Waterbury Democrat., 1901-11-02
LOOKING FOR WORK.


 s'Looking for work is most radical cure for self conceit," says Elizabeth Jamison in Everybody's Magazine. If taken in too large doses it somc- times produces other effects not so de sirable, the most serious of which is a morbid self depreciation.
 Tt was necessary for ne to five II New York city and to earn every cont there. I came straight from college with no capital except enthusiasm. and with no trade or speciality. 1 was determined not to teach. Naturally I had my fill of work hunting, and when I finally succeeded ill obtaining q po- sition l made a threat, If 1 an ever out of work again 1 will not look for another position. l will go into jonr- nalism'
 Now the high profession of journal ism must have a guardian angel who attempts at least to keep the reckless and unqualified from the spreading of news, for when I was ready to carry out my threat and had written two specials which proved good news 10 the city editor, a piece of work actual ly looked me up.
 Tt came through a telephone from a friend who knew how 1 was situ- ated.
 "'Will you'-buzz, snap whizz, something was the. matter of the wire
 Yes I shouted back, and started at once for her office without the re- motest idea what I was to ..o
 At the publishing house where ny friend was I learned that house dec- orator had telephoned down for :, .n8n fA rfa +A vl,;1 n, newly decorated and furnished, to un- pack and arrange in the new book cases 5000 books according to eata- logue. No man was at liberty. so I was sent for. I went at once 10 tie decorators. He was out, but | might talk to him by telephone I did,
 Pm afraid you can't do the work he said. I want a man some of tie books are very heavy I'd like to try it. said; I'm pret- ty strong
 . How much do you wantY Fifty cents an hour
 When can you begin?'
 back.
 After few instructions l went to my new occupation. The library was full of packing boxes. The house was full of workmen. I got a hammer and went to work taking off tlle box covers. If there chanced 0 De a workman near he did it for me, but many one I did myself.
 T unpacked the books and worked out a subject scheme for the arrange ment of them. In eleven days they were all arranged. But I had worked almost breathlessly. The work was hard, but 1 love books and enjoyed it. especially as it netted me S45 and, l best of all, meant more work Cne thing led to another. The work varied greatly; sometimes it tested ala ny intellectual powers, sometimes it test l ed all my muscle.
 For three months l earned S15O per month, but it meant york from early morning till late at light
 q packed books, unpacked books, arranged and catalogued books, sub- stituted in a library and bought books | for the owners of libraries. l'he most interesting experience I had was a search for book. The owner of one of the private libraries which l had arranged had read of hook when 1 he was a little boy. All he remembers 1 ed about it was the name of two of its heroes. 1 found it for him. :. second hand copy; the book had been out of print for years.
 SssThe work opened up wonderfully. At college had, as pastime looked into library methods and systems or I could not so readily have done many l things I was asked to do was, how ever, offered place which had long been desiring, and so left my book work and went again into regular place. There must be many piece of similar work waiting for some Woman's hand"