The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-02-23
AS [ TELL HIRAM

| Yesm, Miss Martha. as l tell Hiram, tneyS some
folks that just natchurlly likes to be miserable.
When they amt got nothin they is grumbn' an
quarreling about what they amt got, and when
they gets somethin they is grumblin' an quarrel
in case they's got it. an it's too much trouble to
keep.
Now, you take this here Ship Yard plant what
Pensacola is got. If they is one thing that is
valuable than another that Pensacola is got-it Is
the Ship Yard plant. They may be some that will
tell you that it amt so, Miss Martin. But it is.
was born an raised in this yere town. but amt
stayed here all my life Hiram an me has trav-
eed
An when you is as Travelled as we is, Miss Mar
tin, an dedicated, too, you make up your min
to thing an stick to it. You is seen two ways
an has found out which of them ways is the best
ways.
Hiram has worked here an he has worked there,
and he is gttin money right to line HIS
pockets with than he's had in' many day. Hiram
says to me yesterday, he says: Not me- I amt
qutin my job. amt goin to be led around by the
by any Of these here organizers which is paid
by the higher up-not met"
What man higher up?" I. Il don't know
who he is says Hiram, land 1 don't care. What
do know is that he don't never go hungry. He
don't never have to worry about payin his rent.
He eats three good meals day, and rides roun' in
his lenonusine, and smokes tencenters and laughs
in his broadcloth sleeve at these here that is
wakin' out Of the plants of this country trying to
break the United States"
Hiram" SEE. You talk just like it some
thing they could smash" says I'd just like to see
EN- try it,
well, they are tryn it right now" says Hiram
whether you see it not An if you could get
right d9yn at the bottom of all this trouble, I bet
you anything you like you'd find the higher up
is in exile over in Holland"
Hiram" says l. you do beat the Dutch for talk
in in riddles"
We'll, then says he, what I mean to say is
that somebody is pullfn' the wires to make the
American laborin' man dance and he hasn't got any
better sense than to do the dancin' pay the piper
might dance" says Hiram. but burned I'd pay /
the piper, too
Il teIkn' to a frien' of mine yesterday" says
Hiram You member him-Jerry oGrady. Jerry |
and me- used to belong to the same lodge.
Jerry, SEE l. is you strikin?'
Me-? sez Jerry. Not on your life |
Il been livin' an workin' in Pensacola all my
life. 1 mind the day. seq he when the most liver
make three dollars a day for labor an that l.
was good pay-nosty it was two and half. Now,
seq he, was always behind with me rnt: an /
half the time my children wanted shoes an most i
Nv the time their bellies only half full.
81 been workin' down to the ship yard, and |,
lothln but Just q common carpenter-none OF your
high jinks finished mechanlcs-I amt had the
,hance-an' phat have I done? I got me a house,
nan, seventeen hundred dollars, and all paid but
sixty. An my childer are well dressed any an
veil fed
Am I strikin?' SEE he Am I crazyo' SEE he.
Not I i
Il was readin' in the Rivet the other day says
Hiram, AN I the Ship Buildin' company has
been workin the plans for six oil tankers to be l.
quilt at this yard. The at the plant have been
maxim good They have took pride in the yard. II
t has beaten any other yard in the country. Think
If that Beat EN- all hollow. An the is sat l
SIZED with the pay an they is satisfied with the
work. An then along comes this an that An
because he's put up to it by some power that
caches over here from Roosia or Berlin we got to
ay down our good American tools an maybe lose {
ur ship yard in the end all for the crafness an
he Jealousy of them as don't want US to make good.
SEE Hiram: 'They was a day when the naval
torres great industry here-but that is playin'
ut. An the lumber was once our great industry,
n that is payin out. An you can talk all you're
mind to- says Hiram but manufactures is got
0 be the back bone Of this community, if we ever
it another An the ship buildn' plant is the
iggest an the best of the vertebroe Are we goin'
let some people who jealous of our success,
n some that is agn the government an some that
jst pure onery cusses come over here an break
p yard? Or are gon' to do like Tampa an
Iiami did an put a stop to the trouble, in record
reakin' time?" !
You kin search me" SEE l. &
But as tell Hiram Miss Martin II the men that
workin' down there at that ship yard had any 7
ense an any spunk, they would not let a pack Of T
rangers in an tell em where to get off. c
leyd turn to an tell 'em to get out-leastways- II
lat's my opinion. Miss Martin. I
II