The Washington herald., 1913-05-18
VICTOR BERGER REAL LEADER OF SOCIALISTS IN AMERICA

was poor. and that is my condition
| now. But I wasn't poor in Germany.
Ny family was well-to-do, and I was
sent to university. l came to the
United States when 1 was nineteen years
| old. As i remember. I had about SIS
In my pocket I was strong as an OK.
but / was awkward with my hands
hadn't learned to use them at home.
Nor could I speak word Of English.
For two weeks / looked for the kind of
I looked for the kind of work didn't
want. / couldn't find that. either. My
money was running low.
I'm go into the golden West" I said
to myself I had heard Of the golden
West In Europe. So l started. / shall
not dwell long on the personal events
which followed. / was proud and re-
I fused to ask for help. even when hum
cry. cigarmaker turned me away at
the end OF two weeks because / was too
slow for the business. Out in Ohio a
good German-American farmer, whose
family liked me, attempted TO salve the
hurt of dismissal by saying that my tai
ents were not agricultural I worked
in Louisville tinshop for six weeks.
That was my longest job. and / was
beginning to think / was permanently
located when the boss fired me. There
fore, ! moved out Of Kentucky.
''oh. / did many, many things, or tried
to do them. But I couldn't stick at
any given place more than few days.
was just a dumb Dutchman. clumsy
as an elephant, and nobody wanted me
to tarry very long. The golden West
was a disappointment / turned my face
hack toward the East.
Ia e.
market in cars without partitions.
Brskemen had to poke the cattle with
poles when any Of them got down on
the floor Of the cars. Otherwise the
cattle would be trampted to death. 1t
was not a pleasant job for railroad
mamie thought himself too big to be
a chambermaid to a load Of steers.
Tourists like myself. therefore. could &C.
casionally get free ride il they would
agree to watch the cattle and keep them
on their feet
well. that is the way ] returned to
the East The journey was not con-
tinuous and l did some walking now
and then But I didn't beg. BY this
time I was hard as iron. and hungry
as a wolf. Also as big as a horse. On
South Street. New York, l found my
first good job IL was in foundry
where castings were made of brass. 1
learned to be a buffer. or polisher. and
earned from SO to 81 week. Buffing
is not a trade in itself: it is only
part of a trade. In my own opinion,
however, / was now a mechanic.
Meanwhile I was getting stronger and
stronger; was storing up energy for the
battling years during which l was to
be an editor. ] heard that German
teacher was wanted in the public schools
of Milwaukee. | had been thinking of
Milwaukee for some time. 1t was
German city. / had picked UP work.
ing knowledge OF the English language
and felt competent to go among and
do business with the Yankees. Eight
cen ambitious youths took the examina-
tions in Milwaukee. Only two Of US got
through. I obtained the place because
the other successful candidate suddenly
went to Texas, where he was offered a
better chance. But for that 1 never
would have been employed. I was un-
known. but was eifgrbie and the school
board had no other choice.
so 1 had a good job at last-s1.1oo
year and work suited to my taste. I
had been reading and thinking and had
grown to be a radical. Maybe my ex-
periences had something to do in shap-
ing my views, but / have always tried
to be logical and mentally honest and