hayden glanced at Hanks contemptuously, "Are you afraid of these Chinese?"

"So what if there are too many people?"

He lifted up his coat, revealing the revolver at his waist, with a proud expression on his face.

"You guys with guns are actually afraid of those unarmed yellow mules? Huh?"

Hayden's little finger, which had just picked his nostrils, now has his ears pierced.

"Those people, when they heard the gunshots, ran faster than rabbits."

"But they will come back after running away." Hanks asked, "The Pacific Company will also hire Chinese workers from other places."

"Then, kill them!"

"Burn their houses, make those Chinese workers homeless, let them bring fear to other people, and make this place a hell for Chinese workers."

O'Neill still had a smile on his face, but he said cruel words.

Holly never imagined that such words would come from the mouth of O'Neill, who seemed harmless to humans and animals.

"I don't know how many of you have experienced the Negros Street incident in Los Angeles more than ten years ago and the San Francisco incident eight years ago."

O'Neill also stood up and looked around at the crowd.

"I've been through it."

"Back then, we faced the same threat that Stone Springs faces now!"

"Those damned Chinese laborers are colluding with the bosses to take our jobs!"

"We resisted! We succeeded!"

"It doesn't matter how many of these Chinese laborers there are! They are silent, just like those grass-eating livestock. As soon as you shoot, 'bang'! They will panic and run around."

O'Neill tilted the corner of his mouth, which made the smile on his face look extremely ferocious.

"They are scattered, and there is nothing to fear."

"Brothers, pick up the guns in your hands! Kill them! Let them disappear from Shiquan Town completely. Only in this way can our strike be effective."

O'Neill waved his fist.

Larson and Hayden followed closely behind and raised their arms and shouted, the crowd in the Knights Hall was excited for a while, whistles!The shouts became one piece.

Hanks opened his mouth, but still didn't say anything.

Holly looked at the people around him, feeling a little dazed.

They all seemed crazy, as if they all had a sworn feud with Hua Gong.

Even in the morning, they worked together in the mine, pushing the mine cart out of the mine together.

Next, O'Neill began to arrange a specific attack time and plan.

He wasn't worried at all that the Chinese laborers across the river knew about these things.

So what if you know?
Will someone come to help them?
And on the other side of the river, Shaft [-].

The wooden door of the coal mine manager's office was pushed open with a bang.

The supervisor of the mine broke in with a look of distress:
"Manager, those white workers are gone again."

The manager was reading the newspaper, and when he heard this, he immediately stood up from his chair.

"Run away? On strike?" He helped his eyes and asked eagerly.

"I don't know. A group of people seem to have gone to the town for a meeting. Not only from the No. [-] well, but also from the No. [-] well. If you don't believe me, look at the manager!"

The supervisor walked to the door and pointed in the direction of the town entrance.

The mine manager hurried out the door.

The small wooden house used as an office is on a hillside. From the door, you can clearly see the situation at the entrance of the town.

There, in the direction of the Labor Knights' Hall, a large number of people gathered inside and outside the house.

"Damn the union." The manager cursed with his arms akimbo, but there was nothing he could do.

"Riley, Mr. Riley, is it convenient to talk now?"

A sentence of not very standard English came from behind the manager.

The manager turned his head and found that it was a Chinese laborer who was standing there respectfully, hesitating.

"Damn it, are you going to go on strike with them too?" Riley pointed at the entrance of the town and yelled at Hua Gong.

"Uh, no, sir, our workers are all at their posts." Hua Gong replied cautiously.

"Oh, tell me, what do you want from me?" The manager's tone became a little more kind.

"Riley, Mr. Riley, you know, these white workers must take some action against us." Hua Gong looked at the manager eagerly, "My people and I are in a very dangerous situation."

Riley rolled his eyes and walked to Hua Gong's side, putting his hands on his shoulders:

"Liao, don't worry, the company will take care of these things." He comforted, "Nothing will happen, you can go back to your post as soon as possible."

The Chinese worker named Liao Dabai saw Riley's tone so determined that he swallowed everything he wanted to say.

"The manager said that the company will solve it, so the company will definitely solve it. What are you still doing here?" The supervisor waved at him impatiently.

Liao Dabai had no choice but to turn around and walk down the hillside.

"What shall we do now?"

After Liao Dabai's figure disappeared, the supervisor asked.

"How the hell do I know what to do? Do you want to be beaten to death by those white workers?"

Riley shot the overseer angrily.

He sighed.

"After the matter is over, I will find a way to report to the headquarters and see what they can do."

(End of this chapter)