St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-20
WINTERS VISITORS.
Men Who Are Eager for Work
HuStIinr at Odd Jobs.

Men with wringers, everywhere.
Why. one would think that the danes
of Minneapolis were not only enforcing
the woman suffrage, but were also fore
ing the family washing upon the men.
Any day last, week big, brawny men
could have been seen in any part of the
city carrying wringerS, WringerS paint
ed red. On observing their actions the
mystery begins to be unrddled. Here
a sly youth with wringer in hand is
seen inspecting house. He walks past
it, goes down the alley and looks at the
back door, walks across the street and
inspects it from a distance, and finally
seems to decide they need a Wringer
and ventures i'll, but soon comes away
with downcast look. The problem is
solved. 1t is q new species
of the genus peddler. And
that band of four men, armed
with red wringerS, that we saw march
ing abreast down First avenue, belong
to the army of men which winter and
cold weather finds i'll Minneapolis with
out money and without work. Another
but older species of the class is the rug
man, who, buried with his wares,
trudges YEARLY the streets. The vet
eran of the order is the book agent, the
last resort of the homeless, mOneyleSS
youth, an occupation which holds the
worker Just away from the SOiled fingers
of pick and shovel drudgery, an apprO-
pirate occupation for the shabby gen
teel.'
A GLOBE reporter for the past few
weeks has been answering the adVer-
tisements for wants OF different kind,
and in every case is found host of
these lost, Misunderstanding individuals,
who appear as though they considered
themselves as things thrown on the
mercieS of the world.
Friday morning want ad. called for
an intelligent young man to fill posi-
ton with q salary of SIS a week. The
elevator was crowded as the reporter
stepped on board, but the elevator man
waited for little more of the stream of
humanity that was pouring in; each
man. as he stepped in, said: Room 81,
please They were all to be deluded.
it was the same old book agent gag,
where the salary was SO if you could
make it.
A study of the class of idle men re-
veals a.few who really came to the city
with the idea of working, and who will
fill ably the first position that is offered.
and ever afterward bless the man who
gave them the opportunity.
lHC SIlOOlHct, UciItl -IlCoSCu tldoo
may be found hanging around the hotel
billiard halls and corridors in swarms,
dead-beating their way through the
winter and through life. The r0ugher
sort habitate the 15-cent hotel, and
many are the means by which they gain
the few cents necessary to carry
them through each day. The
commanders of the Grand Army
posts are made to lament the
TACT that they ever struggled for liberty,
so many are the number of dead-beat
comrades who come to beg his aid for
an old soldier. A hundred years from
now, if no war or strife in the meantime
arises to meet the wants of those who
inherit this propensity, the incoming
generations will beg of the richer de-
Scendants of the warriors who are now
passing from us till all who possess the
filthy lucre will disown the honor, and
our descendants of that age will cry:
''What shiftlesS and unworthy set
those soldiers of the Rebellion must
have BEEN"
The secretary of the Caledonian club
is daily greeted by relative or two
who makes for himself a hearing by
remarkiEg in his broad brogue:
''I'm ScOtchman myself" and after
prolonged explanation of woes comes
to close with plea for lettle mite
to help along lettle." and so it is i'll
every club and organization till it is
dangerous to belong to anything but a
life insurance company.