John Hay 
The Bread-Winners (Barnes & Noble Digital Library) 

This 1883 novel about the struggle between labor and industry focuses on the 1877 railway strike. Its plot comes down squarely in favor of the latter—causing a sensation upon its anonymous publication. Many names were advanced as possible authors, but circumstantial evidence, as well as handwriting analysis, conclusively pointed to Hay, who until his death steadfastly denied authorship. 

O autorze

John Milton Hay (1838-1905) was an American diplomat, lawyer, and writer.  He served as President Lincoln’s private secretary from 1861-1865.  Serving as Assistant Secretary of State under Rutherford B. Hayes, and later, Secretary of State under William Mc Kinley, his contributions paved the way for the Panama Canal and helped to forge an “Open Door” policy with China. With John G. Nicolay, he authored a ten-volume biography of Lincoln (1890).