Progress of the work—1881. get your money you will lose your train. You had better get your money as soon as you can, and go.’
The men looked very sheepish, went to the pay-office and got their money, and the works were absolutely deserted for the following four days.
This strike, as I have said, occurred on Saturday, and the next night (Sunday) the great timber pier at the Black Rock, where the ferry steamers landed their passengers, was burnt down, and there were not wanting people to say that it had been burnt by the men on strike; but, in my judgment, they were innocent of this. There had been a long period of dry weather, the timber in the pier was very old, and, above the level of high water, very dry; and I think some pleasure-seeker on Sunday had probably thrown away a fusee after lighting his pipe, and there being a high wind at the time, the fire had spread quickly. It probably arose either from this or from the careless raking out of the fire from the boiler of the engine which was used in lifting the luggage of passengers from the steamer at the end of the pier.
It was a good thing for the works that this strike occurred when it did, for it cleared away a number of bad characters who had gathered on the works; and from this time to the completion of the contract there was hardly any trouble with the men, and I think there was a thoroughly good feeling between employer and employed.
The works were all secure below, and, the water