Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-05-19
Are You in
Search of a Job :?

yxT ERE you ever in a position just
w outside great mandatory
where thousands of men were en-
Notwithstanding outside the guard
ian Waterman at door through
which no one could pass without full
credentials there witness to the
attempt of men in idleness to get a
Job?
The other day / was waiting just
inside the alleyway, leading from the
street in front, through swung gate
of high, sharp pickets, to the en-
trance doorway of such works. A
keen northwest wind was blowing.
Inside the works heavy machinery
was rumbling and grinding. There
could be no installing that scores,
or hundreds, were there working.
Suddenly two clean faced, brush
ed, and seemingly self-respecting
men entered the open gate hesitat-
ingly and came up to me.
"Can we get in to ask for iOb?"
asked one of them, shivering in
shiny suit of blue serge and without
overeoat.
"I'm not connected with the
place." 1 replied. "You might talk
with the Waterman at the door,"
They talked with the Waterman
for half a minute and came out again
detected.
"They don't give you any chance
to spiel there" observed one OF the
men as he came up to me where L
still walked and smoked. But 1t
L~4 he q d
died. Yesterday there was special
policeman at the gate and he
wouldn't let us even step inside.
This time we got to the Waterman
at the door-but it didn't do any
good"
cts funny thing, too" he pur-
sued. 1--WE heard that they are TAX
ing on a lot of new men there, but
the Waterman says they're laying
them off by the dozen. I'd take the
word of the man who told me about
taking the new men on sooner than
I'd take the word of the Waterman.
But what's fellow to do about it?
He won't let us even look at the en-
ploying agent inside. We can't get
near enough an employer even to get
a ghost of a chance at something to
do
Just then a street car appeared in
front of the plant headed toward the
city, and both these young fellows
broke into run to catch it. Both
of them were shivering and cold.
They might have been hungry. This
had been the second time they came
miles out, only to butt into the stone
wall Granting that the two of them
had any knowledge of the work in
general, they were chaps who read
lily would pass muster to the pay
rolls. But after two long trips out
from the city they had been cut off
from chance to work by mere
figurehead Of an aged Waterman,
watching the entrance door.
/ was interested in these two fig
ures of men. They might have been
q destructive power, at least for a
little while, as preying upon the ped
estrian in the street, or blowing safes
or holding up train. But they had
Jumped" the car and whirled back
toward the city good naturally
enough to have won my sympathy.
To this end I called up the execu-
tive offices of the company to ask
the situation in the works regarding
men.
'They called at the wrong division
of the works." 1 was told by the in
terested official who answered the
"blind" questioning. ''The employ
ment office is at the second works,
about one mile west of the works
where these men called. There the
employment branch is open from
$3.50 In the morning till o'clock
in the afternoon. Why didn't they
go there?"
Why didn't they?
There is a pointer in the question
which might serve others in the
search for employment. In the larg-
er institutions the employment bu-
reau is one of the important features
of the establishment. 1t may have
no other duty than hiring help when
help is needed and taking names and
addresses of persons who may prom
Use soon to be on the eligible lists.