Patience Wins: War in the Works

Patience Wins; or, War in the Works, by George Manville Fenn.

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The boy hero of the book, his father and his three uncles live in Canonbury, London, and run a factory in Bermondsey, the other side of the Thames in London. But they feel they need to expand, and they buy a steel working business in the North of England. Here they try to introduce various profitable practices, such as improved methods for working the steel, and various ingenious and new items of factory equipment.

But these new ideas are objected-to by the Trades Unions, and the despicable behaviour of the work-force is due to this attitude. All sorts of the most dreadful and wicked deeds are perpetrated, and unpleasant things are done to the few workmen who seem to be coming round to sense. The Uncles reflect on how much more amenable and sensible a London workforce would have been in the same circumstances. But eventually various incidents occur in which it can be seen what excellent people the hero and his Uncles really are, and the whole town starts to welcome them. Hence the title of the book--"Patience Wins".

It's not a long book, but there is plenty of action. It is not in the general tradition of Manville Fenn books, but it is a very good read.

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PATIENCE WINS; OR, WAR IN THE WORKS, BY GEORGE MANVILLE FENN.