Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-18
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morning and sunset hours, but his death
at the hands-or rather talons and beak-
of a big hawk no doubt was spread through
Crowdom, and now 1t il a rare thing to see
one OF the uncanny birds in the vicinity OF
the post Office.
Policeman Frank Emmert, who does duty
about The Star building. Was q witness to
the tragedy on the dizzy edge Of the coping
about the postal tower. The great hawk
came up from behind and bounced down
on the unsuspecting crow. There was a
brief struggle. then the surrounding atmos-
phere was filled with black feathers: The
crow gave several loud "caws' ana tnen
succumbed to its enemy
The hawk proceeded to devour the bird
of evil omen. and finished all except the
head. which was dropped to the side waI.
preserved las a memento Of the battle In
midair.
*
ut is a little curious to consider what
there is in being expert in your line,
said trolley car philosopher to a Star re-
porter the other day. "Of course, We all
know the history of Capt. Bill Jones. the
most expert steel operator of the Home
stead works, who refused an interest in the
business from Carnegie. and was content
with what he termed a HI of a big salary
Ivory turner's. gold heaters and diamond
cutters all get big returns from the work
of their hands, and the personal equation
makes them all valuable and usually rich
in the end. ! also know several colored
buffers. high grade, respectable men who
.ment clerks and who are as much of a
fixture in their families as the front door
of the houses where they work. But not
all experts get expert salaries; take the
ease OF a clerk in store, good man. who
gets and holds customers for the establish
ment owing to his personality and the fact
that he knows the business from the ground
floor up. l do not know what that sort OF
o1A, IT, hut
1 do not believe the most of them are paid
much and from my observation the stores
that employ them do not appreciate them at
their real worth.
''The thing that set me thinking is this
two pounds of steak 1 am carrying home.
do not know anything about meat, but /
am willing to bet it Is all right because of
the man l got 1t from. He Is in a corner
he has been clerk for the past twenty-five
years. He works on the average of fourteen
hours a day and the manager tells me that
people who come into the store will wait
fact, he gets worked to death for that very
reason, while three or four other clerks may
be standing around doing nothing. Now l
happen to know that he gets SIS month
and has been getting 1t for the past fifteen
years. He is decently married, has a small
family and lives cleanly and economically,
though how he does 1t on his wages cannot
see. He has not saved a cent. and sup
pose If he were to lose his cieaver hand or
meet with some accident Of that sort he
would go down and out Immediately. There
must be a thousand other clerks in town In
much the same position. The question with
me is do they get a square deal for .the
service they give? There does not seem to
be any promotion ahead for any Of them
and there are about million and half
people waiting to take their jobs If they
vacate through death, illness or disability.
But there is no remedy for 1t that can
see. Guess on the whole, 1 am pretty well
satisfied that am not a clerk in store"