The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-06-27
Pauline

EVERYONE in the shop knew Pau
~ line, because Pauline was not a
new face in the shop. She came to
work in the shop about nine years ago
when Alfred, Decker and Cohen was a
small shop, and so she grew up with
the shop, the only difference being
that while Alfred Decker and Cohen
grew richer and richer, Pauline's fam
lily grew poorer, and that was the rea-
son Pauline had to work so hard to
help her parents.
IXETHEN Pauline was IL years old she
w had to leave school and go to
work, but she never gave up the idea
Of getting a better education. She
used to toll the whole day long and go
to school at night, and she really was
the most intelligent and broad-minded
girl in the shop.
You could not say that Pauline was
not what you call lively girl. On the
contrary, she was quite jolly and full
of pep. But her studies in school
kept her back from many of the pleas
ures that young girls enjoy. She very
seldom had time to go to dances, pic
mics, etc.
ON one Tuesday afternoon Pauline
~ approached the foreman and asked
him if she could come in a little later
the next morning, since she was going
out that evening, thing that doesn't
happen very often, and she would be
too tired to come in on time. The
foreman, a man that cannot forget of
the time when a girl used to work 10
and IL hours day for $12 week,
stared at the girl and told her in COM
handing tones: "You be in to work
tomorrow on time, if you want to
avoid trouble. ! must have the work,
that's ALL"
ON Wednesday morning Pauline
~ woke up when the hands Of the
clock showed z. She jumped from the
bed and started to dress in a hurry.
She knew that no matter how much
she would hurry she would not come
to work on time, but If she would only
be late 10 or is minutes the foreman
would not make a fuss about it. So
she washed herself quickly, drank a
glass of milk in one swallow and hur-
ried to the elevated that would bring
her to the shop. The elevated was a
few blocks away from the house. Of
course she could take the streetcar,
but that would take her so much
longer, so she ran to the elevated
with the command of the foreman,
you be in to work tomorrow morning
on time" ringing in her ears. 1t was
1880, in Is more minutes she is sup
posed to be in the shop. She would
not be 80 late after all. Now she just
had to cross the street for the ele-
waited. She made dash across the
street, but she saw a machine coming
in her direction. She made a quick
retreat, not noticing truck that came
right behind and knocked her down.
CHE was taken to the hospital UNI
~ conscious, with fractured skull,
and never recovered consciousness
again.
When the news arrived in the shop
later in the day the workers were
shocked. They could not believe that
Pauline, who just yesterday was SO
jolly, today was no more alive. The
news of her death went thru the shop
like an electric current. Immediately
a group of workers gathered in cor
ner and decided that the only thing
they could do was to elect a commit
tee of five which would express their
sympathy to Pauline's parents, and
800 was collected for flowers to be
placed on the grave to be sent with
the committee, and to help pay the
expenses of the funeral.
DUT the foreman would not stand
- for any of that Sentimental
stuff" II five workers missed a day
from the shop the work would not
move so smoothly, so he would allow
only two to go as a committee to the
funeral. The shop chairman and as
sistant were appointed to go, and the
rest OF the workers continued TO work
and at IL o'clock, at the time when
Pauline was buried, all OF the workers
paid their respect by stopping work
for two minutes and facing east with
heads downward.
This ends the story OF Pauline. But
no sooner was Pauline buried than
her sister, Frances, took her place, to
aontfnuo tho otraora 80 ,.rn0te tnto Al.