Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1910-02-03

( ne had a chance to learn several
things pertaining to running the
street car. Johnnie made up his
mind that he must go as first-class
motorman. To his surprise he
found that the men were wanted as
strike breakers. sAt first he hesitat-
! ed, but after few minutes of self
eounselling he made his mind up.
Hell! what is the use, w.len a
man has no chance, but to starve,
rob or hold up; freezing to death
with no prospects of lettering his
Could he help it? Way he used to
| be a Union man once himself
An inner struggle was raging in
mis- breast; something mysterious
was telling him, whispering where
is your manhood, John? Where are
your principles? Can you forget the
struggle that you and your kina
passed in the Philadelphia strike
your father and mother, sisters and
brothers involved in that terrible
struggle; the struggle /of gaining a
few cents more from the big fac
tory owner-Bromleg?" And the
days when he could not satisfy lis
craving for food-came to him
The despair that he could read on
| the face of his old mother; perhaps
! hose street car men striking now
nave mothers, wives and children Oh
their own to support. With all OF
these thoughts in his mind that he
was considering the line of men
who were moving rapidly toward the
1.-Two desks Where the Special Agents
/ we're hiring. No; he can help it
ne was cold and hunrgy for the past
six omnths, his body physical
wreck, he was tired of passing his
nights lodging in prisons All came
20 .lim as bitter recollections. At
.ast he exclaimed with smothered
rage EVERY man for himself, 'prin-
ciples and brotherly love may sound
rihgt in the church, where with a
full stomach you are apt to look at
,.he world from another angle, call
ed by some people the full stom-
ach angle" but when it comes to
reality he must live--to live he must
struggle. Aye! even if it means to
take the last morsel of food from
! his fellow man, so gritting his teeth
ne came before the Special Agent
and answered the questions to the
+ latter's satisfaction. He was told to
Louisville, Ky.
Out of the office one of the pros
pective strike-breakerse invited him
to have a drink. Johnnie accepted
the invitation-the place of thirst
was the "Workingmen's Exchange"
At the bar ne exchanged condolences
with his new found friend, and to
Ibis surprise he found out that the
other fellow passed throuh the
same experience, only by profession
he was a moulder. John accepted
j the invitation for five-cent meal at
pittsburgh Joe'' restaurant, and
the same night found him shelter
under the roof of the ''Vestibule
Apartments.
The Vestibule Hotel is situated on
! Harrison street, near Clark street,
| just stones throw from the Hinky
Dink place. The house is struc-
! ture with goodouts1de appearance, a
marble stairway leading to.the office
and lobby, large spacious place
with Mosaic f1oor-old mission
tables and chairs arranged near the
big window, looking down Harrison
street. The Office a cage, with a
register surrounded by heavy net
ting of wire-a board on the wall
with numbers on for the keys,
prices ranging from 10c up to 35c---
/ over 1900 keys are on the board,
and you wonder if it is possible for
the house to contain SO many
rooms, but after you pay your room
fee and get your key your surprise
will diminish. There are no rooms,
but small wire caes, ogr rather say,
a small square place, where port
able army cot with cotton blanket
puts the finishing artistic touches to
the room There is no roof over
the 1Oc clap" A small electric
light is fixed somewhere on the cell
ing, the light being good for four
cells. If you, gentle reader, have
ever beben in wild menagerie you
remember that your nostrils were as
sailed by peculiar, sickening odor.
At the vestibule apartment house
you will experience the same pecu-
4 liar odor. belonging only to Gagged
1 beings. In connection with these
splendid accommodations two or
three faucets of running water and
COup10 Ol COW0lS 1OT lie SuOStS "
battle their faces. At the right is
a large suspended mirror, while an
old comb and brush completes the
j toilet of that famous hostelery. All
day long around the large tables the
guests with newspapers in their
hands are Scanning the "Help
Wanted" columns; all Of them, with
very few exceptions, are strike
breakers, and during the, day you
can see them spending their time
between the Hinky Dink place and
the acknowledgements human
wrecks that you could hire for the
price of a drink to commit the
blacklist murder on the calendar
to blow open a safe, picking a
pocket just as easily as breaking a
strike. Their downfall knows no
depths or limit. This is the place
Johnnie was made acquainted with.
At first he felt a restraint, hesitating