davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1908-11-15

AT Grants Pass, Ore, I had sew
eral others managed to get off the
train because 1T was getting dark and
also because the famous long whis-
kered marshal of that place did not
have a sufficient force of deputies to
properly guard the train. Here I ate
for the first time since my meal at
Kennett back in California. But 1, got
only sandwich even here, and that
only after having gone from house to
house for what seemed to me an hour
of begging. A farmer finally gave me
the sandwich for cutting some wood.
II honestly believe there is not u
man or woman living in Grants Pass
whom | did not strike for work-any-
thing, just so / might earn my daily
living. Every possible job in that
place seemed to held on to like grim
death by those already on the spot.
There was not town along the rail-
road line between Redding and Port
land where 1 managed to get off the
trains where ] was not located and
rounded up by the police within half
a day after 1 had landed, and again
forced to go on.
-. Go on where?' / once asked a po-
liceman in reply to his command that
1 leave town.
AW. go anyWnere-1uSr so you get
out O. here. Go TO HI, for all care,
was his unfeeling rejoinder.
so 1 rode, got, off wherever possible
and pleaded for work. and rode. again.
day after day, making my way ever
northward from station to station and
state to state. l came finally to the
very Canadian frontier without hav-
ing landed even a temporary job. Port
land had been as bad as San Francisco:
Seattle, Spokane and other Washington
towns were no different 1 was get
ting hardened and Injured to the dis
appointments and the misery. Passing
the Oregon state penitentiary at Sa-
lem, the men on the top of the train
strung along like lot of broken
winged crows spontaneously burst out
in wild laughter which seemed TO me
to have much real bitterness beneath
the assumed 1evity. and with one ac-
cord sang. Home, Sweet Home Many
a man on that train would willingly
have gone into the prison and worked
like a horse for the three squares and
the bunk which are the prisoners for
tune. I, for one, would gladly have
done so.
"The train crews were indignant at
this more or less compulsory transpor-
tation of hundreds of men over their
The San Francisco call., 1908-11-15

ding, the little mining camp of Kennett,
at the mouth of the Sacramento gorge,
where l was dumped.
This was a state OF affairs l had
not counted on--not TO be permitted
even to land in any town / might
chose TO canvass for work. l was to
find out very soon that nearly every
town of any size between San Fran
cisco and the Canadian frontier along
the railway lines, had given it's police
authorities orders not to permit any
one without visible means of support
to get off the trains even. much less
to remain in the community. The hunt
for work had suddenly taken on a far
more serious look than it had at first
presented. Forebodings and doubts
already began to assail me. For few
hours that first night l may say with
out shame, I grew afraid of the world
and its mem heretofore they had
always seemed only cold and unfeeling
at the worst, now they bristled like
wolves about to snap.
However, my immediate concern
was something to eat, and in my hun
ger I gradually forgot all other con-
siderations. / Struck velvet as L
afterward learned to call such sue
cess in getting a meal, struck velvet
at the first restaurant I 'braced' The
heartily. While I ate l noticed that
several of the fellows 1 had met over
at the railway yards, in the same pre-
dicament in which l found myself.
were greedily watching me through
the windows, like so many animals.
Knowing their hunger. l ate with a
certain sense of shame, feeling that 1
had no right to satisfy my hunger
while theirs remained unsatisfed.
There was no work to be had at
Kennett Even men who had worked
in that vicinity for years were out of
employment at this time. Very lonely
and discouraged, 1 sat smoking my
pipe with little group of other
searchers over on the railroad right
of way, listening to the song of the
river as it fretted its way through
the canyon below, not stones throw
away from the track. exchanging ex-
periences with the other men, wait
ing patiently for the next train that
should carry me along on my hunt.
At about midnight short freight
came storming up the canyon from the
south and stopped for orders.
An Echo of Coxey's Army
Il climbed into a boxcar. 1t was
filled with motley crowd of humans.
The San Francisco call., 1908-11-15

men going north to seek pastures new
just as / was doing. There must have
been so in the one car. | crawled over
extended feet and swaying bodies, sit
ting and reclining. until / found an un-
occupied spot to which l might have
right.
'..Hows the town feeding% asked
several men at once.
This isn't much of a town. I re-
Piled but such as it is there is
nothing doing. l had lied cheer
fully, chuckling a little over my full
stomach in the dark. for / had an idea
that these hungry men would hate me
bitterly If they knew ] had eaten more
recently than they.
"'That's the way 1t is all along the
line Buddy grumbled u few of the
more communicative among those
awake. naming one after the other the
respective stations from which they
had begun their trip. No work, no
grub-no nothing! 1t sure is hell.'
AT nearly every station along the
line now, men began to attach them
selves to the increasing army of tramps
and idle men moving northward We
had vague notion that work lay
somewhere away toward the north.
There came soon to be a certain esprit
de corps among the man, and as indi-
VlQudlS we ndIeQ 10 separate ourselves
from the general body as though for
some unknown reason our very safety
as well as our welfare depended upon
our hanging together. At Ashland,
Ore, the local authorities, over
ruling the objections of the railway
officials, rounded up 200 idle men, con-
Quoted them down to the train on
which / and the small army already
filing several boxcars mad ridden into
the state from California, and ordered
US all on our way There were now
some $50 men on that train.
'At first this enforced riding was
more or less of a JOKE with us; but
finally it became anything but a joke.
We were getting sore from riding We
were hungry. We were thirsty At
every station that was more than a
mere water tank we attempted to get
off, but were, with the exception of a
few of the more doughty individuals.
not successful in slipping past the
officers that met each train to prevent
their town from being flooded with
what they called the riff-raff of the
city. Through this section the search
for work became a farce so far as
most of us on that train and others
were concerned.
The San Francisco call., 1908-11-15

- p ever q man made honest and
thorough search to find work in
this city, that man is I. For
over ak weeks I had canvassed
the city without success. I had long
since come to that point Of bedrock
where did not possess the necessary
dollar or two the employment agen-
eies demand for securing a man work.
What, with the worry over debts
that had accrued against me. as well
as the hunger. and very often the
lack OF q bed to sleep IN when I could
not somehow mooch the price TO pay
Tor Il, was growing pretty despond-
where 7 was ready to grasp at any
straw Of suggestion whereby my con
dition Of existence might be improved.
"One day I was telling the agent
OF q certain local labor bureau about
my troubles. He suggested, with
conviction that carried much weight.
at the time, against my inexperience.
that I leave the city, always congested
at times like these, and make for the
country and the little towns. where
he was certain that conditions must
be better and jobs more plentiful than
, they were in San Francisco and the
transbay cities.
How in thunder are you going to
leave the city when you haven't one
red cent in your jeans2" I asked him.
We'll, III tell you what would do,
The San Francisco call., 1908-11-15

Discouraged at his inability TO rnd
employment Of any hind in this locality
after a faithful and sustained effort TO
that end. David Merritt. young San
Francisco Dorknan Of average intcli-
gence. ability and initiative. left the
city four months ago on flying pros
pect for a Job among the smaller topns
and country districts Of the state. His
search for DorB eventually carried him
across four Destern states. California.
Oregon, Washington and Nevada, and
during the rs days ii took him to
cover that Territory he travelled approx
iu1ately $500 miles. Being flat
brOke" at the perp outset of his pros
pecting tour and depending for trans
portation from place TO place on the
rides he could manage TO steal on rail
Dau trains. as matter Of course he
folIOped closely the great steel high
waus Of the states he hperscd.
Merritt has just returned TO San
Francisco. The story of his cxpcr;-
euces on The road. told in his Opn
DOrds IN the following paragraphs. is
a unique and interesting human docu-
u1ent bearing on some of the problems
Of the unemployed. At times. it is
true, his search for DOrk fell TO a mere
gipsun1g nth hObOes. but there is
essentially nothing Of the ''pag'' about
The man. The latter assertion is sus-
tained by the fact that he is at present
employed IN position of trust NTH one
of the largest laundry establishments Of
the city. Dhere he found the long
sought permanent employment he de-
sired a fen days after his return TO San
Francisco.
The San Francisco call., 1908-11-15

If I were IN your place." he replied.
without hesitation. IT would go
down to the S. P. yards at Third and
Townsend streets and beat out the
first train I could catch, If I didn't
have the money to ride on the inside"
Somehow that struck me as good
advice, and I acted on the suggestion
that very afternoon. However, instead
of trying to get out on the south
bound trains leaving the Townsend
street station, 1 managed to beat my
way across to Oakland on the ferry
there made out a north bound train. 1
had as a boy several times under
taken little adventures at stealing
rides along short railway divisions,
and so felt more or less at home
riding on the outside of trains. At
least I was not afraid to ride in that
manner.
Although it was broad daylight
when the north bound passenger
pulled out of the Oakland yards,
managed to stow underneath one of
the coaches on the rods and get out
of the city without discovery had
decided upon Redding as likely
town and my first goal in pros
pecting for a job.
at Port Costa brakeman saw me
and kicked me off the train. But
already in these few minutes of riding
1 had enjoyed fierce determination
to hold my own in this adventure 1
had undertaken had taken possession
Of me, and I decided not to lose that
train. I slipped into one apf the
coaches and. unobserved took refuge
in one of the little closets at the end
of the coach. where tools, flags, Ian
terms, etc, are kept, and in that man.
ner managed to get across the ferry
10 Benicia. Here / was again thrown
off by the angry conductor. But once
again succeeded in getting on my
first perch, the rods, just as the pas
senger was pulling out Snug under
the shadow of the Pullman, concealed
between the two air tanks beneath
the coach, I rode into Redding. my
goal, a short time before nightfall,
without further trouble.
No Landing at Redding
Now experiences began to come
thick and fast at once experiences
which, with only a little variation of
the unessential detail, were to be re-
peated by the hundred during the next
four months in which my search for
work was to take me back and forth
across the railroad highways of four
western states.
Il was hungry as a bear when 1
crawled off the train at Redding. and
was covered with CRIME and dust
from my long ride. 1 felt my be-
grimed condition even more unpleas-
antly than my hunger, and. knowing
the Sacramento river to be somewhere
In the near vicinity 1 started down
the track bent on having a bath before
looking for work and meal. l had
gone perhaps 800 yards. when to my
surprise and CONSERVATION I was
halted by a policeman. I evidently did
not answer the questions he asked me
TO his satisfaction, for he made it very
plain TO me that Redding did not de-
sire my presence He gave me the
option of being arrested at once for
vagrancy or of making the next train
out of the town. No need to say
which choice l made. The policeman
hung around to see that l did indeed
make good my promise, and did as
matter of fact ride the next train out
1t was a freight which I managed
to ride only to a station above Red
The San Francisco call., 1908-11-15
4, 9FQE DOOR PULLHIAN

divisions. but they were for the most
part powerless to prevent it. The
agent at Albany, Ore, was particularly
riled at the way in which these free
fares were capturing his trains, but
a clash with the local town authorities
proved the railroadmen the weaker Os
the two antagonistic factions. The
tramps and the idle workmen con-
binued to ride
From Spokane came back to Port
land and thence almost without stop
south again to Sacramento. California
was beginning to look pretty good to
me after all. At Sacramento 1 met a
young fellow going east across the
divide to his home in Chicago. Our
relationship quickly became that Of
pals, and with little persuasion he in
duced me to go as far as Truckee with
him anyway. 1 was still earnestly
hunting for work from place to place,
and thought that Goldf1eld, Tonopah or
some OF the Nevada camps might have
a greater proportion OF jobs to the
men present than the towns nearer the
larger centers. We got out of Sacra-
mento forthwith.
The San Francisco call., 1908-11-15
Danger of Riding Trains

while we were climbing up through
the long tunnels of the divide that
night 1 nearly lost my pal. We were
fiattened out on he deck of the rear
coach Of a passenger train. We were
in high spirits at not having been dis
covered and at the good time we were
making, especially the young ChicagOan.
who was anxious to get home. Pres
emily we began to steam up through
the long. close. black tunnels near the
crest. In a few minutes 1 could hear
my companion moaning in agony,
through the roar of the train. The
sulphur gases OF the thick smoke
streaming over US like heavy blanket
We're smothering him. 1 had told him
before entering the tunnels to tie
handkerchief about his mouth and nose.
but he had paid no heed to my warming
1 had swathed my own face in two
heavy handkerchiefs, tightly knotted
and was not suffering much from the
oppressive gases. My companion be-
came frantic. writhing about danger
ously on the smooth deck. of the coach.
and would presently have fanen off
in the cramps OF his agony, had l not
held him by main strength He was
for the time completely insane, and
only uuieted down after / had slipped
one of the bandages off my own face
and put it over his, reinforcing IL with
one or mis- OWN keICillSlS bdhCh AAOAA
his pocket at no little danger to both
OF us.
similar incidents of danger in the
riding of trains in my hunt for en-
ployment were frequent. As we were
leaving Truckee a little after daylight
the next morning, bound for Reno. a
man was killed before my very eyes
under the wheels not three body
lengths away from where was perched
on the rods. 1 saw the man, for
eigner, with blanket strapped to his
back, running along beside the train
as it started to pull slowly away from
the station. There were two of US on
the. rods. and both Of us OWNED his in
tention of running under the moving
train and slowing on the trucks. We
shouted warning to him to give II up.
He was evidently novice at riding,
and perhaps did not understand our
warming though he must have appre-
ciated the terrible risk he was taking
AS he ran. crouching. trying to catch
hold of the outside of the truck, his
blanket caught somehow on the out
side rod of the coach, caused him to
lurch and miss his footing, and In a
second he was gone-under the wheels
Some 10 boes and free fares got Off
that train when 1T stopped with sick,
gray faces, and did not again catch
ner when she pulled out a little later
she was a bad luck train and none
would ride her.
"At Sparks, New, to which point I
went after having thoroughly but fruit
The San Francisco call., 1908-11-15
By Jack Iungmeyer

~ p ever q man made honest and
thorough search to find work in
this city. that man is L For
.--n.- r-Ir -rcnIrr I hna nnnr.....la
The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1908-12-10
Modern Sweet Potato House.

remove from the racks and pack in
boxes or bins. Put in a layer of
shavings then layer of potatoes so
they vii not touch, then enough shaw
ings to cover them well and so on un-
I'll you have packed them all. Then
remove to place secure from frost.
If you have a dry cellar they can
be placed in 1t. The essential thing
in keeping sweet potatoes is dryness.
If you wish to keep just a few you
can dry them and wrap them in pa.
per separately and lay in a box.
When ready to ship pack in venti-
'ated barrels. Fill the barrels round.
ing full, put cover on and screw on
ihe top so there will be no chance for
the potatoes to move in the barrel.
They are packed in the barrels just
as you would pack apples for ship
ping.
The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1908-12-10
After Hardy Orange Tree.

Experiments are being made by bot
anists In the employ of the United
States department of agriculture with
a view to creating an orange tree that
will Withstand cold weather and thrive
in, the latitude of the northern states.
If"the experiment proves to be sue
cessful orange groves may be grown
in parts OF Missouri. Kansas, Illinois,
Indiana, Kentucky and Virginia. The
plan Is to cross the citrus tree Of the
south. which produces the table or
ange, with the hardy citrus tree of the
north, which bears the bitter, unedible
orange. The botanists express con-
fidence in their ability to accomplish
the cross.
The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1908-12-10
ORCHARD NOTES.

In the adoption of the box as a ship.
ping package, Pacific coast apple
growers are leading other parts of the
country-and those growers obtain
good prices for their fruit.
II the trash and decayed fruit are
not removed, the left overs" of slugs,
borers and other animated orchard
nests, which are preparing to go into
winter quarters, will be on hand next
spring lively and ready for business.
II is usually a safe plan to beware
of the travelling orchard doctor who
offers for sale farm and county
rights" to make and use his "killem-
all" nostrums. If there is merit in his
commodity he can reach the fruit
growers in a better and more honor
able way.
The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1908-12-10
COLOR AND FLAVOR IN APPLES.
Apples from Cultivated Orchards
Bring Best Price.

II is claimed by some that apples
from uncutivated orchards are more
highly colored, have a high flavor, are
lrmer and keep better
On the other hand, these apples are
usually smaller, and statistics recent
ly compiled by the Cornell university
show that the apples from cultivated
orchards sold for slightly higher
price per bushel during the past five
years than did those from the or
chards that were not cultivated. That
is to say, the extra size of the apples
from the cultivated orchards more
than compensated for whatever differ
ence in color, flavor or firmness there
may have been.
The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1908-12-10
STORING SWEET POTATOES.
A Suitable Building and Good Care
Are Requisite to Success.

If possible dig the potatoes on a
sunshiny day Leave them in the
windrow till afternoon, then remove
them to the dry house and place them
on the racks. Care should be taken
that they do not touch on the rack.
A house 40x100 feet will hold 1000
bushels. The racks should be five
inches apart all around the house as
shown in the cut. If the potatoes are
small you can have the racks nearer
together. The object is not to have
the potatoes touch. They always go
through a sweat, and will soon decay
If they touch each other.
The stove should be I'm the center
OF the building. Keep a moderate fire
until they are thoroughly dry, then
The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1908-12-10
FEW KNOWTHIS
Says Homemade Treatment
Cures All Rheumatism.
Tells How To Mix This.
Shake The Ingredients Well In The
Bottle And Take A Tea
spoonful Dose After
Meals.

Few people here know that you can
cure that dread American disease,
Rheumatism, with just common, every
day drugs found in any drug store.
The prescription is so simple that any
one can prepare it at home at small
cost. 1t is made up as follows Get
from any good prescription pharmacy
Fluid Extract Daudelion, one-half
ounce Compound Kargon, one ounce;
Compound Syrup Sarsaparilla, three
ounces. Mix by fhaking in a bottle
and take in teaspoonful doses after
each meal and at bedtime. These are
all simple ingredients, making an abb
solutely harmless home remedy at
little cost.
Rheumatism, as every one knows, is
a symptom of derlnged kidneys. 1t
is a condition produced by the failure
of the kidneys to properly filter or
strain from the blood the uric acid
nd other matter, which, If uot eradi-
Gated, either IN the urine or through
the skin pores, remains in the blood,
decomposes and forms about the joints
and muscles, causing the untold suffer.
ing and deformity of rheumatism.
This prescription is said to be a
splendid healing, cleansing and invig-
Grating tonic to the kidneys, and
gives almost immediate relief in all
forms OF bladder and urinary troubles
and back ache
The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1908-12-10
Cultivation of oardan.

Few gardeners fully realize the i'm
portance Of cultivation in connection
with garden crops. Cultivation should
never cease while crops are develop
ing. The general feeling in this re-
gard is that II is too much work,
Planting that Is properly done will
permit OF the cultivation being done
with horse power, thus facilitating the
work of cultivation. Instruments suit
able for small vegetable cultivation
can be purchased to be worked with
horse power, and effective cultivation
will bring ample returns for all time
spent at 1t and all work done.
The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1908-12-10
Spray for Scale.

In order to get rid of the San Jose
scale 1t is well to spray both in the fall
and in the spring. Where the scale is
bad they are so encrusted on the
branches as to be four or fiye deep,
consequently only the tops receive the
benefit of the spray. 1t is, therefore,
advisable to give second spraying,
In the fall the scale are less resistant
than In the spring.
The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1908-12-10
DIR. HUMPHREYS SPECIFICS.
Directions with each Vial Five Languages
English, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Frenct

No. FOR Price
1. Fcvers, Congestions, In1ammations. ......25
2. Worms. Worm Fever, or Worm Disease. .25
3. Collie, Crying and wakefulness OF Infants. 2B
4. Diarrhea, OF Children and Adults ........25
s. Dysentery. Griplngs, Bilious Collie .........25
2. Coughs. Colds, Bronchitis. s..................25
y. Toothache, Faceache, Neuralgia. ............25
q. Headache, Sick Headache, Vertigo. ..........25
10. Dyspepsia, Indigestion, Weak stomach. ....25
10. Group, Hoarse Cough, Laryngtls ...........25
"a. Salt Rheum, Eruptions, Erysipeas.
15. rheumatism. or Rheumatic Pains..........2b
10. Fever and Ague Malaria. ............... .25
~. Piles. Blind or Bleeding, External, Internal rs
Is. Ophthalmia. Weak or Inhamod Eyes. ....... .25
10. Catnrrh, Influenza, Cold In Head ..........25
20. WhOOping COugh, spasmodic Cough .......25
II. Asthma, Oppressed, Dl1icut Breathing .....25
~. Kidney Disease. Gravel, Calculi ..........25
-. Nervous Debility, Vital Weakness .....1 90
10. Sore Mouth, Fever Sores or Canker.......".25
80. Urinary IncOntinence, Wetting Bed ......25
81. Sore Throat. Quinsy and Dphthera. .....25
rs. Chronic Congestions, Headaches. .....,...25
". Grippe, Hay Fever and Sumner Colds. RS
A small bottle OF Pleasant Pellets. fits the vest
pocket Sold by druggists sent ON receipt OF price,
Medical Book sent free.
HUMPHREYS HoMEo. MEDICINE CO., Corner
william and Ann Streets, New York.