Editor Magazine:

DENVER, COLO., Dec. 24, 1892.

It is Christmas eve and throughout the civilized world there is supposed to be rejoicing. It seems to me, however, that it is more a result of custom than of thought the occasion brings forth. Thousands of presents will be given that were secured by methods directly opposite those taught by the One whose birth they are in rememberance of. Our whole present social system is in opposition to it. "Peace on earth, good will toward men" is is not a fact. It is quite as near among those who never heard of Christ as among those who have. His apostles have been doing very poor work. If they had there would be fewer rich and more with real happiness tonight. He taught the necessity of bringing all men together. He organized his followers from among the toilers, and did not confine the number to any one occupation. He evidently saw that the first step toward the reform of the world was to break down castes, Yet after 1800 years, mankind is persuing the same methods prevalent at that time, division on craft and nationality lives, will it ever be otherwise.

This month we took a day off in respect to Jay Gould, or rather we were ordered to do so. Probably the respect would have been greater if we had been allowed to work, especially after most of us had come to the shop ready for work, and will be still greater for both Gould and his heirs if the time spent in coming to work that morning is paid for, as none of us knew nothing about mourning till we had got to the shop, consequently considerable cursing was done.

It is getting so now that more people can be forced to show respect to an individual under a republic, than was true of most kings, kingdom's within a democracy, a sort of a case of the use of sheeps clothing.

It is with sadness, however, that I can report the death of one of our shopmates, Greenlief Murch, who will be remembered by the thousands who have been employed in the shops here the past 18 years. Friend Murch had a heart that was generous to a fault, though he toiled steadily through a long life of 63 years, he died richer than Jay Gouldin friends, and he can rest as easily in the grave.

Everything is moving along as far as can be seen, smoothly at this point. Considerable overtime has been worked lately in some departments. Business on the road seems to be good.

After three weeks of severe winter weather, Colorado seems herself again to-day, warm and bright.

Business generally in the city is reported very dull for this time of the year, It is a poor place to be seeking employment in for there is an unusual large number of idle men.

Our State legislature will be in session in about two weeks, and it is hoped to see some beneficial measures made law by it.

A new set of State officers will take their seats on the 10th of January. Men who were elected on the broad platform of the Omaha convention

of last July, of equal rights to all and special privileges to none. Their official lives will be watched very closely, they and the party who elected them will be held more strictly responsi

ble by the people than if they had been elected by one of the old parties from whom no one would expect anything, consequently much of the future of the political reform movement depends on their wisdom, perhaps much more than ought to be.

Our Local Assembly is taking in new members right along, though the extreme cold weather the past few weeks has cut down the attendance

We are now enjoying real frigid weather, the ground carpeted with the beautiful snow, and the earth crusted hard by the congelation of the fluid matter therein. From a cold atmosphere commercial pursuits are bright and work mqre abundant than for the last few years. It seems to me the spirit of all classes are more buoyant than heretofore. That we have passed through the darkest clouds of depression, with a bright starry firmanent in sight. Leisure and intelectually should be the goal of our life. Not avariciousness or crabing for something worldly that is not in our reach by legitimate means. Contentment is the best fortune, is an old adage, but a poor one as the world retrogrades instead of advancing under such a policy. The company pays the men here on the sixteenth of every month promptly, and is highly appreciated by the men and others. The working time is as reported last month from here in these columns.

Business on the road good. Work in the different departments of the shops, normal. Local assembly 3694 K. of L. held their ninth annual ball at Union Club Hall Wyandote on Thanksgiving eve, which was a success in every particular. K. of L. men that we elected to good paying positions in the city and county made themselves conspicious by their absence. In the future we are going to show these men that the purchasing of a few tickets is not going to buy our suffrage and influence, they can go to other balls and parties on the same night of our ball. If it was not for the Knights of Labor they would not have the financial means to do so, and full well we know it and they too.

On the fifth instant Ed Charlton, general foreman here, resigned his position as such was succeeded by H. N, Weber. He leaves here with the best wishes of the men. So far there cannot be anything said against the present incumbment and from appearancss think will be all right. On the sixth instant the shops were closed down in comemoration of the death of Jay Gould of

New York and a stockholder in the Union Pacific railroad. I think from the language used by the men in general, that there would be more respect to his memory by them if allowed to work on the above date. The coldest day of this winter so far was the 20th inst., the murcury going down to

zero.

The company sent four machinists from here a week a go to Pocatello, Idaho, they were glad to shake the dust of Armstrong from their feet and probably inside of three months these same men will retrace their steps back again, penniless, such is railroading.

Ed Charlton, late general forman, is back again in the machine shop at work at the air pump business. All the men greet him with a pleasant smile on their face and he reprocates their friendship in his own inimitable way. The second new engines is fast nearing completion. The boiler

work of the third is under fall headway. Jack Stokes, a plasterer by trade, a politician by chance of convivial properisies and a man well and favorably known in the two cities came to his death suddenly on the 20th instant by falling out of his buggy, striking his head on the frozen ground and breaking his neck. He was a member of the K. af L. and of the K. P. James Murray, proprietor of the Kaw Valley Hotel here, fell off the porch of his hotel to the congealed ground below, sustained two broken wrists, head punctured and received internal injuries, he is in a precarious condition, he is worthy of mention in the MAGAZINE on the account of his past history. The machinist held their second annual Ball at Union Club Hall Wyandote on the night of the 21st instant, the merry crowd were masked. It was a grand success both socially and financially.

AU BOUT DE SON.

The following lines on the death of Barny McDonald, the Union Pacific engineer killed near Grand Island, we take from the North Platte Telegraph:

Dead at his post, no flinching there,
Though horrid death in his face did stare,

And the terrible crash, and the steam's loud

roar

Of colliding trains, told all hope was o'er Yet bravely he stood at the post of death,

With blanched white face, and bated breath

And thought of wife and friends who sat,

Speak not of heroes in the rank of war,
When destruction rides on this blood-stained car
When brute-like passion, in the soul is rife
That seeks to destroy human life;
The laurals then gathered for the warrior's
wreath,

Are the blood and sighs of a peoples death.
But the hero, who steady and calmly stands,
With iron nerves and steady hands,
Though death he sees with a throbbing brain,

He will save the lives in his rushing train.

Such is the hero who nobly dies.
At his post, for his charge-a sacrifice.

And such was he who perished here,
Whose name shall dwell in memory dear,
And his wife shall tell, with a sad, fond pride,
At his post of duty her husband died,
Then rest to his ashes. Oh! calmly rest,
The cold, damp sod, on his manly breast.
To the depot of bliss! Dear Mac., farewell!
May his spirit go where angels dwell,

-L. C. REN, Bellwood, Neb.

WANTED.

Wanted: Men,

Not systems fit and wise,
Not faiths with rigid eyes,
Not wealth in mountain piles,
Not power with gracious smiles.
Not even the potent pen;
Wanted: Men,

Wanted: Deeds,

Not words of winning note,
Not of thoughts of life remote,
Not fond religious airs,

Not sweety languid prayers,
Not love of scent and creeds;
Wanted: Deeds,

Men and Deeds,
Men that can dare and do,
Not longings for the new,
Not pratlings of the old;
Good life, and action bold-
These the occasion needs;

Men and Deed.

-The Christian Commonwealth.

North Platte.

But ah! she must wait till time is o'er

For the husband shall come no more.

He sees the danger, too late, too late,

To avert that sad, that fearful fate,

And he things of his charge, in the cars behind
As to death he rushed quick as the wind.
All that man could do he did to save
His human freight from the bloody grave.
He succeeded well in the horrid strife,
He saved his freight but he lost his life.

ment or with pen;

Before the law made citizens, the moral law made

men,

Law stands for human rights, but when it fails

those rights to give,

Then let law die, my brother, but let human beings live.

-Rev. Miller Hageman

Shame of poverty is as bad as pride of wealth.

..378, 187, 218, 250, 253, 285, 311, 347
Sterling, Colo ..................

29 Scofield..

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