Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1876-12-02
MPIA WASHINGTON TERRITORY SATURDAY DECEMBER 1876
Wanted Work.

! Wanted Work.
A robust tramp called at a house
on Ninth street, for something to eat,
avering that he had not tasted food
this week.
| Why don't you so to work p
asked the lady 70 whom he preferred
his petition.
"Workw he calculated. "Work!
And what have I been doing ever
since the middle of May but hunting
work? Who will give me work? When
did I ever refuse work p
"We1l," said the woman, " l guess
I can give you some employment.
What can you dor
"Anything! he shouted, in . hind
of ,delirious Joy. Anything thai
any man can do. I'm sick for SONS
thing to Ay at. Why, only yesterdsy
I worked all day, carrying watss' =
an old seive from Finn river end
empSying it into the Mississippi, just
because I was so tired, of having
nothing to do, that I had to work at
something or I would have gone
ravin' crazy. I'll do anything, from
cleaning house to building a steam
boat. Jest give me work, nam an
you'll never hear me esk for bread
agin.
The lady was pleased at the will
ingness and anxiety of this industri-
GUS man to do something, and she
led him to the wood-pile.
"Here," she said, you can saw
and split this wood, and if you are q
good, industrious worker, 1 will find
work for you to do nearly all Winter"
"Well, now," said the tramp,
while look of disappointment stole
over his face, that's just my luck.
Only three days ago I was pullin' q
blind cow out of a well for a poor
widow woman who had nothin' in the
world but that COW to support her, an
I spraint my right wrist till I haint
been able to lift pound with it sinst.
You kin jest put your hand on it now
and feel it throb, it's so painful and
indamed. I could jest cry of disap-
pointment, but it's bible fact, nam,
that couldn't lift that axe above my
head ef died fur it, and Jest as lief
let you pull my arm out by the roots
as to try to pull that saw through a
lath. Jest set me at something I
can do, though, if you want to see
the dust fly"
every we'll" said the lady, then
you can take these flower beds, which
have been very much neglected, and
weed them very carefully for me.
You can do that with your well hand,
but want you to be very particular
with them, and get them very clean,
and not injure any o; ~ plants, for
they all very choice and I am vssy
proud of them"
The look of disappointment that
had been chased away from the in
dustrious mans face when he saw q
prospect of something else to do,
came back deeper than ever as the
lady described the new job, and when
she concluded, he had to remain
quiet for o moment before he could
control his emotion sufficiently to
speak.
eff I amt the most unfortnit man
in Ameriky," he sighed. "I'm Jest
dyin' for work, crazy to get some
thin to do, and I'm blocked out Of
work at every turn. ! Jest love to
work among flowers and dig in the
ground, but I never dassent do it fur
I'm jest blue ruin among the poGes.
Nobody ever cared to teach me any
thin about flowers and it's gospel
truth, ma'am. I can't tell q violet
from sunAower nor q red rose from
a dog fennel. Last place I tried to
get work at, woman Of the house set
me to work weedin' the garden, an I
worked about q couple of hours, mon
strous glad to get work, now you bet,
an I pulled up every last green thing
in that yard. Hope may die ef I
didn't. Pulled up ell the grass, every |
blade of it. Fact. Pulled up vine
wuth ssventy-fve dollars, that had
roots reachin' cl'ar under the cellar
and into the cistern, and I yanked
'em right up, every fibre Of 'em.
Woman was so heart broke when she
come out and seed the yard Just as |
bare as the floor Of . brick yard that
had to put her to bed. Bibles
truth they did ma'am; and I had TO-
work for that house,three months for |
nothin' and find my board, to pay for |
the damage I done. Hope to die ef i
didn't. Jest gimme suthin' I Kin do
I'll show you what work is, but / |
wouldn't dare to 60 foolin' around no |
fowers. You've got . kind heart,
ma'am, gimme some work? Dom send
q desparin' man away hungry for |
work"
Well" the laay said, "you can
beat my carpets fer ne. They have
just been taken up, and you can beat
them thoroughly and by the time they |
are done, / will have something else
ready for you."
The man made . gesture Of despair
and sat down on the ground, the
picture Of abiect helplsssness and
disappointsd aspirations.
Look ct ma, now" /" he exclaimed. |
Whist i goin' to become q mef
Did you ever zee . man % down on
his luck ike me ! teu you
ma'am, you must give mo eomethin /
can 60. + wouldn't No msrs dsro 10 /
tech fheln oazl,el6 thAn nokhin, q the /