The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-05-29
What You Can Do.

What You Can Do.
In one Of your recent issues your CORE
spondent. ''Under Two Flags" latter express
ing his WEAKNESS at the oft-repeated reit-
Grafton of the things we cannot do, plant
lively asks some one-"lady or gentleman"
1 believe are the exact words, but 1 hope
if he receives satisfactory answer he will
not grumble at receiving it from fellow
convict-to tell him what man CAN do
after his release.
Not knowing anything about the capa-
bilities of your correspondent nor the
lease. cannot tell him to what branch of
labor or business he can gain an entrance.
But if he does not allow himself to forget
that he starts at the bottom round of the
finances. he will know that it is case of,
root hog or die," come back here or 60
to some similar institution. And if he
would succeed he must take whatever he
can get to do, regardless of humiliations,
stick to it until through honesty, sobriety
and industry he gains the respect and con-
fidence of his employers who will advance
HIM to position which his qualifications
render him capable of filling.
Personally, in my short but somewhat
varied life. [ never yet saw the time when
a man honestly looking for work, and not
too particular as to the class or remunera-
ton, could not find something to do. If a
man is sincere and cannot get railroad
presidency or the office of cashier in a bank
he will take job saving wood; and if he
cannot get twenty dollars per week he will
take ten. The eX convict may be man
of aristOcratc tendencies and heretofore
have lived a life of ease and was finally
forced to appropriate his employers
money to pay for. But he must start with
the determination and stick to it, to live
within his income, no matter how small it
may be, remembering that there are thou
sands of men supporting family on less
than one dollar and half per day, and that
what other men do that can he also
do. If he is a mechanic or has a knOwl-
edge of trade he is much better off than
a common labOrer or professional man. for
in the majority of trades he does not need
certificate of good character to enable him
to get work at profitable wages. The union
of his particular trade (nearly all trades
have unions everywhere now may cause
nlm some annoyance, OUT IL he is a sensible
man he will go right along and pay no at
tentiOn to it. | heard a first-class work.
man In a particular trade remark here one
day that he preferred to steal and run the
risk OF coming here, yes even preferred to
come here. to leaving the union and ''scab
bling" himself to obtain work at fifty cents
less per day than the union demanded for
its workmen. l have thought of this often
and the only conclusion l can arrive at is
that there is something rafting in that
mans upper story.
l have had pretty intimate acquaint-
ance with the police of several cities and l
have never known case of their ''hound-
ing'' man, no matter what his former life
may have been if he works steadily, attends
to his own business. and keeps good hours
and good company; and if a man, after
leaving here, cannot gain entrance to the
society of better people than himself, he can
keep to himself and thus avoid assOciating
with worse. So, my friend of the emblem
attic patrOnymic, you CAN get work, you
CAN live honestly and respectfully; and by
sobriety, industry and economy you CAN
save competence on which you may live
when old age overtakes you and 1.-THE
windows are darkened and the grinders
cease because they are few" and the men,
DRY of their present occupation of masticat
ing prison hash has faded until it seems like
the faint remembrance of a half waking
dream. PATRICIO.