davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-09-14
Collective Rent

Captain Goldsmith agreed to be
responsible that nothing would be
prematurely paid. All through the
session the $4,000 lay on the table.
They "rangled and wrangled
Three times Mr.. Highlander rose to
leave, saying that the landlord had
the whole right to determine the
rent, anyway, and he would no
longer be a party to this unidentified
proceeding. The six women on the
committee broke into the proceed
lngs from time to time with shouts
'ot GENIAL Of the landlords state
ments.
And yet, through all the bitter
ness between landlord fighting for
return on his investment and ten
ants struggling to keep their homes
there was the leaven of good humor
when this is over, we'll set
aside a floor in one of the> buildings
for social hall for tenants" said
Mr.. Highlander, during lull.
"Betcha $40 you don't" re-
sponded one Of the tenants.
You're on" said Highlander.
Then they returned to the scrap.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-09-14
Prices Go Up, Tips Go Down,
And the Walters Go a-Picketing

few simple words explained the mis-
sion of the visitors, their desire to
see Mr.. William Lehman, secretary
and business agent, and Mr.. Ma
thaniel Cohen, the walters attor-
ney, as well.
Instantly there was peace and un-
Outstanding. The artist fetched
forth his pad and pencil and began
sketching, while 400 or more walters
leaned admiringly over his shoulder
or tried to interrupt his vision IN
such a manner as might lead them
to some hope Of being included in
the picture.
"Put Milton in" said one, point
ing out q waiter prodigious of girth
Don't forget Mawruss," said an
other.
The hair on Mawruss's head,
laid hair to hair, would reach from
New York to Buffalo. 1t was head
Of hair that would have caused an
alfalfa field professional jealousy
it would have supplied a dozen front
rows at our leading musical come
dies; distributed equally throughout
the United States, it would throw all
the hair restorer manufacturers in
the country into involuntary bank
ruptcy. Such was the hair on Nav
russ's head, and the writer doubted
not that the artist would run out Of
pencils reproducing It,
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-09-14

JOG LAppe, CT al, are on SCTlKe,
~ with headquarters at 1922
East Twenty-seventh Street
Sammy and Moe and Able and Joe
are sometimes POLITICALLY referred to
as knights Of the tray and are said
to IDEAL them off the arm," which,
translated into Second Avenue,
means walters and the business Of
waiting.
Until now Broadway will have
known nothing of this strike. 1t con-
Germs the lower East Side and Har-
lem. It is directed at the small eat
cries; the combination bake shop
and restaurants; the super-dairy
lunches. Broadway is fed by and
Broadway tips another species of
walters, who are gathered together
in an independent body and have
nothing to do with Walters Union,
Local No. /, on East Twenty-seventh
Street. Walters Union, Local No.
/, feels that it best represents the
pulse-if not the thumb--of the
waiter, and when it comes to affili-
ative association it believes that
these connections, II. and r. E. I. A.,
B. I. L. Of A., A. F. of L. and G.. f.
u, written large on the professional
card Of every member of Local No. 1
set these gentlemen off in a blaze of
glory that the rival organization
never can hope to equal, let alone
surpass.
1t was at the Walters Club that
a Tribune reporter came across
the plot of the proprietor and the
plight of his waiter, thrilling story
that could best be dramatized in
seven courses. There the perfdy of
the cafe owner toward the public
was exposed until it stood without a
stitch to thwart the eye and one per-
ceived the guilty countenance of the
genie of the high cost Of living.
Firm footed, even fiat footed, the
outline Of the waiter was discerned
in the background warning the
public of the cafe proprietor's
greed, which amounted to raise of
five cents on soup, the same on meat
and fish, on cereals, on vegetables,
on what not-on what not, indeed I.
For himself the waiter desired onlv
the boon Of a IS raise weekly in the
vicinity Of the pay envelope. Not
that " fish served at SOC was heavier
than an order at 25c, or that a cereal
at zoe took longer to distribute than
one al 15c This was a physical
equation beyond the ethics and the
economies &C the proposition. A
ragout Of Beef or lamb fricassee
varies less in its grams or proteids
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-09-14
Workers Unite

The strikers showed their union
cards to the "schleppers" and ap-
pealed to their fellow workers to
stick by them. The "schleppers"
looked over the crowd of women, re-
membered their own homes, and de-
cided that it was time for the work
ers of the world to unite. SO they
told Marshal Mcbride to take them
home, for there would be no evictions
that day.
The next day the marshal made
another unsuccessful attempt to
carry out his writs. He then de-
cided to rest over Sunday, and adj
vanced upon the enemy with a new
army of ''schleppers" Monday morn
ing. But meanwhile the strike was
settled.
And the settlement was the most
remarkable part Of the whole affair
1t was not made by learned judge
IN solemn gown, but by an cner-
getic, grammatical man in his
shirtsleeves. The agreement was
not contract drawn by lawyers
hagglng over technicalities, but a
document scrubbed by the shirt
slecved arbitrator on sheet Of vel
low paper, and typewritten, in the
absence of professional stenograph-
ers, by q young lawyer who spon
sored the cause Of the tenants. It
was guided not by law but by
expediency and desire to see all
parties satisfied. Yet by this irrogu-
lar proceeding the landlords-nor
without doubts and shivering-.re.
nounced the right, secured to them
by ancient law, Of fixing the rent on
their own property.
The tenants committee, headed by
Jacob Friedman, met Jacob Fox and
Oscar Highlander. representing the
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-09-14
Explanations

Here was an example of the
beauty that inheres in the matter Of
explanation-how would we, how
would anybody, do without it? A
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-09-14
HOtU 1t Started

Out of our own brains we got
organized" said Mrs. Hauser. "In
these days who is it that is so stu
pid not to have union? We didn't
need no leaders. We all wanted it,
and if we hadn't nobody could have
organized us at all. Oh, we were
wise to these landlords, and we got
ready for them three months
ahead"
The tenants appointed commit
tee, which told the landlords that
the raise was too big. After con-
siderable pickering the total raise
requested was reduced by half.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-09-14
PicketS With Babies

Pickets with babies under each
arm shouted so loudly at the tenants
who refused to pay their rent to the
union committee that the strike soon
appeared to be universal throughout
the seventeen houses. 1t later de-
vcloped that the more timid paid
rent to the landlord, and then again
to the coVlmittee, in order to be safe.
NO representatives of the landlord
dared approach the buildings, and
not single rev tenant moved in.
Justice Maher, in the Sd District
Municipal Court, struggled in vain
to arbltrate the case.
On Thursday, September 4, CITY
Marshal Hugh Mcbride took a gang
of "schleppers" to move out the fur
nlture. They were met by bowling
mob Of women who threatened and
pleaded.
"What could the poor 'schleppers'
do" asked one of the women, tell
ing the story afterward. "With
about ten thousand women running
about and yelling like murder they
must have thought they would get
killed. Believe me, l wouldn't like
to be in their place.
But it was great fun. A friend
of mine was upstairs when it start
ed, and she wanted to get down and
get in it before it was all over. On
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-09-14
Tenants
Bargain
Together
FOrRent
BY Robert l.. Stern

N HARLEM, in The Bronx, in
Brownsville and in Williams
burg the landlord no longer is
certain that he shall be able to con-
troll his own property. There was
tenants strike in The Bronx as
long ago as New Years Day, 1917,
but that was an isolated case. Since
the end of the war it has become a
regular thing.
The latest and most spectacular
tenants strike occurred in Williams
burg, in block Of seventeen walk
up, cold-water tenements on Bedford
Avenue, Flushing Avenue and Wall
about Street. Nearly two thousand
persons were involved and the rent
under dispute amounted to about
$4,000 year. The story of that
strike and the revolutionary way in
which it was settled is here told
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-09-14
Up 60 the Rents

About two months ago the 3. r.
Y. Realty Company, which had re-
Gently organized to buy the seven
teen tenement houses on Bedford
and Flushing avenues and Walla-
bout Street--hence the initials b. +.
W.~-decided to raise the rents. The
houses needed SO many repairs that
81 higher scale was found necessary.
It should be noted right here that
Captain J. J. Goldsmith, the special
adjustcr for the Mayors Committee
on Rent Profiteering, which settled
the case, declared openly that the
landlords were not profteering.
The raise originally asked amount
ed'to total Of something more than
$4,000 Il month, 20 be divided
among four hundred families The
rents at that time varied according
to the location of the fat, but aver
aged about SIS a month. Therefore
the $4,000 raise, amounting to IS q
family, was an increase Of one-third.
These figures are rough, for the
actual detailed accounts were in dis
pute throughout the strike, and can
not be accurately determined.
The tenants had been suspicious
ever since the new landlord had
taken possession. They smelled a
raise in the distance.
In the old days tenants in that
position would have got ready to
move, but in these days they have
no place to move to. Moreover,
the breadwinners in most of these
families are workers in trades
which have long known the value
of organization and which have some
of the strongest unions in the
United States-the garment trades.
So the tenants did the modern
thing. They organized union.
On the last day of the strike q
reporter asked Mrs. Jacob Hauser
who lives at 144 Wallabout Street,
how the union had started. Mrs.
Hauser was slowly wheeling a baby
carriage back and forth on Bed
ford Avenue while she discussed So
GEOLOGY with a group of her neigh
bors.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-09-14


Ascending the stairs there was to h.
observed a group of waters bein.
initiated into the union. Upon TAX.
ing the pledge they were required IA
raise their hands above their head.
the significance of which Remained
unexplained. 1t was unusual to SEQ
a waiter make 50 much effort.
Avay With Tips
"The day is coming said M.
Lehman, "when tipping will b.
abolished. We are in favor of that
now and have said so. The waitsr
is too dependent upon his tips. With
the general raise in the cost of for
the waters fees have been cut
That is the first object Of retreneb.
ment that occurs to the customer
"If walters could obtain a straigh.
salary of $40 or $50 week and let
the proprietor charge service fee
say 5 cents-the walters stains
would be bettered. There are ton
many persons now who are disposed
to take it out on The waiter when the
food fails to satisfy or the bill is
higher than was expected. Under
the present conditions the waiter
must receive more in tips than he
does in salary to meet living con-
ditions. BY the time he has paid
his omnibus and squared things with
the counterman he has little enough
left for himself"
Mr.. Lehman said further that the
waiter started each day at loss.
for, in addition to a clean bib, which
he supplied himself, he also must
have shave and his shoes polished.
II to the whole he added a manicure.
then he was 81 to 50 on the wrong
side of the ledger before he began
dealing the hot cakes off the arm.
In return ssr s&is meticulous
cleanliness and superior service the
waiter asked a raise of only five iron
men weekly, and was aghast when
he was turned down. since the pro-
prietors served notice that they
favored an increased price standard,
the walters allege, by shooting tip
their prices on bill-of- fare favorites
both on the st and the 18th of June.
And so on.
Walters Union, Local No. /. has
5000 dues paying members, among
them 500 mattresses. Heretofore
they have been successfully piloted
over the shoals of q strike by their
diminutive business agent. and, with
the aid Of picketing, black coffee and
pinochle, they expect to succeed
again.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-09-14

Victory number one for the organ
lied tenants.
But this was not a settlement.
The tenants were not satisfied, and
the landlords didn't like the looks
OF things. Affairs were still I'M
pleasant. The union insisted on a
further reduction. The landlords
baked. SO the tenants called a
strike
The strike, which lasted six
weeks, provided more fun and ex-
element for the neighborhood than
it had ever known before. The
tenants took care of the material
side by appointing a treasurer and
paying their rent to him instead
Of to the landlord. He put the
money in the bank and settled down
to enjoy himself with the rest of his
ncighbors.
They made themselves paper and
cardboard signs, reading Here is
rent strike,' in English and Yid-
dish, which the women hung around
their nccks and draped over the
baby carriages. They paradcd up
and down the streets. They hired
store on Flushing Avenue for
their headquarters, hung the win
dow with signs and held meetings
and gabfests outside.
The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1919-01-09

that his hotel bill would require all Of
his funds except enough for the por-
ter's tip and a few odd dollars.
He could not buy Daphne an engage
ment ring with a few odd dollars, and
he was afraid to leave her without the
brand Of possession on her finger.
But how was he to come ut the nee
essary sum? He could not decently
ask the firm he was dealing with to
lend him money. He might have asked
it to cash a check on his bank, but
his account was at the irreducible min
imum.
After an hour or two of meditation
he determined to beard Il jeweler in
his lair and try to coax him into the
extension of credit.
He loitered in front of several Win
dows, staring at the glittering pebbles
on the velvet beaches till he found Il
tiny gem that he thought might feebly
represent his exquisite alteration. He
went in and asked the price. An ell
ger salesman peered at the very small
tag and announced the very large
~price-$1S5. 1t was not much for Il
solitaire, but it was too much for that
bachelor.
He chung to the counter for support
and in Il husky tone asked for the
credit a He was escorted to q
barred window where a very sanc old
The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1919-01-09

person gazcd out at people insane
enough to buy jewelry. Mr.. Gassett
had 81 look of hospitality toward cash
and of shyness toward credit.
Wimburn hemmed and blushed and
swallowed hard. With the plausibility
of a pickpocket he mumbled as he
pushed a card across the glass sill
II am Mr.. Clay Wimburn Of New
York city. I have been out here clos
ing up an important deal for my firm
with one of your big mills. l hap
pened to see n little ring in your win
dow-rather pretty little thing. Took
a fancy to it. Had half a mind to buy
it. But rather sliort of cash and-er-
and"
Mr.. Gassctt waited with patience.
Clay went on: "I have no right tc
ask you to give me credit. But Tn
very anxious to leave the ring here
"Leave it here! 1 thought you want
ed to buy it,"
"Of course! l want to leave it CT
the finger of a young lady"
"Oh," said Mr.. Gassctt, to whom
ladies' fingers were an important mar
ket.
Finally he said: II don't suppose
you would care to tell me who your
fiancee is. That might make a diff.
ference"
"Why shouldn't tell you? I'm GER
tainly not ashamed to. ] have the
honor to be engaged to Miss Daphne
Kip"
The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1919-01-09
President Receives Rare Gift.

Rome, Jan. G.-Popc Benedict Sat-
urday presented to President Wilson a
handsome mosaic, reproducing Guido
Reni's famous picture of st. Peter.
The mosaic was made in the Vatican
grounds by the ancient mosaic factory
of the Vatican and is a yard square.
This mosaic has been valued ut
$4,000. Cardinal Gasparri, the papal
secretary Of state, presented President
Wilson with two copies of the modifi-
cation Of the canon law compiled by
Cardinal Gaspnrri. One copy is bound
in white parchment and contains an
autographed dedication to President
Wilson. The other Is in red leather
and bears the following autograph:
Homage t. Princeton University from
PietrO Cardinal C"cr"""'
The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1919-01-09
F0REW0RD.

"The Thirteenth Com
mandment" is an American
story written by an Ameri-
can for Americans. 1t is,
according to a famous Eng
|ish critic, "American to the
bone and to the marrow of
the bone" 1t deals with
that eternal conflict be-
tween finance and romance.
It tells the story of what one
IovabIe, modern American
girl did when she discovered
how often the checkbook's
groan browns the love song.
In this story Rupert Hughes
is at his best, and that best
cannot be surpassed by any
American author of the
present day. If you start
"The Thirteenth Command
ment" you will finish it, and
when you have finished it
you will be glad that you
started it.
The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1919-01-09
p II.

The night train from New York had
deposited Clay Wimburn in the grimy
cavern of the station at an early hour.
He had dawdled over his breakfast,
feeling lost without his New York
morning papers.
When at last it grew late enough to
telephone for an appointment with the
man he had come to see he was dis
gusted to learn that the wretch would
not be visible till the next day.
1t was then that Bayard Hips part
ing behest to call up his sister re-
Cured to Wimburn. He planned to
compose a formal note of self-intro-
duction, but Bayard had forgotten to
tell him his sisters name or his IA
theirs initials. There were several
Hips in the telephone book, and he
could not tell which would be which.
He decided to call up each number
and ask a maid or somebody if Mr..
Bayard Hips people lived there.
The very first number he called
brought Daphne herself suddenly
voice to voice with him. Voices are
characters, and it was a cas- of love
at first hearing with him. She had
him smiling and cooling at the second
phrase. He felt that she was going to
make his stay in Cleveland pleasant.
He formed all sorts of pictures of
her while he waited on the hotel steps,
but when she stepped out of her car
and looked about she was none of the
Misses Kip he had planned. She was
a round, pretty little thing, amiable
of eye and humorous about the lips
and cunningly dressed. She looked
as if she would be a plucky, tireless
sportswoman; yet she had a wistful
tender huggableness that a girl ought
not to lose, however well she plays
tennis.
els this Mr." she began. He was
too nervous to notice her pause.
He retorted, us this Miss Kip?"
He noted that she shook hands well
with a boyish clench accompanied by
an odd little duck of the head.
mighty nice of you to take me of
this desert island" he beamed.
mighty glad to have the privilege
she said as she verified the fraternit.
pin on his overcoat. Mother is dy
ing to hear how Bayard is"
Mothers have little power left as
guardians, but the children find tina
the title has q certain value at times
in keeping order.
"Won't you get in?" said Daphne
pointing to her car. She made hin
crowd in first, then followed ant
closed the door and pulled the throttle
He meditated aloud: "How wonder
full it really is that you should talk tt
me over the telephone and invite mt
to your home and come and get me-
like this"
whats so wonderful about that? 2
said Daphne Everybody does it."
Everything that everybody does i!
wonderful" said Wimburn. "But how
especially wonderful it is to live in F:
city where there are no walls abou
the gardens. Look! there aren't ever
fences. The lawns are all Joined to
The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1919-01-09
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
Real Riches.

He who has fortune in love and
truth and beauty is entitled to b
called rich. Time and change and aG.
versity have no power upon them.
They are the only things u man can
take with him when he goes. In the
process of acquiring them they be-
come part of him inseparably. BE
who has them wears his commenda-
ton In his face" for it may be read
as he passes that his converse is with
the higher and finer things and his
daily walk is IN the plane where the
nnblocf rnnof md c.:.'t' -
The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1919-01-09
Already Wimburn Was a Member Of
the Household.

gether and the houses are mostly win.
dows. Everything is so open and free,
full Of sunlight and %frankness. You're
taking me home in this charming little
glass showcase to introduce me to
your mother. I tell you the world dc
move! A woman Of today has a lot
to be thankful for. You ought to be
mighty happy"
"Ought-to-be hasn't much to do with
Is" Daphne sighed. "We've got a lot
to get yet-and a lot to get rid Of"
He sank back discouraged. The
sex was still Unsuitable.
After a short ride they turned into
Il driveway leading through a spacious
eXpanse of grass dotted with trees and
shrubs, to a homelike house without
beauty or ugliness-a house that had