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

From what I saw In the two years
was sk,mrning across thu country / should
say that. taking the United States as
whole. there IS more opportunity 10 work
than there are workers. The amount or
work there is to do exceeds the amount
Of working force there is 10 do II. A great
deal Of work has TO he left undcne BE-
cause there are Eos enough men 10 DO IL
There are several points TO consider.
however. as fcos.notes 10 this statement
OF my impression. In the first place II Is
an impression, not a scientifically demon
strated fact. l did not see the whole
country. l did not go south at all. /
Travelled pretty directly west all the time.
and as I travelled l was near work all
the time. l had an uncomfor,a able time in
Chicago. surely. but could have got work
readily enough had gone out into the
country even a short distance. I should
have gone. only l wanted TO study the
condition of the unemployed in that sorely
conges,ed center. the chief city OF the
middle west In Chicago the supply OF
laborers was In excess OF the demand, but
no. far away the conditions were re-
vcrsed-the demand was greater than
the supply. The unfortunate circum.
stances was that the supply and the de-
mand were not IN the same place. The
same thing has been true OF other cities.
Men congregate in them and suffer in
bunch. when II they would go out TO the
country. back TO mother EARTH each man
for himself individually. they would do
well.
Il can see how a man with a sick wife
and several small children all In town
Nigh, not be able to get out to the coun-
try TO lock for job. His case is desper.
ate, and he deserves helping hand: but.
generally speaking. a man that is not
bound TO the city viii find work not far
away II he goes outside. 1 remember talk
ing with country doctor who had kindly
given me lift as ] was tramping across
one of the middle western states He was
surprised at what told him OF tho many
men out of employment In the cast
Why. he said. II We had $1,000 Of those
fellows here we could keep them busy nine
months OF the year and Ii they would
stay by SO that We could be sure Of
them for the next year we would keep
them and pay them something through
the three idle months l guess We could
accommodate mos; OF them right in this
county.
MY personal experience as I travelled
west from Chicago was In harmony with
the Doctors statement. ! found not that
work was hard to get. but that II was
hard to avoid. Every day Of my progress
farmers stopped me repeatedly and Of
fered me good wages and keep n would
turn In and work for them. I should
have been delighted TO ohlige each one OF
them. I told them SO. IL had been fivo
hundred men instead Of only one might
have accepted the offers.
On farms out through the West /
found the ,firest class Of laborers saw
anywhere. the happiest and the healthiest
mentally and morally. Skilled labor In
~ hGr
and these city men are Of fine infssli.
gence but they miss the wholesomeness
OF living the western farm laborers en-
Joy. / found many delightful country
towns In Illinois, indiana and other west
ern states. like the old New England
towns before the new emigration set In
and the factories became SO numerous.
In these western communities there is.
perhaps. an added charm beyond what the
New England town was likely TO have.
due TO the pleasanter climate and the
moro responsive soil. The extreme thrift
necessary In New England in not necess
sary in the West and living consequently
Is more generous. This 10 not a reflection
on the New Engianders because theee
charming communities OF the West are
New England settlements. The Same
blood II there the same family names,
the same features. Among these New
England colonies are others made by Ger
mans Swedes and occasionally French.
The Germans have had a great influence
on the West. and II has been for good To
sec them is worth the journey out there
Labor Is honorable throughout this re-
gion not that II Ii dishonorsbie anywhere.
hut every one Is working for the good Of
all. Farmers. artisans. tradeAfo,k profes,
sionai men--they all are working together
They know each other. Mentally. morally,
physically. they are Of the same caste. the
Same social grade. do not mean that
each member az any one community
thinks he is TIE exact equal OF every 9TH