Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-04-07
COULD GET NO WORK.
4 True and Touching Story OF Mis-
fortune and Misery Amid
Wealth and Plenty.

| A young woman tries twice to kill
| herself. Those who are acquainted
with her. wonder why she wishes to
| throw off her life. 1T is said. however.
| that her failure to secure work may
have preyed upon her mind"
MAY have preyed upon her mind"
An honorable woman, she wished to
support herself honorably. She wished
| to pay with money that she had earned
her small bills for lodging, food and
dress And she could find no work Are
YOU surprised that she became dis
couraged and was led to think that
there was no place for her in the world?
She is only one of many. And there
are some women who still live and oc-
casionally wonder whether it would
not have been wiser if they had put an
end to themselves.
How many men are there to-day IL
Boston, do you suppose, who are out OF
| work. without money, and unable to get
work of any kind?
You answer: 'sIt's their own fault in
nine cases out of ten; and they need
not suffer, for there are all sorts of
charitable organizations which exist
for the express purpose Of helping
those out of employment"
A snug answer, worthy of Marie An
toinette when French peasants were
starving.
Last spring in this city a young man
of more than ordinary parts-a writer
of singular originality-lost his place.
He was f1oorwalker in a shop of low
Erices. He was discharged because
business was slack, and his services
were not needed. The proprietor, of
his own accord, gave him an excellent
letter of recommendation. The lad
for he was hardly 20-tramped the city
from one end to the other. He tried to
obtain work even in the humblest posi-
ton. His acquaintanceS were interest
ed in him. He was sent to the char
liable organizations, one after another.
A prominent clergyman expressed an
interest in him; he said that if the
Young man would send him his address
he would no doubt be able to do some
thing for him. The young man sent his
address, and inclosed a stamped en-
yelope. There was no reply, not the
slightest intimation that the clergyman
had ever heard of him or from him. No
work, no promise of work in shop, fac
tory, or even in the street. Finally
and as last desperate resort-the
young man tried the newspaper Offices
He was not without experience; his
talent had been recognized in New York
by newspapers and magazines; but.
again, he could not find employment.
not even as Office boy.
All the time he was living with his
mother and two younger brothers. The
mother was the only wage-earner, and
she was earning eight dollars week.
She was not brought up to work. but
she did what she could and without
complaint For a month in the summer
she, too, was without employment. The
Young man grew thinner and thinner;
yet, strange to say. he was never with
out hope. But there was no work for
him, and u month ago some friends
made little purse for him, and sent
him to southern village, where his
health might improve, and where there
was at least ali even chance of gaining 81
congenial position
This is not a fairy story told to fill
space. 1t is true story. We know the
young man, the clergyman, the Off
GERS of the charitable organizations,
the friends.
And yet if this same lad had flung
himself into the Charles and left noe
saying: Il cannot find work and VIII
not be a burden to my mother" you
reading it would have said: Poor.
faint-hearted fellow! No work? Why
didn't he go to some charitable assOc1a-
ton? Why didn't he come to me-
Grand it is more li<ely-you would
have said: There was something out
about him. He probably drank, or he
had been discharged for negligence
perhaps theft. At any rate, there are
always superfluous men,
And there are women, young and old,
yes, here in Boston, who are told daily
by the citizens and the citizenesses that
they are superhuous, they are not want
ed, there is nothing for them to do.
Hence despair. Hence suicide ar
shame-Boston Journal
COu1dn't JugEle Without His jag.
Queer thing about jugglers,' said
an old-time vaudeville manager. 81 had