The herald., 1893-11-01
THEY ARE COMING OUR WAY,
Hordes Of Unemployed Drift
ing About the State.
Some Features of a Most Perplex-
ing Question Discussed.
The Views of n Los Angeles Citizen on
the Tramp Probiem-NIust
Give Them
Work.


Southern California, seems to have been
OF unemployed" eaid a prominent Los
Angeles official yesterday.
The latch string has ever swung
loose on Caliiornia's portals for all com
ors, even to its after sorrow OF the pss-
tierous Chinese. But the situation to-
day 10 grave one, for the state is daily
being crowded by vast horde, who,
driven from their former abodes by over
. shadowing hunger and want, come with
the hollow and irreetible cry, bread and
work'-willing enough to work If they
can get it-but the instantaneous de-
mand for bread rnust be met, must be
acceded to by those who have it, for
hunger and police regulations never
have and never will be handmaids.
The daily additions to this already
numerous bread phalanx presenta
serious economic question, perpiexing
TO the public authorities sne alike tax
lug upon the citizen whose supply OF
human kindness ia hourly being strained
to It's limit, As rule 1t is neither
charitable or correct to class the major
ity OF these new comers as tramps, for
they ask work before they ask for bread.
That there are numbers OF efficient
workmen among them in every svoca.
ton, there can be no doubt. for they fol-
low their lines and seek employment
from those of our citizens who are en-
gagged in them. This at least ie proof
OF their industrious Intentions. Ii is
pity that such men can't find abundant
work here, where they could free them
selves from the association OF that large
class OF professional 'bume' and dead
beats among whom untoward circum-
stances have thrown them.
1T is not incumbent OF California"
continued the speaker, ito be any more
considerate of the genus tramp than
any other section of the country, but at
the came time che iB regardiul of ali
immigration that gives evidence OF
thrift, OF pluck and spirit to upbuid
and enhance her natural resources.
With the indiscriminate influx of the
unemployed who pounce upon freight
trains and daily arrive within her bor-
der, it is no easy matter to pick out the
deserving from the undeserving, and
more or less imposition is forced on the
communities in which these homeless
people chance to stop for a day or for a
week."
II saw Chicago undertake to meet
the superf1uoue men OF this
class, and in the effort not to turn
them away, stceet contracts and other
public improvements were let in ad-
vance up into hundreds OF thousands of
dollars, but it was soon seen that it was
not possible to provide labor for even
one half OF those who were willing to
do any kind of work for living. The
worlds fair is about to close and the
surplus muscle and yawning maws o.
Chicago, along with thousands Of indus
trious miners in the silver hills of Colo
RADIO and elsewhere are seeking refuge
in tie Golden state.
"A few days ago hundred able
bodied men, ell in the prime of life,
fairly well clothed, arrived here from
San Francisco. They were an orderly
lot, and went direct to police head
quarters and asked to be directed to the
various places to which they were fitted
foI work. Chief Glaas was unable to
answer them, for he WAS aware that
every place where labor was needed was
alreody overcrowded. tfs t&sBNtf "a
Then" said the spokesman, gen.
teel looking young fellow, ''sonie of US
have not had mouthful to eat for "a
hours, and cup of water and piece of
bread would be Godsend to most OF
these men, including myself. We are
not tramps; we are miners from Colo-
RADIO, and we went to Frisco hoping to
find work. We could not do go, it was
not there, for there are are ten men
there for every one needed on the mid
winter fair structures, and be could get
nothing to do from the city on the
streets. sewers or otherwise. There
~. in ta IN,
now, and knowing that it would be inn
possible and unreasonable for all of
us to ask or take free passage on
the railroad ON the same train or day.
we drew lots for the 100 who should
make the start, and here we are. There
are carpenters, brick!ayers, stone-ma-
sons, draughtHmen, engineers--1nen ca
pable and willing to do any kind of work
in order to live. We are willing, sir, to
take brooms and sweep the streets
either by night or day, because we are
hungry, ,famishing and have no money"
Chief Glass asked very few questions
from the spokesman of the 100 hungry
new arrivals; was sorry that he did not
have something for them to do, or could
get it for them.
I" But said the big chief, 'all that
am able to do is to give you this only
$40 bill that have, and hope that you
all can manage to make it go around for
lunch.'
"'The chief was.heartiiy thanked and
with his permission after the men had
lunched, they divided up in squads and
in each squad a man carried gunny
SACK -
The foregoing recital is simply an in
cident that is daily occurring in this
city and throughout the state. Just
such repetitions as the above are going
to prove more numerous and numeric-
ally stronger as the winter pinches the
scant-clothed flesh and finds firelesH the
once genial hearthstone of the thrifty
silver miner and mechanic of the near
& by coin producing sisters of this great
commonwealth.