The San Francisco call., 1904-07-03
CHAPTER III.
LOOK FOR A JOE.

LOOK FOR A JOB.
Although DovidIe-I should say Mr..
Levando, as he was best known here by
his second name-was engaged in shirt
making himself, he said it would break
his heart to see a graduate of gymna-
sium and university sewing garments,
so he advised me to look for more gen
teel work Thereupon Mr.. Takiff sug-
gested cigar-making, but Make mur-
INJURED that cigar-making would hurt
my lungs and heart. However, Mon
day morning l decided to take a tour
through the small cigar shops on the
East Side. TO look for a job. After an
hour of aimless wandering / stopped
before a number of English Yiddish
signs, with a determination to seek
work from some of the firms within.
l walked up two flights of stairs and
found myself in hallway so dark that
/ could see no door. Sewing machines
worked speedily somewhere within and
made the floor trembIe. AS 1 stOCd
wondering where the door could be, il
swung open, and 1 was almost knocked
over by a boy with sleeves rolled up,
who darted past me and down the
stairs. L entered the door and found
myself in a square room, the dimen-
siOns of which could not have been
more than sixteen feet. Two girls sat
stopped over sewing-machines, with
their eyes fixed upon the pieces of
cloth that they pushed under the nee
dies.
''Whr-r-whr-r-wh the ma
chimes hummed busily. At another
machine sat an elderly man with spec
tacles, and one machine stood unoc-
cupied, which l surmised belonged to
the boy who had almost caused my
overthrow at the door. There was only
one window: a small gaslight burned
over the elderly mans machine, which
was fartheSt from the window. A wO-
man whose forehead was half-covered
with a wig was pulling the thread
from seams; next to her stood a
presser, whose face was bathed in per-
spiratiOn, which he frequently wiped
off with his rolled-up shirt sleeves; and
by his side was a gasoline stove on
which the irons were heating
No one noticed me as 1 entered, ex-
cept the bewigged woman, who gave
me a furtive glance and dropped her
eyes back to the seam.
A few minutes later the boy who had
passed me in the hall returned. He
was the boss's son, he informed me,
and. the boss being away, he would at
tend to my wants.
One girl nudged her neighbor with
her elbow, and both cast glances at my
feet. The two of them began to giggle.
The blood ascended to my face; my
feelings were wounded. In my native
land ] was respected as student; here
working girls laughed at me.
II can tell greener by his shoes"
l overheard one say.
1t was only my foreign shoes they
laughed at However, it hurt me- We
are so egotistic that We even feel the
insults directed at our belongings.
I decided to go up another flight and
see Simachowitch. When I reached
the door of the manufacturer OF pants.
overalls. skirts and children's suits
could hear no sound within except a
slight click, between that OF a sewing
machine and that of a slot-machine-
I entered the room hesitatingly and
remained standing near the door.
There was only one person in the room
"a middle-aged man, bending over
button-hole machine.
Although 1 could tell from the ex-
preston Of the man making button
holes that he was aware of my pres
ence. he did not raise his eyes, but
kept them fixed on the machine. His
beard struck my fancy first; it was OF
a quaint color; the sides were almost
red. the lower. part almost dark. his
mustache fairly brown His eyes were
dim and watery; his forehead was
q
peacefully on his head. This was Sim
manufacturer in America. whose spe-
cialties were button-holes, overalls,
shirts. knee pants, etc.
When he had finished a button-hole
the machine jerked and stopped, and
the operator raised his head question
ingly. l repeated what 1 had said on
the floor below.
4 ~
but 1 could not place him. The voice
in particular sounded familiar. So I
made another attempt TO make him
reveal his identity.
els tailoring a good trade here?'
Are you a tailor from homer" he
answered with a question, unintention-
ally wounding my pride.
After / had looked at the man for a
mint te or two something like flash of
lightning frightened my memOry-Get-
eel Gorgle, My heart beat faster; the
consciousness of another acquaintance
sent a thrill of delight through my
heart.
Il beg your pardon I began apollo
getically. Weren't you the teacher OF
the Talmud Torah at
The machine stopped abruptly with a
click, and raising his head inquisitively
he said in a soft tone: "And who are
you from home? Sit down, please" He
wiped the dust from a chair without a
back. remarking: II can see that you
are not one of the common people"
told him who I was
"Shrolke." He sprang up with joy
"I am so glad TO see you-as my own
child Shone ZiOnl They told me that
you went to the gymnasium. and that
}GN3-saNi
g .eSN NRs