The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-03-28

How Stranded Graduates Live
Without Money.


Horace Greelcy's Motto
Want Of Capital.
beg your pardon, sir, can you let
me have two bitsp 1 want to get q
nights lodging"
1t was outside the door of a brightly
lighted all-night saloon on San Antonio
Street that your correspondent was
stopped by this abrupt salutation. The
moonlight efulgence of the numerous
electric lights would have made pin
on the sidewalk visible, and gave him
ample time to take stock of the suppli-
cant. A slightly built man of about
thirty. dress ed in an old and glossy suit
of black, that, to use the commonplace,
had ''seen better days" A face that
spoke Of culture and refinement. albeit
!brutalized by piggish bristles and rem
dered coarse by over-indulgence in
strong drink. The old black diagonal
coat was buttoned up close to the chin,
las though to hide the dirty linen be-
meath. and worn SLOUGH hat formed
his headgear. 1t was in such state of
ldilapidation as to recall the ballad of
Paddy McFadden. who was
l. greasy and fat,
And the hair Of his head
II stuck out through his hat"
Such was the ensemble of the man who
came West to the boundary of two re-
publics, to hold out his hand to the pass
ing stranger and beg two bits for his
nights lodging. Drowning men, who
have been rescued, tell us that in the
few moments that elapse between sur
cease of pain and absolute oblivion,
their whole lives seem to pass in review
before them, and as my fingers sought
the coveted twenty-five cents, so seemed
to pass through my mind sad thoughts
OF the increase of misery and poverty
the wide world over.
Poverty, think, is the greatest cos
mopolite. have seen it chased as a
crime from the streets of our great
cities in the United States; have seen
at selling its miserable match boxes
Containing matches that never would
or could ignite), as an excuse to escape
police persecution in the London streets;
i have seen it picking up the garbage
around the Hales Central in Paris, sun
ming its brass badge on the Piazza de
Spagna at Rome, and yet more recently
blocking the entrance to the Cathedral
of Chihuahua. But surely, thought,
this Southwest that is always asking for
immigrants ought not to have healthy
men round the streets of her town ask
ing for aims. In this connection ]
should remark that this application for
1.-TWO bits" was only one of dozen to
which the visitor to Ell Paso is subjected
nightly, and that the only cure the au-
.thorities seem to have for the evil is to
round up the poor devils like cattle and
drive them out of town with q force oil
mounted officers.
Thought would interview the man
who wanted two bits for bed, and SC
dropping half a dollar into his out
stretched palm asked him to take q
drink. Seated beside warm stove and
under the influence Of 'hot Scotch, "
my tramp became quite communicative
and required little urging on the part OF
the interviewer to unlimber his tongue.
II suppose you're going to commence
with the usual cant about why don't
go to work and the rest Of it, )" he com.
menced. ITO hear you fellows talk
about industry and energy, one would
imagine that all fellow had to do was
to go right into the first store and ask
for job to get it. Well, you Just try
it and you'll find that your industry il
not wanted and your energy is wasted
on the desert air.
''But I'd imagine, broke in your cor.
Int
ture, education and address would
sooner or later drop into something good
and keep it, without much trouble. You
seem to be that kind of man."
''Well, sir, if instead of being a col.
lege graduate had been a graduate
from a carpenters bench OF black.
smiths shop, / would not have been
begging from you tonight. The only
man who has any solid guarantee against
starvation to-day is the mechanic. The
land is overcrowded with colleges and
universities of all kinds graduating
young men who are absolutely worthless
at best and precious little use
anywhere. There are SO many
young men who can do nothing hui
clerk that there are five hundred fol
every one vacancy, and wages have
sunk to starvation point. In mining
districts the business of assayer used e
be good one. Now every State Uni
versity is turning out things by thu
hundred that pass as mining engineers
and assayers. and their pay is less thar
any ordinary good miner can earn
This holds true Of professions generally
all Of which are full to OVERLOOKING
About two years ago ! had good situa
ton in store in Tucson, but owing t
duh times got let out. hadn't mucl
money, but I started for Silver City
but found nothing. tried Demins
with the same result. and then LAX
Valley. My money had given out ant
I was glad Of any job. tried to get OF
- surface laborer at tho Sierra Grand,
mines, but there were hundreds o.
strong, able laborers who, Of course
cut me out. Men who employ laborer,
always select the strongest men they
can get, a fact that the fellows who
parrot-like, repeat Horace Greeley's CRY
Go West, young man, 90 West seem
to entirely ignore. From Lake Vale,
to here ! beat my way over the Santa
Fe line. and have now been in FL Pas.
about three weeks"
"How have you managed to livcP'
20, it's wonderful how little q mai
can live on when he's forced to IL! Lool
1t these fellows up in the Arctic, hov
they got along on their sealskin pant
for months before they took to cannibal
ism. don't suppose that l ever SUI
fered as badly ~ these men did, but :
have known what II n 10 be w1thou
fooa ~ two dAys. But IN tell yo'