The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1912-02-24
The Average Man

This is the story of how one aver
age man killed another average man,
and the causes which led up to it.
Jim Spade was a wOrkingman, nei-
Their better nor worse than the aver
age Workingman. When Jim was
twenty eight-having then nearly
three hundred dollars at the bank
and a steady job which paid him
twelve dollars week-he took unto
himself a wife.
Of course, it was Jims ambition
to own home--an ambition which
1t is not easy to realize on twelve
dollars a week and family of three
to provide for. For besides having
to take care of himself and his wife,
Jim had undertaken the support Of
half-Witted boy, the son Of his
wife's half-sister whose drunken
' husband had deserted her. Jim had
done this In order to enable her to
Hire out and earn a decent living.
Z. Which goes to show that Jim was
an average man and by no means
the monster that the states attorney
made him out to be at the trial.
This is how Jim acquired a home.
In the city where Jim lived there
was firm of real estate dealers.
Who Judging by their ADVERTISE
ments-Which were read and believed
by average people like Jim-were in
the business for the benefit of man.
kind in general and the poor man in
particular. This philanthropic firm
announced in flaring advertisements
that they were going to "sacrifice''
one-acre lots, located at the con-
< Nenlent distance of four miles from
the city. on the protected" car line,
which was going to be buildt some
tlme-pretty-soon quick. On these lots
they would build homes for the peo-
pie, and they would sell lot and home
Tor only one hundred dollars down,
and the balance monthly, as you paid
the rent. so, why" concluded the
advertisement eloquently, keep on
paying rent, when you can own =
. nome and an acre Of land, way down
10 the center of the earth, and up to
the dome of the blue SKYE"
/ For three evenings in succession
Jim and his wife studied the adver.
tlsement. They consulted with the
nelshbors and with the milk man.
who had brother whose first wjfe,s
Souo'H 'ldu o4lCo Deeu IN the real eS-
tate business and who, therefore
knew what was what. The outcome
Of these deliberations was that on
the Sunday following Jim and his
Vile and a few other prospective
purchasers went out on a tally-ho
trip given at the expense of the be-
neTolent real estate firm to view the
land. For, as Jim proudly said, "He
was not the man to buy a cat in
a bag"
There We're some things which Jim
saw and some things which Jim did
NOT see. For example-the season
oelng dry-how was Jim to know
that early in the spring the land be-
came converted into veritable frog
pond? Also he failed to make care
1u1 inquiry as to how long the "pro-
Jected car line would remain pro
Jected' and would REQUIRE him IN
make the long and weary tram r.
ana from his work. Jim was think
ing OF how nice it would be to have
garden and to eat. peas, potatoes
onions and cabbages of ones own
raising The one hundred dollars
winch was about all there was left of
MS oank account after they had
eought the furniture, and which. he
mad told his wife to take out of the
oank on the preceding day-fairly
burned in his pocket and the end
VI 1t all was that Jim handed over
tne money and received in return a
wonderfully Worded document. that