The times., 1897-12-12
An Experiment in Reality

IS the question which Prof. Walter a.
wyckoff asked himself, and then pro
ceeded TO answer practically 10y placing
himself in The position suggested by the
hvpot heSis. His experiences and i'm
pressions have been "a feature Of Serb
ner's MGeu zihe for some time, under
the title. The Workers" and il Is under
this tille that they are presented now in
book forIn for peTmanency in the library
on the she'll OF Social Science. AS q part
OF a library On the subject it holds an
Important position. Not alcBe tie unique
ness OF his experiences, nor Prof. Wyceuff s
pleasant, natural method OF recounting
then, but the value OF icing able 10 see
msklled labor in its own quarters arc
under normal conditions, and the oppor-
tuuity for Icw Impressions AMI deductions
on the knoify prObleni Of the best TGeans
of assisting he less fortunate brother,
constitute TIE especial strength ofthe mes
sisgc OF This book.
Prof. wyczoff put on old clothes one
morning, ana started, afoot anu pennile>s.
from hls homo Cn the shore OF Long Island
Sound 10 'iRd ont what chance willing
laborIr without any trade OF irien is has
10 make his In ing ana advance himself.
His first advent ure was as solicitor for
subscriptions for magazine. His recep-
t!oa was parallel with the accepted no
tion OF hook agents life. He had TO
chop wood for his first meal; indeed sor
several. He remained Il couple OF days
at z farm. assisting Al hary est for has living
then be beeame . msn-of-all- work at "a
country tavern. and finally found a joH
that sect ed To possess more Of the character
of PernaneEcy. as woTkman on eXCaTa-
ti8ns at West Point. FROM here ne worked
consecuTiYely as botel porter, hirHd
man at Ar asylum, farmland and as la
horer ia a logging camp.
One of the significant facts which Prof
N4Ckoff brought ont of his experiences is
the existence Of social strata and petty
slristocr2cy yamongthe very poor and humble
a bet weeu ths poor and the rich. Po"rrty
Goes hot beeet absolute community II
vohid seen Ih village called Wilton
Clergyman gave him IN opportunity t. cam
a meal at MS woodpile and invited him -
cal his earnings at hiss own table. The
daughter of the house coEld not con ,eal
Ter resentment. But this was less signifi-
cagd than the social conditions he found
In tie servants quarters Of he hotel a
v vhich he served as porter. The negro hrad
waiter, the pastry cook, the head gardener
and tie company of Irish maids on double
duty as mattresses and houSemaids to0k
Their meals in the dinng-room after the
guests were served. The remnants 81 these
two ser singS were then ieapec upon 4 table
in q long. SOW, dimly-hghted room between
the kitchen and the dininE-room and there
thedisbNa slli e7s, The porter, the stable boys,
and laundIesses helped themselves. These
are bat two % several instances. But
there was absolute acceRtation on short
acquaintance among those of his own
class.
A West Point the small BOY who brought
the N.orrmen drinking water could not
understand why he should be tharked 10,
his- -seF-jces, lie was paid 10 do it. he
cocli not comprehend the abstract cour-
teSy. The exprriHenfer stepned to the
door OF a roadside house TO ask for
meal. When an 0id. " an. peaked woman
appeared he hadn't the heaIt to ask he
20 share her bread, 10 he asked the way
10 another point. She didn't know, bu:
invited bin 10 come in and wait till hes
sons came for their raal ana they would
tell him. Tie ciyiity was surprising
When be began his work "a porter he di.-
covered thar it. was easier to get the ioii
than u perform it's functions. Scrubbing
q floor 50 that mop p-streaks anG dirt
balls would c9i be- the sequence. and hoy
10 wask window, loomed up in the light
Of a fine art. in the farmhouscs he - md
crude HhrarIes, of which a sample CON
tained Z Million. a couple of volumes OF
Emerson, and some OF Stevenson's essays.
But the occupants had their own form of
the verb, TO be- Il he and you
be, ana we was" and you was en-
tered Invariably into their conversation.
The rcaGer shares the professors query
OF wonder whether the conventional forIus
which they found in their reading did not
strike then. as oddly foreign. Bat more
significant and more interesting than his
deslltory experiences were the accretions
which his experiences brought to his so
cisl philosophy. Summarizing his expo
rience s 3 pick and shovel handler on the
foundations Of the West Point building,
be rs:
TIE salient features Of our conditions are
pllin enough. We are uusklled laboreTs.
We are grown men ana are WlUnOuUa traue.
In the II )Or market We stand ready to sell
70 the highest bidder our mere muscular
strength tor 50 many hours day. We are
thus ln the lowest grade Of Ia tsJr. We are
here, and not hi CHER IN the scale, by reason
OF q variety Of causes. Some Of Us were
childhood ana have earned our living ever
since ami by the line OF least resistance we
have grown TO be unsldlled workmen.
But these men. who sell their muscular
strength in tie open market, sell under
peculiar csTcum stances. 1t is all the
capital they nave. Behind it there s no
reserve means OF sustenance: they sell
to satisfy immediate hunger, and, there
fore, cannot stand offfor a reserve price >
1t is labor or starve. Hunger is matter
OF 4 few huuTs they have no means Of
meeting it: they must sell at Jnce Tor
whatever tie mark ct offers for :h"ir
labor. For sCme there is the other i'm
measurable pressure OF wife and .:hil-
dren.
The contractor buys our labor as he buys
other commodities, like brick and iron and
stone, which enter into the construction of
a new building. But he buys Of us under
certain restrictions 20 US both. The law
OF supply and demand does not apply to
our labor with the same freedom as to
other merchandise. We are human beings,
and some OF Us have social ties, which
bricks and iron have not, and we do not,
therefore, move TO favorable markets with
the same ease and certainty as these. Be
Sides we are Ignorant men, and behind
what we have TO sell is no trained intelli-
geDce nor n knowledge OF prices and of
the best means OF reaching the markets.
There are Other considerations affec Ing
the vender cf unskned labor. If men had
the intelligence to discern and the meaas
to reach tie dearest markets, the purchaser
would invariably buy in the cheapest. H.
has capital in the form of the means OF
subsistence and can stand Oft for a "re
serve price and can force men 70 sell
at last il the pinch OF hunger in compe; Il
tion with starving men. Unsknled labor IS
unorganized- II mas no unions Each m N
must deal individually with his employer.