The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-05-21


from his brave trip across the
NJ continent, 20 resume his quiet
V@y life In Princeton with his books
~. and classes IN political economy.
the publication Of his book. The
Workers has discovered him TO the men
he met while making his experiment in
reality" and letters have been coming 10
him from all along his route
The letters have been personal and
friendly. Without exception his corre-
spondenss have liked The Workers" or
have been interested in the press notices
they have seen and have wished TO get
the volumes. Some Of the writer's had
worked with Mr.. wyckor some had
worked over him. had bossed him or had
bossed neighboring gangs. and some had
fed him. All Of them were happy to know
. man who had written q book and all
had pleasant things to say OF the recollec-
tons Of the days when the experiment
was under way. and they had had person.
al intercourse with the experimenter. II
was gratifying to the young Princeton
lecturer to find that his efforts were re-
ceived 50 kindly and over wide an area
for these letters came from folk az re-
mote from each other as the Fiahertys OF
the West Point boarding house and the
section gangs far out on the Union Pa.
cific.
Mr. Wyckofr says the workingman Is
discovering himself. He is far and away
q better man than formerly" ne declares,
because he Is more hopeful. more indie
pendent, more thoughtful, better educated.
moro liberal: he Il cleaner and no lives
better. He can read. and he knows what
IL going on in the world. His sympa-
thies are broadening. The life Of the av-
erage workingman Is on a higher level
be-. No tn n i'm IN 10
veloping while the evil is disappearing. He
is q fine fellow. either In town or In the
country-and 10 know him well 10 an edu-
cation.
"Of course the experiment. l made IL OF
no scientific value whatever. / could not
stay long In any one place. and SO l had
to content myself with a series Of glimpses
instead Of q thorough study. 1t was often
hard to break away from interesting
groups and opportunities for investigation
and TO 60 on: but had to do II II would
carry out the scheme l had planned for
myself.
1T Is easy to ask a man TO tell what he
knows, but II Is not go easy to ask him
to do anything that would be more din.
cult. 1t is hard enough for a man whose
business Is to write and TO speak TO put
his knowledge into Ineligible and useful
form so that others may gain by his ex-
perience. With the workinEman II Will
be necessary to show him how to work
his mine 70 his own best advantage ana
TO the best advantage OF others. also. He
may not know what knowledge Will be OF
the most service 10 those who would be
his friends and would work with him In
decreasing the irksoFneness Of life and in
creasing its toyousness He must be
trained to recognize the value OF what he
sees and TO describe. II so that others can
appreciate Il also. A practical viewpoint
!s essential.
Then. when in all classes. grades and
conditions OF workingmen there shall be
individual workers with keen eyes. look
ing at the world about them intelligentIy
and recording what IL going on. we shall
have the sources Of information we are 50
much In need OF now. I believe an approx
imat!on to this IDEAL IL practical and that
scientific investigators can be found In
many groups OF labcrers today-good fell
lows. who scorn charity. but who never.
theless have hearty appreciation OF
friendship and sympathy. II one meets
them as man meets man. on the common
plane Of human fellowship. he will like
them
''Of course am speaking Of American
workingmen--the men who are born here.
or who have come over from the north of
Europe and felt the magic OF the soil. the
air and the social life here. which speed
lily made them good Americans The cheap
laborers. the Huns and the lots OF cheap
labor that contractors have brough, over
from the south Of Europe. are yet without
the pale. Many of the individuals in these
Job lots purpose 20 be here only until
they have saved the few dollars that will
enable them to return to the country
whence they came and live comfortably
there. They are no. for the United States.
The states do not appeal to them except
as q place Of good wages.