The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-03-27
OUT OF WORK.
HARD TIMES" THE LEGEND IN EVERY
BUSINESS LINE.
Story Of . Discharged Clerk at Starvation
Point-A Picture from tho Panorama
Of Contemporaneous Hu-
man Distress.
rJoe Howard in Philadelphia Press. ]

lJoe Howard in Philadelphia Pressl
The fact OF the business is--and what folly
1t is to deny it-that in every line Of trade
hard times is the legend. Every storekeeper In
New York city, from Tiffany g. Co, with
their SIC, 900, 900 Of stock, down to tho hum
BILE jeweler on Park row, will tell you, as
many Of them have told me, that never In
all their experience was trade so dull, and
profit small. The butchers In Washington
market even complain; the clothiers that
line Broadway and the Bowery were filed
with criticisms Of the times. In all the sx-
perience Of the pawn brokers, there never
was so continuous q procession OF "p..ass
let me have something on this" as thy have
as bids fair to be greater and worse In its de-
velopements than the panorama of contem-
poraneous human distress now unfolded be-
fore the eyes Of the average publicist.
A friend Of mine was smoking q cigar of
breakfast solaoe this morning, looking
through the pane Of wonder upon the street
Of unoccupancy, when he saw middle
aged man, well-dressed, with no overcoat
The man looked at him for a moment
touched his hat, assembled the steps and
rang the bell My friend went to the door
himself.
what do you wantp
"Work.
II have no work for you"
"Won't you kindly allow me to clean the
snow from your door, steps and side.
walkp
"What will you do 1t forg'
"For my breakfast"
Now that tells the story. Here was an in
telligent man. well dressed, though without
an oyercoat, who wanted work wherewith no
might fill his own stomach with satisfactory
food. He cleaned the steps with broom and
shovel borrowed from my friend. He cleaned
the sidewalk, and the cutters, and then
he came to the basement door for his
breakfast compensation. Ny friend had
the table put in the far corner Of the
room and an appetizing and satisfying break
fast spread, but the poor devil was too
chilled to enjoy it. After a while he thawed
out, and, two or three cups Of coffee
bracing him, he tackled the liver and
bacon, tie baked potatoes and biscuit
before him Mellowed somewhat, he
regarded my friend, who had
smoked and fused around the apartment
gently. with contemporaneous human inter-
est, whereupon my friend, who Is man and
q brother, said: whats the meaning of
thiss Why are you seeking employment for
this kind Of payr To which answered the
stranger: II was clerk in Blank g. Co g."
naming one Of the greatest dry goods retail
firms IN Sixth avenue, "and have been for
four years past on salary of $25 week
With thirty others l was discharged, last
week, on forty-eight hours notice. I had
spent all my money, and, for the sake of
sending some to my parents in Connecticut,
had anticipated my salary, by the courtesy
OF the cashier, SO that, when was dis
charged, had nothing coming to me-
II pawned my overcoat, for it was mild
last week. Ipawned my watch, and on
Saturday night I found I had nothing. I
borrowed something Of chum, and started
out to get work. have been to every great
dry goods store and every little shop where
had been previously known, but IN every
place was met by the words, We are dis
charging, not hiring men, You may not be-
lieve it, but Haven't eaten morsel In forty.
eight hours and, In despair, seeing you at
your window, Iventured to make the request
that You would permit me for my breakfast
to shovel Off your snow.r
My friend believed his story, and gave him
a dollar. But, bless your heart, what's q
dollari Fortunately, this man was not
married. He has no wife, no children, no
home to support Suppose he had. Where
would he be to-nighti Where w.uld he have
been last night when the heavens were
opened with storm, when the clouds burst
upon us with magnificent development Of
snow, whirled hither and thither by the
winds, sent hither by the whirlwinds, eddy
ing up and ebbing down, until the very city
was buried and every spire in ali the town
was magnificent picture for an artist-bus
not much Of picture for q hungry devil,
with wife and children and an unpaid rent
bill ..as# .-#.Ez