The evening world., 1920-12-04

got as present Inscribed To my
friend. McGregor Ross, on his twelftl
birthday, from his friend Charlie
dated December. 1894"
He has no remembrance OF parent
or other relatives, and he has never
married.
81 worked on canal boats durinr
the next few years" he continued
81 picked slate in coal mines and dis
odd jobs in Philadelphia, Baltimore
Pittsburgh, New Orleans. Then
went West to Colorado, New Mexico
California and other parts. did al
sorts OF work that took stron
back; took n run back East, theu
when money got short, went to wor
again. never got into any trouble
except labor suuahbles.
MAY BE AMERICAN, BUT NEVEr
VOTED.
"I csn remember that some tim
some one said | was Scotch, an
something was said about Glasgow
so | took it that / came from there
But | have never voted or taken ou
citizenship papers, as 1 am not sur
that / was not born in the Unite
States.
II kept on looking for the big stak
by working on railroads, steamboat.
construction, fruit and other kind
OF forms, in lumber mills, and
fishing for the market. or course
first I-thought I'd make bi" tortupr
and do wonders, but as l learne'l
how labor was treated on differen
Jobs ! came to realize we must a.
combine-all OF us who worked TO
the boss'
Most of Ross's timo for the Las
twelve years has been spent in III
lumber camps OF California, Oregon
and Washington.
When / began" he said, 1--WE were
working ten to twelve hours da
at the hardest kind OF labor, sleepin
ON straw and carrying our own bed
ding"
Now he considers conditions have
! improved through the ]. w. w. agi
! tatlon, OF which he was O leader. His
two arrests in Port Angeles, Wash
are due to his l. w. w. affiliations.
How do you feel about being will
out a country" / asked. Are yo
as unhappy over It as was the Phil
Nolan about whom Edward Everef {
Hale wrote his remarkable story?"
HALL COUNTRIES LOOK Alike TO
HIM.
i've read that" smiled Mr.. Ross,
''but j can't say l feel that way
all I'd as soon be in one country a
another. Industry, the world OF work
ers, Is tine country to which belonF
I'd take an oath of allegiance g.
American working men, ia fight fo
them any time they needed It. Ger
talnly, have no feeling that Scotlan 2
Is my native land.
And. after all, i've given fifty-fv e
years Of my life to the mines. tha
lumber camps, the railroads OF Amer
lea. I've worked In these essentis
industries through the years when
they most needed workers and when
conditions were hardest TVe helps
in the development OF this countr
and worked for the betterment OF m
| fellow workers. Isn't 1t a good de- ,
OF n qulbble to claim that a man IS
not a citizen Of the country to whic
he's given at least fifty-five years D.
| his wording llfe?"
And what will you do now?" I
asked.
I'm probably have to stay in Ne,
| York for a week or two" he az
swered, "but 1 want to get back our
West, to the lumber camps and tn
men. / want to keep on with my or
ganization work"
| Out OF ordinary human pity for n
old man who has been shifted froI
one Jail to another Tor three years
account Of the Ideas in which he be
lieves, even II most OF us don't, i tol
him that hoped he would endur
fewer hardships in the future.
There's plenty more like what IN
gone through" he retorted, with hit
cool. indomitable SIN le, "and l guess
! likely I'll find what I won't dodge"
| II he Is proved to be an American.
| America may damn his principles
but she's got to admire his pluck.