Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1921-09-28
LET Ter FROM
new YORK CIT Y
Elizabeth /. Rankin, Former Assistant
County Superintendent of Schools Of
Marshall County, Writes Interesting
~ of UnenlplO ynent and Other Con
ilitiOns in the Great Metropolis.

These last two copies have been es-
pecially interesting with their kindly
gossip Of the young folks who are going
away in quest of higher education, or to
places where they are to be employed.
One feels, in reading of them, that Mar
shall County must be honored in many
places. s~rt
This summer has been a busy one, be-
sides doing some teaching I have taken
studies at Teachers College
If there be two things more Striking
than others at Teachers College it is
the spirit Of helpfulness and good will
and the earnest reaching forward to-
ward the best and highest ideal. The
students come from many lands-there
are many from China and Japan One
dear little Japanese girl wore kilnona
and sandals. ~
Many in Marshall County have a
warm personal friendship for Miss Ma
bel Carney, who is now professor in
Teachers College and would be delight
ed, as have been, to see the honor &C
corded her here. Her work in Mime
sofa was one step in many toward the
national work she is now engaged in
She speaks always with appreciation of
Minnesota and Minnesota schools. h,
One of the very pleasant incidents q
the summer was visit to friends in
Pocantico Hills, where John D. Rookie
teller has his beautiful home. It is a
wonder place. much of it left in a state
of nature, tho there are the best of all-
tomobile roads leading all thru it. T.
Schools have been in session two
weeks 1t is all very interesting. Folks
are just folks and not very different
whether in Minnesota or New York: 1
was told so often before / left Mime:
sofa that | would find New Workers.
cold and unresponsiye. have not found
One may walk a few blocks here and
see people from many parts of the
world. some in native costume, but even
then they draw little attention in New
York. Little Italy is a spot that inter-
ested me greatly as did China Town.
But it takes a big splash to make a
ripple here Mr.. LedOuX or "Mr. Zero
as we speak of him here has succeeded
at last in making a wave that is calling
attention to the unemployed 49,, ~.
Last winter there were many. Often
early on cold winter mornings / have
seen men huddleG on the benches in
NeulIItl dLh Ills luOuSduuS
have slept in thesparl1s, with no COW
ering. Some place newspapers under
themselves, but most just flop YEARLY
on the turf, some even on the cement
walks. 1t IS estimated that there are
over half a million unemployed here.
Many of them are eX-service men,
These men, are for the most part fairly
well dressed tho they find it very hard
to keep clean. There is no place where
they may do their laundry and they
cannot afford to shave when they need
the money for food Or lodging.
I saw "Mr. Zero today handing out
sandwiches in Bryant Park Practic-
ally everyone in New York has felt
ashamed of the police attack on the un-
employed and glad y. that 4 they have
changed their tactics Two were with
him today keeping the curious crowd
moving. He had also two unemployed
eX-Service men, one of whom is said to
have been badly gassed, helping him
distribute food
Mr.. LedouK is a man somewhat above
average stature for Minnesota. more
than somewhat ill New York. He wears
his gray hair close cut and has a small
NLA1LC anu d fCly hllIuly Lace.
The men were passing iii line and to
each he gave two sandwiches in pack
age and accompanied it with kind
word and smile. There was no dis
turbance, only IA few in line could be
classed as typical. toughs. Most of them
are just average young men, some pale
and showing lack of nourishment, some
rather defiant of a condition that makes
them objects of charity, a few, "a very
few, looked sulien. Some blushed to re-
ceive the bread Of charity One Young
chap took his package. and with a,boy-s
ish, apolOgetic grin remarked as he
stripped off the oil paper, Gosh, hut 4
am hungry. The sandwich disappear
ed so promptly that one could but won
der whether he remembered, if he had
4 been served. 1 noticed many hands
Z tremble with eagerness as they ripped
the packages open. BY the time the
men reached the benches a few feet dis
tant not a morsel remained
At one time while II watched the box
was emptied, the next in line, d lad in
his teens, looked at Mr.. Zero with tears
OF disappointment in his blue eyes
y Never mind, my boy said Ledoux,
IL have more and he went to the car
near and brought ont another box
Yesterday it rained a cold drizzly
rain all day and most of the mig hit. I
4 do not know " here the men. slept. This
morning passing the park e saw men
lying asleep on the half dried turf and
many in the line had Wrinkled q. eliot hing
still damp a t noon tosia 8 &.
Il Mr.. Ledoux spends much of the day
and night talking to the men and learn
ing from them their desperate needs,
and from many the growing resent
81 in their hearts. Nj
Some of the churches are providing
Places for the men to sleep But. ss.Mr.
Zero aims to go farther He wants
not.only a bread line and sleeping quar-
fers, but facilities for the men to shave
4 with and to do their la undry, SO that
they may hold to their self Prospect. He
; has an appointment with Bishop Man
I ming, formerly rector Of Old Trinity
IN