The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-12-21
Italian Laborer Sets an
Example Of What
Thrift Will do

.- d ~ F.
Despite the fact that Joe Clio is
bound to the old country by ties Of
race and home and religion, he does
not care to go back to fight for some.
thing he has already got.
Joe is glad to be one Of Uncle Sans
citizens and he is proud of his adopted
country and the position he occupies
IN that country.
Now Joe's real name is not Joe Clio.
It Is Joseph Raf1ano Giuseppe, given
him thirty-five years ago by proud
parents in sunny Italy, but when he
went to work for the Keokuk Electric
company, the greater part of it was
Topped of because it had an uneven
look on the ledgers.
Now to get down to tacks, Joe
Clos story is interesting because Of
what he has accomplished under the
handicap Of being in foreign land,
not knowing their customs and very
little Of their speech. Joe came over
from the old country about five years
ago and drifted for some time around
the country, working as a common
laborer. He finally drifted into posi-
ton on one Of the dam gangs and
later went to work for the Keokuk
Electric company where he is now,
but in the position Of straw boss.
Now in the few short years Joe
has been in America he has been able
to save enough money to bring his
family to Keokuk. and there Is whole
story in that too, has purchased two
lots in the new addition at Mckinley
avenue and Twenty-third street, pay
ing cash, and has Just recently built
a house on one Of the lots for his
home, for which also he paid cash.
He has three children and a good wife.
Two of the little Italians go to the
Jefferson school and Joe has settled
down to be good American citizen
with money in the bank good Job,
house and two lots, all paid for, and
happy family and bright future. So
much for the transition Of an Italian
laborer into good American citizen.
Case Is en- Example.
OF course there are many cases
where foreigners have proven dis
turbing element in our national life,
but Joe's case is an example Of what
frugality, good qualities and ambition
will do. Joe is small man and
about thirty-five now. He has cheeks
as red as an apple, a bright eye and
an open and intelligent countenance.
He comes from northern Italy, from a
place near Milan, and the blood ties
of this part of the country with Italv
proper Is not exceptionally great.
That is one Of the reasons why Joe
sees no reason why he should go back
and fight. However, Joe's father and
mother and other relatives, and until
lately. his wife and family, live In
Italy and he has a brother-in-law who
is fighting against the Austrians. This
man at one time worked on the dam
here but he returned home just in
time to get in the war. He was wound
ed once but is now back on the firing
line.
Joe came to Keokuk to work on the
dam early in 1912 from Hannibal,
where he was working with a cement
gang. When the dam and power plant
were completed. Joe was put to work
with a gang digging holes in Keokuk
streets for the extension of gas mains.
He was laid off for while but in the
spring of 1912 was given a position
by W. G. Ainsely. gas superintendent
of the Keokuk Electric company. The
next year there was a great deal Of
work on hand, and as Joe had proven
himself to be dep" ndable man, he