Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1909-06-26


scarce now. but " you will deposit
your fec--twu dollars and half
please we shall see that YOU SET
something suitable"
No. answered, u don't want a
clcrkship or that sort Of a place, n
you call such positions gentoel.
want TO do some manual labor. some.
thing ! am strong enough to do"
oh" exclaimed the man In sur.
prise, I'VE have sheep herders. grape
pickcrs. and so on. There's waiting,
II ain't bad"
You may put me down for Job
OF grape picking" ! told him. paying
my fee. and IL not that, why, wait.
ing will do, although I've never
done either. ! suppose waiting re-
quires some qualifications. but
would think anybody could pick
grapes"
You'll learn waiting right here"
said the man as he winked to his
companion. Experience amt nee
essary. You'll do II you are willing
to undertake 1t, and you better stay
around here until a chance comes
I up"
After had paid my fee and taken
my place among the other applicants
the man at the desk assumed a pa
tronizing air which CALLED me con-
siderably, but ! had sense enough to
know that pride had no place in an
employment office.
1t was so romantic looking for
work, and to realize that a failure
to secure II meant lack OF the bar
est necessities of life. But must
say that / never felt worried for n
moment. ! had heard and read OF
men going hungry, and yet could
not make myself believe that in
America at least any able-bodied
man ever failed to get what he
wanted to eat.
did not doubt II any longer now.
There were dozens of men in the
city. able to work. willing, honest,
industrious, intelligent, who could
not find employment remunerative
enough to keep them and their fami-
lies In food and clothes. Many went
as ranchers for s25 month: fruit
pickers and packers at 81 to SO a
day; walters glad to get a Job for
from $40 to s12 a month, clerks and
bookkeepers, in doors all day and
sometimes part of the night, for $50
to SEQ month.
One Of the most interesting char
acters who frequented the employ
ment officers was a scholarly tramp,
whose clothes were worn almost
threadbare. His face and manner
were gentle and refined, and he
wanted a position in some "woodsy
nook
The man at the desk smiled when
he told me.
This unrecognized poet had been
knocking about California since
1870. having come there from Bos-
ton. He knew Stevenson, to whom
he happened to refer once In speak
ing OF the associates he liked best,
and became quite interested in his
account Of the odd, sickly immigrant
who liked to sun himself and talk
philosophy on Portsmouth Square.
They had shared many Of their San
Francisco experiences, and can
well imagine what a congenial COM
panion my new acquaintance would
be to Stevenson.
He showed me n note which 70.
member for its whimsical friendli-
ness, signed "R. l.. s., unus ct solus."
Aside from his poor health ! do
not think that the lack of money
troubled Stevenson any more than Il
did my new acquaintance. IL seems
that they both did some writing
which they offered to certain pub
fishers In the city. but Mr.. Stevenson
did not apply for any position at any
OF the newspaper Offices.
lie was too seedy and too worn to
hope for success, but he did visit the
various employment Offices where
he found much TO interest him, no