The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-10-16
Contrast In Conditions.


Knowing how often present prosperity
has q tendency to dim the recoilcctions
OF past adversely. the Omaha Bee has
been publishing some extracts from its
news columns. taken At various dates be-
tween lsss and lSs6, when the country was
suffering from conditions which the sue
cess OF Mr.. Bryan would cause 20 return.
Anyone who cares to remember those
times win recall that the newspapers of
the country were very far from seeking
to magnify the suffering aud hardship
which the people were encountering. On
the contrary. local pride was strong in
fiuence toward inducing them to gloss over
the serious conditions. and to try to Gre
ate the impression that each city was. at
the worst. not 80 badly or ~ its rivals.
That was time when failures were print
ed in small type and In obscure parts OF
the paper; when for business reasons sv-
cry nerve was strained to minimize the
hard conditions. to try and persuade sv-
cry one that the worst was over. that
good times were about TO return. 1t was
recognized that with restoration Of oon-
fdencs some measure Of prosperity would
be restored. and no Newspaper was en-
gagged in printing unnecessarily any
gloomy predictions or gloomy stories. even
of actual conditions. for fear OF the ef-
feet In retarding the return Of confidence.
Newspaper stories of hardship and suf-
ferins were consequently far short OF the
real truth: and were only published az
matter Of absolute necessity, to stir up
the charitable and weil-to-do that they
might aid in keeping the destitute from
actual starvation.
Following are q few OF the items from
the bee. showing the conditions in Omaha.
which could then have been Duplicated
In any town in the country;
December 10, isss-stretohed withou,
bedding on the battieieids OF life. seeking
to hennmb the miseries OF desttiutton
with snatchss OF sleep. 200 Idle men passed
last night at Rescue hall In this city.
Hungry. homeless. without work. money
or friends. IN fact. without anything ex-
cept appetites. these nnfortanates ar
psaled for shei,sr IN the hall. The request
was granted, and the men seemed 70 feel
grateful for the privilege Of sleeping on
the hard neor or In chairs In proximity to
two large stoves.
-DecembeF 80 issS--An Illustration Of tina
willingness Of the men 10 work was dem
oris;rated yestarday- Mr.. Clark announced
- q
shat he had job Tor some enc To shovel
coal II meant rs cents 10 the ona who
secured n No sooner had the words left
hla isps ere no was surrounded hy nfty or
sixty impoverished men with oufstretched
hands They pifsously pieaa&4 Tor the
work. one cid rles Was knocked down
ia the via scramble for employment. An.
ether got on his knees and srsspsd M
Clark franticAliy around tse legs ls
shouted III Despair for The Job. Ii meant
enough moray for a bed ard a meal es
FufiiClsnt uAEa!ioes TO smooth ths
vFiRkirs of hunger On his stomach. For
tf1as sase. sire ~ to rae air. fsssiy gasp.
- tac % zaaa frFfn Sioux city. sh0 hAd
sfrlgglai - hta feet sn4 hsid HIS p8uehed
tzats AlEh IN shs air with an impioring
cIaich. lie eoi TIE toh and slept that
rlaht en- = mattress His gray hairs
rssisa sn a piiio~ Tor the frss tim. Ia A.
tasa lirhss
jar lazy =. t&<-hsnry Cceea. 81 tke
Krirnis q fAber. = chsi-nAn o. a con-
riitse ehleh has cgmplsted = canvass %
Ire unemployed workf1.n q the city Ha
reports Asla unemployed wage esrners a,
Cslaala AZ present. REPRESENTING AL trades
Akny 81 tfeun are married msn, and the
saloon siernenf IA a s1src.ty among them.
OF this numb@r Mr.. Cob&r reports rhe FOL-
loving Ia nest of innefi2ts resbef. Thea
feflow the names and addresses % sexerA.
huafret wurksr grzeu. many q whom are
tc1Ay amanE the best cifl1ens q OMAHA
II r. net necessary 20 introduce any
stems ffora the papers O, tas present day
70 snow TIE coBEr@st. AL know What
tines are now. AL kn0w that such pew
srty ard suffering a. exists today are sue
solely 10 accident or disease AL know
th&t there is abundance % w0rk Al good
wages for al who xish to work some