The daily worker., 1931-03-14
By AL DAsCH.

|
American young worker,
this little autobiography will begin
in a conventional American story
book misunderstanding to all the
rules laid down by Hoyle, Horatio
Alger and the, teachers of English.
1t is really the story of how was
drawn into the revolutionary move
ment.
John Sargent was born Of poor
but honest parents and as child
he lived the same sort of life that
the average American youth lives.
He went to school; was taught to be
patriotic, loyal. to despise foreign
ers and to believe that one day he,
too, might be president of his coun-
try or at least be another Rookie
feller. Well, the happy day arrived,
when John Sargent left school and
went out into the wide, wide world
to start the Sargent fortunes. Jobs
were not very hard for a young fell
low to get at that time and John
had little trouble of any kind get
ting located, as the saying goes.
That strong, silent herman, Cal
Coolidge, was president, and Amer
ica was sitting pretty. So thought
| America.
Somehow John kept drifting from
one job to another and held all kinds
OF positions, such as errand boy, Of
flee boy, shipping clerk and runner.
None of them ever paid enough for
him to put very much away for a
rainy day or for the start of his
millions. However, John wasn't
worrying. He was making enough
to get along, having good time,
plenty of parties, dances and nice
girls. What more could a chap ask
for? He was only young fellow
and opportunity was waiting just
around the corner and he'd catch up
with it any day now.
Two or three years passed by and
so did Johns jobs. Now he was
working as clerk in Wall Street
brokerage house and feeling pretty
we'll contented with life. He was in
the financial center of the United
States, able to save sum every
week, and in with the wise money.
Why, any time now he might get a
tip on the market and become inde-
pendent for lifel Or he might take
a college presidents advice and
marry the boss's daughter. That
silent nincompoop. Coolidge, had
given way to the super-engineer
Hoover, the savior of hunger starved
Europe. Everybody he knew had a
chicken in their pot and there was
soon to be a car in every garage.
Everybody he knew was happy and
the country was at the height of its
prosperity. Enter the villain in
Johns life, or, as they say in Holly
wood. came the dawn. and with il
the stock market crash.
And, when it was finally checked
John found that his services were
no longer required. But, why worry?
He had couple of hundred bucks
in his kick. He'd lob around and
take it easy for awhile. Yep! That
was the life-one grand vacation and
when his money was gone he'd find
himself another job. However, this
| time he would make sure that the
position he'd get would have good
future. So John started out to have
a good time.
He went to four or five shows a
week, plenty of parties and dances,
and had lots of girls. Having no
definite occupation, the movies soon
made an indelible impression on
John Sappos mind. Pictures like
Little Caesar" "The Kid From
Chicago o." underworld, "T h e
Squealer," and many others of this
type, clarifying the gangster and
and gunmen, imbued him with the
idea of becoming smart money
man. Yes, sir! That's where the
money was. Easy money! Big
money! That was the racket! Moth
ing crude for him, like stealing or
killing or hi-jacking, but gambling =
that was the ticket!
So John Sargent became a gam
bling and his vacation
was over before it was started AL
most as clean as the proverbial
whistle, John began to look for a
position with future. Within a
month he was looking for position
and never mind the future. But
strange as it seems, he couldn't even
get job, and John began to worry.
Previously, when he had gotten a
paper, the sport page was the first
stop. But not anymore. The want
ad section had preference now.