The Washington times., 1909-05-01
LABORERS WANT
CHANCE TO WORK
Thousands Clamor at Civil
Service Commission for
Application Blanks.
CONTINUED from First Page.)

DR.. Jamison took his place half way
I'D the steps on the l. street side,
shortly before 9 o'clock. At his side he
had a rectangular pine table on the top
Of which were several pasteboard boxes
filed with the blanks Down below on
the street was mob of negroes. with
few white men, too, which, as sooE
as Il spied the examiner, became a
mob of very respectable proportions and
quite undesirable propensities.
The commission had asked the Police
Department for a man or so, and Cap
tain Hollenberger, of the First pre-
cinct, sent up two men in uniform. who
stood at the entrance TO the steps and
kept what order they could among the
surging crowd
At first the applicants started going up
one Side of the steps. which branch out
east and west, passing Dr. Janls0n
where he stood at the halfway point,
and then going down the other side IN
peace and some order. such method
soon proved too slow for some OF the
more eager, and in few minutes the
seekers were going az both ways ana
getting down any old way at all
Pushing and Showing.
Bone Of them tried to force a passage
back beyond DR.. Jainison and through
the corridor into the main part of the
building Others went up one side Of
the steps. got their blanks. and then
pushed and butted back the same way.
OF humanity on the steps which was
just about all the two officers could
manage.
Some one phoned to number one sta
tion house for the wagon. and Captain
Hollenberger and several more cops
came up L street on the jump, the
gong OF the wagon beating tattoo that
made the crowd scatter. Just about the
time the wagon was drawing up to the
curb on the south side Of Z the crowd
on the east branch of the steps got
especially heavy and especially active
There was loud noise like boiler
factory, and part of the coping of the
steps, about a hundred bricks. fell down
into the areaway below. Part of an
Iron railing attached 10 the coping and
running around the top OF the area
way, was broken of and tumbled after
the bricks. Everybody stopped show
ing for minute, afraid that some one
Was killed. but when there were no
groans OF the wounded the mad chase
for blank began again.
When Captain Hollenberger hit the
north curb with a couple of men he
started to wade into the crowd at good
speed. and In about twenty seconds the
whirlpool wasn't going so fast and the
danger of small but beautifully ar
ranged riot was averped for the moment,
Order Is Restored.
Captain Hollenberger saw that there
wasn't any chance Of controlling the
mob unless he made them take turns.
into line. While he was clearing the
crowd away from the steps on Z street,
others were busy on Eighth. The main
entrance 20 the building IS on this
thoroughfare, and as soon as applicants
were turned away from the Z street
entrance, those on that side started TO
force their way inside through this main
entrance. which was guarded by one
man.
DR.. Jamison played no favorites. A
would-be applicant had to ge in line
10 get a blank. Several messengers or
employees of members Of the House OF
the examiner through the door back
of him. but he wouldn't listen, and
told al TO get into line
In many cases, he felt sure that he
was facing a repeater but he didn't
feel like blockading the whole show fer
one person, so everyone who came by
got paper as long as had any left.
There were old men, ient over, who
couldn't pass any sort of a physical
test; there were middle-aged men, short
an arm or a leg, women OF fifty or more
who could hardly be asked to scrub
a mile OF floor. and even little chill
oren in that line.
Knowing Ones There.
Even before the last one was given
out on the E street side, the knowing
ones who were first in line were back at
the main entrance with the blank prop
erly filled out ready for fling. After
all other things are considered the time
of filing is consJ1ered- Last year there
were $50 fled on the same days as the
giving out and from the way in which
would-be workers poured in II is likely
that this ~ecord will be equaled today
There was only one arrest made dur
ing the morning. Jane Nelson, a ne
Eress, according TO officer Cox, OF the
First preciItct, got obstreperous in front
or the mali entrance 10 the building,
while the police were forming the line
Cox demonstrated with her. and she,
he said started TO curse He yelled for
the wagon, the driver pounded his gong,
separated the crowd, and drove I'D to
where Janc was struggling with the Of
ncer. For minute II looked as If trou-
bic might be coming as the crowd
focked in at the sound OF the gong. but
the o1hcers lifted Jane into the wagon.
Mnirled II around and started down
Eighth street before anything had time
TO happen.