The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-23
By ALEX JACKINSON

Events of the past week kept spinning about in
his thoughts. The deafening noise of the heavy
weaving machine to which he had not yet become
fully accustomed drummed noisly in his ears Each
tick-tock held distinct message for him which he
was readily learning The ever changing panorama
OF scenes continued to spin faster and faster He
couldn't escape from their steady hammerinp-not
even IN thought. The maelstrom into which he was
suddenly swept had no exit The massive machines
assumed in his reflections grotesoue pronortions.
They were operated by ugly looking foreigners
hired especially strike-breakers Jmmev hated
them. They sill looked so stupid to him. He won
dered why THEY didn't strike like the rest. Did
they all have mothers to support like he did?
Jimmey eyed them curiously. The way they ran
after the rapidly-moving spindles interested him.
Soon he would become weaver himself and run his
fingers over the silky threads as they did He
thought that he would rather like being weaver
Then he pictured the girls picketing in front of
the building. If only they would leave him alone
things would still be alright. "What business is
1t OF theirs. anyhow if l work not 2" he mused
Jimmey. continued gazing at the brightly deco
rated advertisements of his favorite actors until
ne became conscious again of his unsettled prob
lem' lie recolected his thoughts and once more
proceeded on his way
1t was exceedingly hot summer dav. And an
intense heat filled the streets with pungent hu-
mldlty which the sweating populace both in and
out OF doors seemed to absorb as a sponge absorbs
water. The unwashed streets were everywhere lit
tered with fragments of dirt. Here a grocery
keeper just dumped barrel of decaved Vegetables
into the gutter, which in unison with the omen re
fuse cans around the tenements yielded forth an
odor The stencil of decomposed garbage filled the
atmosphere. To the masses this was familiar
scent which they inhaled other streets people
lnhale the fragrance of perfume
Yet people moved Everywhere the hot nave
ment was crowded with ShuffliuO foot Tbo;-o Io&L
ing moist from perspiration chung tightly to their
warm bodies. Yet they moved. Body after body
appeared and disappeared in a never ending pro-
cession up and down the street
The vista of bobbing faces swept by Jimmev like
the babble of language one cannot understand
He paid no attention to the many bodies of women
some misshapen by toll, and others hollow eyed
from fatigue which continuously circled in and out
OF ms gaze Men, their heads topped by white
straw hats, Joined them in the grim procession They
were mostly garment workers, pounding the pave
ments with their staccato steps their one holiday
in the week
Jimmey looked about him. On the corner he saw
redfaced traffic cop lift the cap off his head and
Withdrawing a handkerchief, wipe beads of per-
spiration from his brow. At a soda fountain stood
rat man drinking orangeade part of which triclled
down his shirt. His attire evoked grin from Jim
mey' Here a woman screamed, a taxi almost
ran child down. There mother was nursing her
baby on stoop. Elsewhere storekeeper lowered
an awning hoping it would offer relief from the
heat. Here another woman in the shape of a barrel
pushed along baby carriage. Down the street
a fireman rugged up temporary shower under
which children romped. This was the east side
There where people do not make ethics of their be-
havior-and where the drums beat oudest The
drums of revolution that beat everywhere. What
tableaul A circus for Maximus!
From out of the shutting crowd stepped young
woman. Jimmey looked at her wondering where
he had seen her before. Suddenly he recalled her;
she of the girl strikers who had called
him scab. She too had recognized him. and was
just about to cry "scab" when she restrained her
self There was something pathetic about his per-
something of hopelessness which she could not
help but notice She cast furtive glance at him
and prepared to away when Jimmey's arm
reached out and touched her gently.
II know what you're thinkin'-and I'm sorry
honest TO Christ I am" pleaded Jimmey FAN
won't do il more You'll see--Youll see" he con-
tinued passionately almost choking with emotion