La Junta tribune., 1913-12-27
CALIEORNiAs IDLE ARMY.
ThOasan>is oe Unemployed Mea and
Women Travelling frum City n
Gty-NUthing tO In.

known resident OF La Junta. and a
, trombone player OF some local fame
and repute. writes a very interesting
letter to his father-in-law, George
Ross. concerning an invading army
OF unemployed that was about to
visit Fresno. Calf. where MIR. Jack
son has been located since leaving
La Junta. You will not find the in
formation given In the letter, con-
cerning conditions In that state. in
any OF the press dispatches. or In the
California newspapers. Everybody In
that state. especially the native son
portion. is taught from infancy to
prattle OF the glorious climate OF
California" as that is the only asset
the state has. and II is no fiction. for
II Is a glorious climate and a de-
lightful place for millionaires and
hoboes-the only class OF people that
can make success of living on eli
mate. In this letter Mr.. Jack son
says:
THE state of California has a very
serious economic problem to solve.
The state Is overrun with thousands
OF unemployed men and women.
They are unable to secure work of
any description and are In desperate
straits. They have been enticed to
this state by nowcry worded adver-
tisements descriptive OF the climate
and the wonderful opportunities that
await the newcomer. only to find up
on their arrival here that the picture
was merely the dream of som. wide
awak. fraud. with their funds ex-
hausted aud every one giving them
the cold shoulder. no work to do. and
no where To go. their plight Is In
deed a pitifui one. Thousands of
men are now walking from town to
town. In bunches OF from one to two
hundred. begging county officials to
furnish them with food and clothes.
They do not stay but = day and =
niGht ~ = time-at one town. aud In
consequence are on the move almost
continually. II is a pity to see these
men. as they are from all walks of
life. and many OF them would do
anything tn make bare living. but
there is nothing for them To do.
An army Of one hundred OF these
men Is due to arrive In Fresno to-
morrow ,Decembcr lathb. They
ha,. been moving along quit. rap
idly. Fresno officials received a
communication from their committee.
to b. prepared to feed them tomor-
day for tn. sheriff and chief of po-
lice to greet them ON behalf OF the
city. and give them welcome. This
army Of men In to be furnished with
food. and after = nights rest viii IN.
told to move on, II In hard aucs-
ton to deal with. owing to the fact
that Il II difficult Ia slit ou, the
wheat from the chan Crime seems
10 be- on the incr-as. sine. thi. IN
Migrants. b~xxsrs and thieves. MIX
bottles. wood. clothes. practically
-y-rythin. that II loose. II carried
away from Residence yards. Clos. to
the arteries OF travel the presence OF
these men creates n reign Of terror.
Night before last Santa p" train
No. . WAS held up about Is" miles
north ~ Fresno. No damas. was
done. A. the robbers We're foil.d Ia
their attempt. Not long axo IN.
South.rn Pacific suffered two hold.
up. The Santa f. has cut their fore.
down her. and have reduced wages.
They are working white men nine
hours aud the poor M.sicans eight
hours. which. st the rat. of pay gives
III. M.sicans n iitti. less than n dol
lar . day. and III. whit. man 1:?s.
Although wages hAy" been cut. the
eos, of living II stiil on the Increase. ''
After reading this dissertation
what do you think Of IN. glorious
climat. of California; True. II In n
land ~h.r. N soft wind ever blows.
aud tn. air I. laden with the p"rfum.
~ the rose c-bu, that's all. and that =
not enough to Keep the breath of life
waving to and fro within n man.
breast. u" thankful that you live
and have your brins In the great
stat. of Colorado. the hest state IN
IN. union. and the one with the
greatest future before II.
aaaaaaHaaa-aa
Tt.caaet MrallMl rlaal NOrklMx