The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1904-05-17
By FREDERICK ROBINSON,
A Yale Graduate.

8x xAEOEkICA AObAN6O1s
A Yale Graduate.
Angered at my rebuffs for employ
ment in Spokane, fear of the unknown
powers in whose hands seem to be,
made me tremble in harmony with
the madly tossed waves in the rapids
beneath the Howard street bridge
early this morning as l leaned over
the railing, trying to catch the re-
Election of my disappointed face in
the waters below, and got back
through the rising mist only the
echo of my disappointed hopes.
Homeless and friendless, 1, Yale
graduate of Is years standing and
with a more thorough training in the
worlds school, knocked about from
one point of the compass to the other
in different parts of the world, was
thrown upon reef high and dry In
Spokane.
walked the Streets.
had walked the streets for seven
nights and days seeking chance to
work for an honest livelihood and a
place to sleep, and without success.
Sometimes 1 did manage to get some
thing to eat
AS I watched the antics Of the
rapidly flowing river l wondered
what have to look forward to? Sure
ly nothing is in sight.
How, I thought, I should revel in
the sense of security. of being shell
tered, fed and protected, If not
through my own willing efforts, then
at least through the kindness of some
Spokane citizen who would graciously
give the chance to work.
But who of all in Spokane would
do it? l had repeat dly tried them
and they have failed. One is at least
entitled to eat and live.
After my numerous disappoint-
ments for the past several days /
begin to loathe going out and having
business dealings with people. Peo-
pie whom I thought my friends had
disappointed me.
Much depressed by my surround
ings 1 felt tempted to leap into the
seething cataract beneath the bridge
and there seek peace in the waters
depths and be free from the material
problems Of this life evermore.
The sun broke through the clouds
in the east in the midst of my gloomy
demitations and it's golden rays SEEM
ed to penetrate my soul just as they
kissed away the spray over the falls.
and my nervous depression began to
disappear.
1t was now nearly o'clock in the
morning and I made my way UP How
ard street, where I found a lunch
counter presided over by kindly
faced young chap, who let me have
a cup of hot coffee on credit. Clus,
tered here about the coffee man
found warm company, and sat down
to bring together the scattered
threads of my seven days experience
in searching for work, place to
sleep and something to eat.
I will say right here that the old
saying that every man is largely the
architect of his own fortune is to
some extent true, but circumstances
alter cases. He may be willing to
work and no work is found to do.
Nobody needs his services, therefore
nobody wants him. And l have found,
generally speaking, from personal ex-
perience and observation. that the
man who is up against it" need look
for very little assistance from the
Spokane missions. In other words, if
you haven't got the money, don't
come around"
do not say as a result Of my in
vestigations that the city missions
do not do lot of good, but if they
do, it is to a large extent hidden from
view, and you do not have to go far
among the workingmen to discover
that good" in their estimation is
reduced to the minimum
was disappointed in not obtaining
n position in Spokane upon my ar
rival. / was not particular what sort
of position as long as it was honest
met with refusals on various pleas
of "Nothin' doin'," Come some other
time" or TN let you know later"
In the meantime my money ran out
and with a depleted purse came a
hungry stomach and also hunt for
a place to sleep. could not get the
lodging from the missions. but
found that I could get it in the saloon.
Sheltered in the Saloons.
For the first three nights I walked
the streets, but during the last four
nights 1 have dozed in the saloon
sometimes lulled to sleep by the
beautiful music of Verdi or by the
strenuous snore of an intoxicated
rancher. In either case somehow
finally got to morning safely. The
principal object was to get through
the night. and sympathetic relations
with people did make shorter nights
for me.
In one large saloon, the Coeur
d'Alene, the room was generally Allied
to an early hour of the morning
When a sitter got up, yawned stretch
ed his arms and passed out into the
cold, crisp air OF the early mornins,
another acknowledging forlorn fper-
haps-entered to occupy the vacated
chair. They were, like myself. the
fiotsam and jetsam of humanity, but
they had hearts of oak.
Here and there during the early
hours Of the morning a wan, pale
face would raise from the table and
would seem like ghost mirrored in
cluster of colored lights. The face
haunted you, and you knew that. like
yourself. he was in search of work
Hello, old man, what you work
inn" asks one.
Jus in from the ranch; spent
money and can't git hum" replies
the other.
This is the matter with a great
many. They are broke and can't get
home. They remain here ana go from
bad to worse. Frequently they seek
and obtain lodging and breakfast