The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-07-02
NEW YORK HAS SYMPATHY,
BUT VERY FEW POSITIONS.
UNEMPLOYED PREACHER SAYS
Lives Life of Poor From Choice Instead of Resting Abroad
and Tries to Find Work Without Aid of Friends,
Money, References or Training.

NEW YORK. July 2-Sleeping at night
in 20-cent room. and tramping the
streets by day in search OF work, Albert
r. Williams, a young preacher who has
chosen TO live the life of the New York
poor this summer instead OF taking a
vacation abroad, has found in the first
forty-eight hours of his ordeal that New
York city has lots OF sympathy but few
Jobs for the boy who comes here with
out money. references or technical train
ing 70 win his bread The young in
vestigator's small money supply is dwin-
ding and he has not yet found the
means of making any more.
Mr.. Williams was graduated recently
from the Hartford Theological School
with high honors and valuable scholar
Ship Before assuming the duties of a
pulpit, however, he resolved to study
the conditions among the poor OF the
slums at first hand. He has cut him
self of entirely from HIS friends and
relatives His father, a minister IN
Blossburg. Pa. does not know where his
son it Neither does the young preach
er's brother. who is a prosperous bust.
ness man OF this city.
Small Accoutrement.
Eight dollars. one cheap suit or old
clothes and cap formed the fun aeeou-
trement OF the young man when he set
out. In the first two DAYS of his wan
derings he found no work Not even
the sweatshops would have him. He
could not get a place as a stable boy.
The practical charity institutions would
only help him TO get work in the coun-
] AIfhnt1crt. h.
or graft told by policeman and fireman
IN connection with position in the serv-
Ice of the Metropolitan Street Railway
company ne found himself unable TO
get a JOB as conductor or motorman
Perhaps the greatest difficulty ex-
perienced by me in not reIinouishing nv
plans comes in the morning. when even
lucent bed presents a phase of
luxury said Mr.. Williams FRIDAY
morning i mad gone forth TO get a start
IN THIS great city. Arriving by boat
as arose from my bunk and strobe out
upon deck and the waste OF buildings
spread out on every side. confess that
me magnitude Of II all gave me sink
ing OF the heart which was onlv orgSe+
by the JOY OF the fact that now. ar last
l was to try myself out. and the blood
OF battle spurred me on.
Angel Armed With Club.
Two mornings later 1 was awakened
from a dream in which ] thought the
resurrection angel was sounding bIasr
II was the resurrection angel of the
workingman's hotel summoning some
poor devil TO leave his drovysy couch of
| ease and go forth to his Iabors. The
angel here sallies out from the Office
not with trumpet to rouse the sIeener
but armed with a club. which he beats
upon the door until the sIurberer with
in admits he has risen
I turned over In bed and looked at
my IngersOl. IL was s O'Clock Some
one mad left a call for 5 O'Clock v-bicb
also meant cali for all the rest Of
us in that vicinity.
only one who could sleep next TO a
pliedrlYer could withstand this rCise
Ike thunderbolt; for our rooms we're
sta!ls with only wire stretched across
me Top 70 prevent foragine neighbor
from hftng ane's coat and trousers.
But after the first crash II ones
WEAKNESS were sufficient IL overCoT,,e
the sickentng heat Of the little 6xs room
ne would need a perpetual paregoric
sLahd 10 overcome the successive
crashes which -e-cchocl at f-euuent in
leIVaIs along Inc corridors. II was no
sible.
I had $ cash. clothes worth about
$40 or 80. a good cap. n sol- shirt with
unknown collar and n determine
tion TO take hold 50. without My pre-
iiIninarlcs. 1 plunged into ;hc fray.
At Recruiting Station.
The first man 1 tackled was a for
eigner and could not understand what I
wanted. The next two men had heard
OF some place somewhere unloading
boxes. but they could not quite decide
where II was.
|Rhe next fellow told me to find all
my information at the United States
army recruiting station, just across the
way. Approaching the young soldier
walking up and down before the station.
L asked him where I could strike ont
for a job around here.
No use hunting round here he re-
piled We are enlisting men from All
over the city-men who can't find anv-
thing to do and are clean out OF a lob.
Greatest thing there is, too-a chance
10 see the world. You better get right
In now; go up and see the sergeant and
II looked rather disappointed and
shuffled my feet.
g 1t isn't every one that gets the
chance he persisted. You can ger
through all right, so you better try it
But telling him I wanted TO see for
myself what there was wandered on
Coming along into the tailoring and
sweating district, l inquired Of several
men and women whether there were any
chances of getting a job round there.
and they directed me 10 several places.
and climbing the stairways to the top
was met by the Hebrew proprietor
with an invariable and inevitable shake
of the head 1 was wondering IL this
was the condition Of the labor market
all over the city when a man assured
me that l was a fool to try TO get a
job In a tailor shop without being a
tailor. and that IL I did perform the
miracle of getting job 1 couldn't get
enough to live on. After looking il over
j guess he was right.
80 shifted my ground Of operations
from the clothing district, and as 1 was
telling my plans to a storekeeper an
old driver dropped in and on remarking
that he was going over to the stable
the storekeeper told him to take me
along and see II there wasn't some job
there.
Pleased Old Man.
The old man was royal good fellow
and on the way over / won his favor by
guessing that he was forty, when he
was sixty, and when he remarked that
he guessed he knew more about horses