Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1906-02-16

MY next trial was at an emplovmeu
ONCE was guaranteed job, at Sc
a month, that l could hold so long a
my work was satisfactory. 1 took tn
JOB, and was given card to certain
ONCE l was promptly employed an,
set to work posting books. I had beeI
at work for perhaps 20 minutes, whel
the boss began to growl at nothing
Ior knew how to keep books, and il
less than minute was discharged
AS l walked through the main office,
saw man sitting there with "wan
a job" look, and he was sent right int,
the back office.
was somewhat suspicious of thC
place, so just loitered on the walk fol
perhaps an hour, when another maj
with the expectant look entered tht
place. In less than five minutes my
successor came out. 1 hailed him
and we compared notes, and I founC
that he had been unreasonably criti
clzed and fired. We waited for per
haps an hour, when the fourth mar
entered, and in less than no time the
third man came out. Then we all re.
turned to the employment Office and
demanded the return of our money
One of the men had put up his last
cent aud when he began to pull his
coat, backed as he was by two others,
and to tell the fellow that we had come
to collect six dollars, there was look
in his eyes that collected that money.
Such fraudulent employment offices
exist in all the large cities, the sup
posed employer and the agent (0
dividing the profits. Many employ
ment agencies carry on an honorable
business. AS a rule, when a man is
buncoed out Of his deposit fee, it is
cheaper for him to let it go and nurse
his loss and his wrath.
My next venture was at the free en-
ployment agency, maintained by the
city and its attendants appointed by a
political pull. These Offices are run
on hours. You can go early and wait,
or go a little late and wait until next
day. The pleasant politician took my
name and address and what I could
work at and in about week / re-
ceived postal card telling me to call,
as a job had been reported. In the
meantime I had explored everywhere
without success, and when l called at
the place to which had been directed
by the free agency, I found the place
had been filled three days before.
Such is a sample Of government run
ming business,
gave up looking for work in Kan
sas City and shipped down South to
help build railroads. Ny laborer's
pass took me to Ft. Smith, Arkansas.
When I arrived, I was told that the
engineers department intended to
send some men out surveying. 1 did
not look like dude by this time, but
cleaned up and applied to the proper
person for job. While talking with
the head clerk, higher official stepped
in and called to the clerk, and 1 over
heard him say, "Do not ship any
more hobos to the front" When the
clerk returned, he Informed me that
the crew was filled. AS I passed the
higher official, I quietly remarked,
81 am not hobo, and if any Of your
best mathematician get bothered in
figuring excavations, just call on me
and I will solve the problem for them.
The only thing left for me was to
join the gang and go out at hard work
and $1.75 a day, with 81 week of for
board. Of all the robbers and tyrants
that ever infested this earth, the firm
by whom I was employed easily takes
first rank. A man working for them
is looked upon as dog, and is robbed
and cheated and cussed accordingly.
I stood it a portion of one day, and
then said "good-bye."
I went to work the next morning for
the Diamond Construction Company,
of Springfield, Missouri, who had the
rock contract on the road. Mr.. Dla-
mond had general charge, and was IN
every way man, but the foreman OF
the rock quarry under whom l worked
was a swelled-up fool. Here learned
how unjust is the rule announced oy
MANY Judges Of the courts in various
states called the Fellow Servant
Doctrine" How 1 wish that the first
Judge to announce that rule could be
brought to life and placed as L saw
men placed then and afterwards.
It is all very we'll for man on a
saIarv Of several thousand dollars a
wear and a job, perhaps for life to SIT
in his easy chair in a nice warm room
and say, "a man should not go into a
dangerous place to work, and he can
NOT recover damages for broken limbs
n the accident is caused by the care
Iessness or incompetency OF iello"
servant"
In removing the rock from the
a large fOur-fold tackle was
1sed. and a team did the pulling. Ii
vas the duty Of "fellow servant To-
give warning in time, so all hanos
could get out Of the way, but he did not
40 so. and there we're several narro"
,.ooras from serious injury. AT one