Evening journal., 1906-11-06
ITALIAN TAKING
PLACE OF NEGRO
Swarll.y Son Of .taly is Found
Less ErratiC and More
Reliable

The italian is rapidly disp'acIng ,hc
negro in the large gangs employed hy
,ity contractors IN the prosecution ,;
tasks involving nard manual labor. Il
was once a familiar sight to see hundreds
ef black men. with their white foremcn.
swinging their sicdses CIR tearing up no
streets In repairing the tracks; but nov
even cursory glance al the bodies OF
aien engaged IN similar tasks is sufficient
to show that the swafthy son OF itt.y
Is rapidly displacing the type which has
50 long been the burden-bcarer of an
races.
The negro Is not being eliminated. he
is cllrlnatine himself Ho % not Being
Disseminated against; nc is ruthor.
showing an lndsrosit.on to labor faith
fully and consistently at enc task. BY
nature he IS more or less migratory
happy, eare-free. living for the day
alone. Indifferent 10 any disturbing Dos.
sbliltics OF the morrow. lie Ia happy at
his work happy IN his ideness. There
is melody IN his soul even In the mo-
ments Of hardest labor and many n time
when cars have been held up on tho
streets 10 permit some bit OF track con-
struction ahead. the delay has been mado
pleasureablc 10 the waiting passengers
by the weird chants Of the negroes as
their sledses rose and fol- in rhythmic
motion.
"The italian Is the more consistent
worker" said a foreman OF gang as he
stood by watching his men at some al
loted task. Sometimes I think the ne
gro is beginning 10 feel that he Ia above
the pick. shovel and sledse. Possibly he
is getting more ambitious; but. anyhow,
where It once was possible 20 get a ne
gro 20 work FOR 81 d day. he now wants
81, and won't work n he can't get e.
Tho trouble have found is. that he
won't work long az a time He works
only lcng enough 70 get a little spending
money, then he lays on until II Is gone,
then he is back He thinks nothing OF
laying up something for the future. He
likes to live. Some OF the lunches these
black fellows bring here are better than
most clerks and some business men get
Some bring whole pies and pastries Of
all kinds are very popular with them.
"The Italian. on the other hand. works
with a definite object IN view. Tn,
chances are he has come TO this country
because he believes fortunes are easii,
made here. He has probably left a fam.
! ily on the other side. and he may b,
| planning 10 send for his wife and chill
dren. or else intends to 60 back TO them
SO he works with a definite object fl
view. He lives on next to nothing, sub
sists frugaliy. lives with a dozen or NOR
OF his kind in a few rooms, and hoard
up every cent he can. He doesn't wan
TO lose his Job. He works mechanically
hour after hour, with no letup and care
nothing for time. He would as 500
work Is hours day as eight n he wer
to get paid for II. He seldom gets ex
cited. and is ensier 10 direct than the n,
gro. Put one Of his countrymen over hin
and you have only one man 10 deal with
! whereas the negro brooks no dictatio
from one Of his own race.
"The black man. however can do NOR
work than the italian II no wants e
He will work at a wild frenzy, once 70
get him pitched up TO Il. and will az
complish really a surprising amoun
strangely enough he prefers the sleds
to the pick and shovel. implements whic
he seems 10 think beneath him. and
only for the Italian. The negro Is MOI
ambitious. as n ruie than to work o
the street lie wants to get in a priva'
family as a butler or a doorman, or some
thing like that. He prefers being waite
in restaurant. To him there is MOI
sentility IN doing tasks like that and II
cnsier work. To put it brief the negi
: is like a good many white men-iookin
for cinch That is one Of the reasoI
Vrbv he is not so predominant In stree
t gangs ms he once was. Because Of b
: dlsinciinatlon and his general pnrei'
/ bnity those who have occasion to en-
, ploy men for long. hard tasks at manu-
labor ind the italian more trustwortf
and ef6clent. The black man is entire
too erratlc. Maybe it is for his oN
good. I don't know