The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-07-27
TIMES REPORTER
AT GEORGETOWN

the building are the long tables
where the newcomers eat. The
tables are covered with polished
sheet zinc, and to give a home
like, comfy touch, jars OF pretty
posies were arranged along the
tables. The jars serve dual
purpose, however, being tasteful
and tactful cuspidors.
The cooks were dirty. They
were stripped to the waist when
I saw them preparing coffee fol-
tho new arrivals, and one fellow
was Showing the pictures to an
admiring gang. Intensive cult
walton has made his skin a veri-
table display case for the tattoo
lists art, and he had some anus
ing moving pictures that talked
when he wiggled his elbow.
Like Sheep.
After admiring the movies,
walked thru q narrow door and
into the solid atmosphere of the
clubhouse.
The strikebreakers are packed
in there like sheep. The hunks
are OF steel, three-tiered, and fill
ed with dirty blankets and dirtier
mattresses.
There is a big "No Smoking
sign, but, Of course, this is obso-
lete now, being only necessary
when the place is used by hard
working, irresponsible men, who
are so foolish as to make a per-
manent home in the Sound coun-
try.
Playing Cards.
1t speaks we'll for the durability
of the men that they can stand
the fetid, rotten odor of that
clubhouse.
A group of them were, playing
cards in the corner, snarling and
swapping at one another in true
rat fashion.
There is a vast difference be-
tween a guard and a professional
strikebreaker.
Both have pride in their work,
and their work is much the same,
but the guard has the power to
crush the head of a strikebreaker.
and the strikebreaker knows 1t,
so they watch the men with the
stars with furtive, shifty eyes.
Guards are everywhere, pacing
back and forth, polishing their
badges and swinging their clubs.
Some Fort.
Let a strikebreaker leave the
post assigned to him or venture to
explore for himself. and there Is
much profanity and few cuffs
about the head, and he is back on
the Job.
The barns are real fortresses.
They arc just as well protected,
and with just as elaborate a sys-
tenn as q military fortress, and
probably will withstand as heavy
an attack of rocks and stones as
a real fort will bombs and shells.
In the darkness, as long as l
kept my mouth shut and prevent
ed my west coast English from
exposing the fact that | wasn't
from the East Side of New York,
I got along we'll enough with the
newcomers from Chicago.
Versatile.
"How much kale did they trim
yuh for comm over?" was the
universal query. One strikebreak-
er with the New York contingent,
| was told, had made. 81 800 at
poker on the train. won't vouch
for the fact, because | didn't meet
a truthful man in the entire lot.
Most of the men are seasoned
and trained strikebreakers. One
man boasted that he knew every
trade that the union - IS
had ever laid their dirty mitts
on" He said he had helped to
break Transfers, walters, min
ers', elevated railway, subway and
department store delivery strikes.
Easy to Get In.
How did l get in? Easy /!
!, Here's the recipe: All generals
in the fort" have badges. So l
got a badge. 1t was a nice, pol
ished pants button, and in the
halflightaof the arcs, made as
good, n not as husky, guard
as the rest of them.
Where the loose board is? The
Times hasn't the slightest reason
for keeping from the general pub
lie. but we don't like to share our
Communication trench secret