davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1893-07-07

j o B p r | N 7 / N G
aUcH
LARGE POSTERS, HANDBILLs
CIRCULARS,
CARDS, lI4 BLANKS.
BILL-HEADS,
Together with every other description Of
PLAIN AND FANCY PRINTING,
Executed with neatness and dispatch.

Yearly advertisers will be allowed 20
change four times during the year without
charge. Advertisements should be marked
with time and space they are to occupy.
The morning call., 1893-06-03

from me my biography. and then she went
ON to tell of her experiences with labor,
and how difficult it was to get good steady
men.
Indeed, throughout my entire journey
the burden of the farmers complaints
seems to have been that, while there are
tramps enough in the country. and also
plenty of men whose sole ambition seems
TO be to earn few dollars and then wander
on to pastures new, there is now and has
been dearth, a positive paucity. of steady,
Industrious and reliable farmhands, and
the practical proof of this was found in the
eagern ess with which | was offered per-
manent situation the moment farmer be-
came convinced that l would prove to be
such a man.
Finding me sympathetic listener Mrs.
Pleasant poured out her woes to me while
| ate my supper. after which she assigned
me room in the large square, implanted
building where the men slept, and | went
to bed, honestly weary. / made a mental
resume of my hunt for work, and 1t was
about as follows.
In one and one-eighth days:
Situations actually offered me, II.
Situations ( could have secured with
reasonable certainty, 6.
Opportunity TO work for meal or bed,
two out of every three places. T, S. S.
The morning call., 1893-06-03

her name is Mrs. Austin, for | heard it
pronounced by young man who ad-
| dressed her. But the kind words she spoke
to me and the hberalites she extended l
believe shall never forget.
l kept on until came to the Quito ranch.
L inquired for work there. but as the fore
man was an Italian, we could hardly make
ourselves understood. So | continued nv
course, and saw a large force of Cinnamon
| hoeng in an orchard, and one of them
confessed to me that he was being paid 81
day.
| soon reached the road leading to Santa
Clara, and started in that direction, when
at last wagon came along, and the
farmer who was driving gave me ride
for two miles, when he turned off in an
other direction. In conversation with him
L learned that great many Japane 90
were EN- ployed on ranches on the other
side of Saratoga, one man having sixteen
OF them in one orchard.
On the way to Santa Clara l secured two
jobs; one was cooking hay and the other to
hoe weeds.
From Santa Clara l headed toward San
francisco. At Mountain View | secured
work in bayfield,. and as it was getting
late my thoughts we're again directed on
the tond-and-shelter proposition.
arrived at the Junction Inn just in
time Tor supper, and on appealing to the
french proprietor he consented to nOurish
the poor, frlendless tramp. and [ must adj
NIT that L thoroughly enjoyed that meal
as never did one before, as had walked
so far that day that every sinew in nv
body seemed aching.
After supper, / desired to test the hospi-
tally of the farmers in that section, and
called at an adjoining ranch for a piece OF
bread, offering to work for it If necessary.
A little red-headed woman, with squirting
eyes, met me at the door, aud fatty re-
fused. under any circumstances, to give
me work; so l walked off just as though I
was real hungry.
Antoine is the name of the innkeeper
who fed and sheltered without expecting
reward. but the following morning | dis
closed my identity and paid him for his
kindness. when he told me that he was
convinced on the PREVIOUS night that
was not common tramp, and tor this
reason was willing to help ME. he related
many experiences with dusky "hobos."
and could tell them every time.
From this place tn Mayfield the hay
ranches are numerous, but as it is on the
road from San Fran cisco a great MANY
laborerS travel it, and the few Jobs are
secured mostly by young men living in the
many villages on the line, although I was
fortunate enough in being allowed to trim
few gum Il ees In front of a farmhouse
for 80 cents.
Menlo Park l found the ranches to be
quite large and mostly hay-raising. The
aoorers are, as general rule, engaged in
this city, so 1t is almost useless to apply.
And so it was thai l tramppd for three
days through the principal fruit and hay
districts in the vicinity of San Francisco
on the south. and was successful in secur-
ing ten positions and two promises in so
short time. j. F.
The morning call., 1893-06-03

1t was just upon returning to the house,
after the farmer and four hired men had
helped ME lift the frame off a hay wagon,
that the old lady said to me:
That's bigger crop o. hay to handle
than what he thinks pointing to her
meeker if not better half and think we
can keep you busy right along"
OF course the city editor thought other
wise. aud l had no choice in the matter
To seek and run away from work was the
rather unique business of my expedition :;
and | realized the very first day out that
the constant exercise of ingenuity neces-
sary III avoiding the consequences of nv
insincere solicitations must ultimately
prove terrible strain upon my nervous
system. Then went to bed
l was sorely worried over nv predica-
ment. Nothing but early home training
and cowardly sense of the unclaimed
dog restrained me from climbing out upon
the porch. sliding down one of the posts
thereof and gliding softly away from that
horrible offer Of permanent situation.
After breakfast-not before, | hope l
know better than that unbosomed my
self slightly to the farmers wife. 1 hated
to shock that pious family. but to stay was
out of the question. l told her | wanted
to work during the morning so as to get
square with my conscience, and then [
desired to HE me away to the hills at the
eastern Side of the valley. / talked in a
most eccentric and even incoherent fas hion
about my love for the mountains, amid
which | was born, and how unhappy it
made me feel to be away from them. l
saw the old lady was fast losing that re-
gard for me which had been of such mush-
room growth. and when l finally said that
L had been aiming for the hills of Napa
anyway she said tartly:
Eyes, perhaps you'd better go to Napa.
FOR all know you come from Napa-a
fellow who acts as queer as you do"
She said l had been smart the evening
before and had earned my entertainment
and she would cali 1t quits. The truth of
the matter was she was convinced l was a
little queer in the upper story-in which
conviction she was certainly justified
and was afraid to have me around.
The morning was glorious. Not q cloud
in the sky. and from all directions came
the pleasant clicking of the mowers
Down he valley stretched an immense
uncut bayfield,. l came upon man mend
ing the fence. who said that the owner was
IN town after ten men. They would begin
at once-that is if be got the men-and
make short work of the 800 odd acres.
mo trouble about getting the men, is
there?"
well, no, he left word in town, and
guess he can ges 'em; but there's power
full lot of work to be done now, and labor's
liable TO get scarce. Cinnamon amt much
accouut in a hayfield ynu knotr opd bo
grinned long grin.
The road soon led into the hills, covered
with waving grain. dotted with spreading
oaks, and checkered here and there with
solid squares Of orchard and vineyard.
My next informant, or rather inform
ants. were two mowers, with but single
The morning call., 1893-06-03
THE NORTHERN ROUTE.

I stepped off the train at the Petaluma
station at about 5 o'clock on Monday
afternoon. l was attired in the regulation
coz Try wOrkingman's garb. l wore a
IN If old gray trousers, gray coat, dark
(4aa shirt, weIl-worn but strong shoes
AId wide brimmed cloth hat. In my
hand / carried small bundle done up in a
piece of dark cloth and fastened by a
strap. 1t contained few pairs of socks,
an extra shirt and small camera, the lat
ter travelling incog. as matter of course.
[ walked into town, stopped at the
Union-C Cosmopolitan House, a hosiery
built on such magnificent scale as to re-
quire two ordinary hotel names for proper
Identification. The Swedish proprietor
was behind the bar.
whats the chance for job In this part
of the country ?" l asked.
You can't look for work long around
here" he replied. with a smile. Come
up from the city?" he asked. eying me
closely.
yes. I've been working down there all
The morning call., 1893-06-03

thought, for they echoed each Others re-
marks in praiseworthy unanimity of mind.
We've got all the men we want. Got
three yesterday" they said between them.
They further corroborated each other in
the assertion that there was any amount
of work TO be done and help to be hired.
The Widow Donovan. whom 1 struck
at least whose place | struck-at about
haif-past TO- was disposed to catechize but
not to employ. She expressed herself as
pleased with the idea of young man
striking out boldly into the farming coup.
try. All those poor people in the big city
who can't find work ought to do the same
thing. and she believed in encouraging it.
When asked her for a job she was al
most in disgust. She asked me what |
could do, and when l told her could do
any and every kind of farm work and
offered to prove it she said she had all the
men she wanted and that l would be
'suDerfiuousness." the bare thought of
being which made me recoil in horror.
When l asked her to give me work
enough to earn my lunch she bluntly re-
marked that she was short of bread. I
wished the motherly Donovan the ton
of the morning and struck out again into
the dust aud the sun.
The road was formed like the tabled sea
serpent, winding in great curves among
the round swelling hills.
Mrs. kearney's dog greeted me very
demonstratively as l approached the shady
porch. nor could my most insinuating
cajolery. my fattering illusions to his per-
sonai beauty. nor my nervously repeated
invitations to 'lie down, sir" lessen the
The morning call., 1893-06-03

lr was nearly IL o'clock when we re-
tired, and | was shown to neat little
room on the side porch. and after bidding
nv friends goodnight l was soon in sweet
dreamland.
The next morning 1 was awakened by
the bright rays of the sun shining in my
room and | heard the footsteps Of some
one walking about in the kitchen, which
adjoined my room. l was soon dressed
and on going in the rear met the good
samaritan who had treated me so kindly.
[ was invited to breakfast, which greatly
enjoyed, after which the kind man offered
to drive me along the road to Los Gatos,
where the fruit ranches were larger and
the prospects for work accordingly better.
So shortly after S o'clock we were on the
way to the goid-cure city in an easy car
rage and over excellent roads.
After going few miles | thanked my
good friend for the kindness he had shown
me, and started on foot.
l could find nothing to do on the road.
neither in Los Gat0s, but was promised a
job in the cannery if / would return in
few weeks. So | took the road leading to
Saratoga via the famous Quito ranch, and
walked several miles before securing work.
1t was another fruit-thinning scheme. 1t
was really desirable place. but politely
refused and continued my course.
Los Gatos is surrounded on the south by
a triangle OF high hills which protect it
| from the traue WlnQS Wn1cn dow along
the coast. Consequently, for several miles
toward the north a warm belt about n
half-mle wide is of great help in raising
early fruit. l found that the cherry or
chards were mostly in full operation and l
could easily have secured work there.
Large forces of boys from the town were
engaged in picking. besides women and
! girls. who were paid on an average from
81 to 81 25 per day. l secured a picking
| job at the latter price, but as / stated that
wanted more my demand was rejected.
| AT noon 1 climbed small hill to farm
| house. surrounded 10y high popars and
gum trees, and again applied for something
| to eat. A lady met me al the door and
stated that tue meat was not yet cooked,
! but if / would wait for few moments I
would be supplied. l said that only de-
sired a piece of bread, but she insisted on
my staying, and invited me into the kitchen
and offered chair.
The few moments soon expired and a
! clean, white tabeeloth was placed on a
table and found before me fine mutton
stew. bread and butter and an immense
plate of strawberries. / did full Justice to
the meal, and after thanking her for the
! pains she had taken departed. [ believe
The morning call., 1893-06-03
THE SOUTHERN ROUTE.

In securing my costume for my journey
southwark l was very careful in selecting
such apparel as would distinguish me
from the ordinary professional tramp.
AS my intention was to secure honest
employment l desired to appear as one
who was really in need of finances and
willing to accept any work which might
he offered. And thus with my weather.
worn ovsrals ard ancient coat with an
appropriate sombrero boarded the train
for San Jose.
My first thought was to secure sufficient
information as to the lay of the land in the
Santa Clara Valley especially in regard to
the fruit and haying districts. Every one
whom l asked stocked me with such geo.
graphical knowledge that l soon became
quite familiar with every road and place
of interest in the county. Being thus pro-
vided l started upon my tramping journey
The morning call., 1893-06-03

I'm going to put on two more mowers day
after Tomorrow. Go back and make ar
engagements with my wife"-which / did
by perpetrating the contemplate prevari-
cation of assuring the good wife that her
husband said he would not put Oh any
more men until the day after to- N orrow.
A two hours walk brought me to the
Bell ranch. at Drummond station, presided
over by the dusky Mammie Pleasant. 1t
was o'clock and supper was in progress.
When l asked for Mrs. Pleasant she
looked cross.
Il don't object to giving men work" she
said, 'but fore de Lord / don't like to
hab 'em play me no tricks. Supper, bed
and breakfast and off da go.
'Tramps is bad enough, but when
workingmens comes and offers to work
and goes off in two tree days 1 don't like
dat kind business. Two men left Just dis
mOrning-been here two days. git you
20 supper and breakfast If you say You
want it, You doan need pay me nothing,
but don't want you TO say You want work
when you don't want no work."
l assured her / was looking for n per-
manent job, and she told me to sit down.
and we had long talk. She asked me
where l was born. I selected South Car
olina as being as good place in which to
be born as any other, and announced my
nativity accordingly. Then the old lady
questioned me as to my life history, and
desiring to be as entertaining as possible.
l made it quite thrilling.
See. like TO know all about people
what work for me-" she said by way of
apology for having reluctantly wrupg
The morning call., 1893-06-03

last winter aud spring, but it's terrible
hard to find work down there"
81 know that mighty well. Been in the
same fix myself. Them fellers what want
work ought to get out in the country
and rustic. Haying's commenced; they'll
be baing in few weeks. Pickin' cherries
already; and all the other fruitll be COM
ing in soon"
well. what's the call for men?"
why. what are you talkin' about? The
people round here can't get help enough to
get in their hay. My hotels the place to
stop to get work. Farmers come in every
day TO get men. l sent three fellers out
this morning and ten on Sunday"
What are they paying now2"
"'BOut dollar to dollar and a half
Most works dollar and a quarter; but
they pay a dollar and half for hay-
baling."
He further informed me that between
Petaluma and Santa Rosa the farms we're
most numerous. Across the valley, on the
road to Sonoma, there were also many
ranches. He considered it an average
road so far as population was concerned,
so 1 took his directions and started down
the street.
In the door of livery stable several
men were congregated. A hostler was
rubbing down big Norman horse.
Lots of work around Petaluma" l
asked, and the most important looking
fellow in the group said he guessed so,
and asked me if 1 was stopping at the
Union. l replied with dignity that was
stopping at the Union opolitan. and
he said. "Oh, yes"
"Oh, there's men in there every day
looking for help" he continued. Then
turning to tue hostler he asked if old
The morning call., 1893-06-03
" Call" Men Dressed as
Farm Hands Find
Many Jobs.
HOEING, HAVING, MILKING.
Employment Thrust Upon Them
at Almost Every
Turn.
TWO GREAT ROUTES FOLLOWED.
One North Through Sonoma and
Napa Counties and the Other
Through the Rich Santa
Clara Valley.
TWO GREAT ROUTES FOLLOWED.

Circulars have been sent out all over
the country by self-styled representa-
tIves of our unemployed" calling
for aid for them in their despair"
Many newspapers in other States are
printing these circulars and in COM
menting on them Speak sympatheti.
cally and oven CO mmiseratingly of our
lsboring poor who are casting all
about for work and cannot get it,.
This is known by our people to be the
worst kind of rot, but how is the
gross f"llacy to be proved as such :?
" The Call began several days ago, in
n quiet way, to prove 1T by practical
demonstration. 1t sent out two report
ers, dressed in laborers' garb, to seek
for work along highway and byway.
Ono OF these men went up through the
Sonoma and Napa valleys an the other
through San Mateo County and the
Santa Clara Valley. Both men went
afoot and asked for work from house
to house.
Neither OF them had any dfffic ulty In
obtaining work. In fact 1t would take
twenty-four men to fill the positions
these two inexp "farmhands"
sessing in appearance, being dressed
very stability, and neither of them was
Of gre at physique. They show i'll their
accounts of their tramps afield that
there is plenty of worksin this great and
wealthy California of ours, and that so
far from there being a scarcity in any
quarter, the State is actually crying for
toi!ers. So far from our sending to other
States for aid, we should Send to them
for real workers and let them have all
they will receive of our vast army of
jew-workers, who strike the wnyfarer
for '1ittIe assistance" which, If it is
given in the way of two nickeIs, means
that many glasses of steam beer. At
this particular time we need workers
and not shirkers.
For the harvest truly is great, but the
laborers few.
The morning call., 1893-06-03

at the junction of a road which ran
crosswise. The proprietor, German, in
formed me that l would be sure 10 find
work on the Almaden road, and directed
me toward that thoroughfare. distance
of a mile and a half.
AS the route passed through the out
skirts of the city 1 made but a few de-
mands for work. and soon found myself
travelling toward Almaden.
A gentleman who wasdriviug alone in a
spring wagon invited me to ride with him.
OF course l accepted, and he left me few
The morning call., 1893-06-03

chard. You can take your time in doing
it, but | want it all finished in about a
month"
And what wages will you pay me for
all this ?" I asked
"Oh." he answered, II can't pay any
wages; but I'll give you your board and
lodging free"
thanked him for his offer. and, excus-
ing myself, l took my departure, leaving
him turning the bacon in the frying-pan.
About mile further I came to an inn
The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-10-26

Kind and courteous words cost
nothing.
A wise man knows his own igno
rance.
Malice drinks half OF Its own poison
I Despise not the doer but the deed.
Lewis Pierce of Llnwood. says he
would drive his stage clear out Ia
Chicago, if there were money enough
In IL.
Everett English Is somewhat better,
and 1t ia hoped. that he will soon re.
cover his health once more.
Miss Blanche Ottey is also on tho
sick list, and mas not been able to per.
form her duties as teacher in the
Ciaymont public school.
Willie Hopes is now able to go
about some. but still very weak. He
had quite long siege Of 1t.
On Sunday last Richard Edwards
lost a valuable young mare. She was
driven out for a carriage ride, and
dropped dead along the road.
Joseph Habbert and son had con-
tract for taking out lot OF stumps
for James @. McComb. He did his
work grandly with dynamite, and
some of the stumps few as high as
two hundred feet In the air, in every
direction.
Great preparation is being made by
the Claymont minstrel troupe to give a
grand performance, one worth the
price of admission, and the
laughing included, on next Saturday
evening, the 2Sth Instant. Come and
hear them and have good time.
There is also preparation being made
to fix up the III. l.. Church for next
Sunday. At quarter past two O'Clock
the exercises of "Glad Tiding Day"
will commence. Singing and speak
ing by the scholars and other friends
of the school. y. S. Ottey, the super
intendsnt, extends general invita-
ton for all to be present. .."
TRUE AS STEEL.
The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-10-26

II the reporter OF any of our daily
papers wants to be button-holed by
tho fair ladies', all he has to do is TO
wend his way out Seventh street until
he comes within the shallow OF the
Harrison Street Methodist Church
Then he will have the fair creatures
all around him, and in their most per.
suasiye way he will hear, dear Mr..
Repoi ter. won't you tell the people
about the disgraceful way the Street
and Sewer Commission has let our
street get? Just look at IL, all in hills
and hollows. Why, we cannot go out
In wet weather for the mud. And moi
only that. but here we have a nice
church being erected. and for over {
year tho trustees have had to lay
boards across the street, as the Com
mission won't even grant us stone
crossing"
We listened patiently to the fair crea
lures, and after looking about, ac
Equlesced In all they had said, The
contrast OF Seventh street, from Wash
lington to Market. Is like paradise
alongside of Dante's inferno when you
com pare with the same street between
| VanBuren and Broome, Tho street
has been washed with numerous rains
and has stones in 1t as large as buckets
A countryman passing as we looket
was almost thrown from his seat By
the 1olting. 1t is as they say-dis
graceful.