Evening star., 1932-09-22

Structural steel work going up ct tin
southwest corner Of Pennsylvania avs-
nue. and Twelfth street draws q large
crowd.
Who compcses the gallery
One might stand On the corner
forever trying to find out except by
a process OF direct inquiry
The solemn line Of men SAYS nothing
and does nothing; It's component men,
bers mostly look. with occasionally .
comment passed from one TO another
The real mystery OF such crowds
here rs elsewhere, Is how 80 many
capable looking men manage 70 have
nothing TO DO at 10 o'clock IN the
morning
No doubt the depression has some
thing TO do with this particular group
of gawkers. Plainly several Of these
men in shirt sleeves are cut Of work
and find ID interesting 10 watch others
more fortunate,
The remainder. however. can scarcely
be classed as yooieSs. This elderly gen
tleman. with neat business suit and
straw hat for the day Ia mild Is
evidently a man Of some means
He stands with his hands elasped
behind him. his neat. rimleSs glasses
Cin the very latest octagonal petternl
perched on his capable nose. his wen
cropped gray hair appearing slightly
below his hat.
The steady rat a -tst-tat Of the rivet-
Ing evidently sounds as pleasing 70 his
ears as anything which comes from
his radio set at home.
He leans forward expectsntly a .
great girder scars into place.
This Is q dramatic moment.
ANYTHING might happen. 1t usually
doesn't happen, OF course. and II prob
ably will not, but then again 1t might,
and it is the possibility OF the might.
no doubt. which keeps this double line
OF watchers patient on their feet.
1t is a different sort o. crowd from
that which NAV be seen in front OF a
store window. where some self-conscious
person is demonstrating the latest in
gadgetS.
In such store crowd there is q
certain marked impstience, loca-
larity Of demesnor and speech which
is utterly lacking from the present
gathering.
Here su Is quie;ness.
The crowd is one giant eve, intent on
seeing everything worth seeing.
II wants to miss nothing and Is 80
intent on that worthy ambition that
il sees the necesdty for taking life
calmly. intently, se-1cIsN.
No doubt more human beings would
he happier IN this lire II they would
adopt individually and severaAS. .ns
same plane Of calrnesS, tntentness ard
seriousness
There suIl would be plenty Of room
for smiles, for song. for the comic spirit,
as well as the tragic AL that would
DC their personal basic attitude.
Instead Of fiippancy, certain amount
O! unruEied conduct would Be intro
duceo where nov only too often q sort
OF mild hysteris prevails
There is something to be learned
from such 9 crowd as this, standing
so patiently in the sunshine, watching
tho labors OF other men.
A common scene. indeed, such as one
may see almost every day n the year.
in any large city, yet one nlled with
real interest. from almost any view
point one chooses 10 regard Il.
The workers, brswny men unsfraid,
are story IN themselves, Every man
n the crowd Of watchers realizes this,
although he may not put IL into such
words, even to himself. He knows that
cne must be . real man, Is the term
goes 10 wreStle with steel and bend it
to ones will. even with the giant tools
OF modern industry.
II Is apparent. then, that the work
ers have the sincere respect Of every
onlooker. Unfortunately this happy
state Of affairs does not prevail N al
the other walks O. life Forever and q
dsy some one or other is sneerine
either covertly or openly, At some
worker In another branch. Particu<
larly is this true in what may be called
the less spectacular work routes, COM