Evening star., 1933-10-08


share of the now familiar statement
that millions Of the unemployed are now go-
ing back to work" With just little inquiry
a little listening. and only an ounce OF oD-
seryation they can be turned up almost every
where.
L want to tell you first about boy named
Harry. who managed to make new start III
life as long ago as last Spring, but who has
onlv recently come into the full swing OF the
new order of things. 1t IS the story, too, OF
the svarthy proprietor of Angeles Place"
where they serve everything that makes 1or
a good light lunch. day or night and Wnere
Harry finally found the first job that ne nao
had for almost a year.
Harry fair-haired. chunky and strong. was
only 18 years old when he found himself out
Of job year ago. and no longer able to
contribute to the support Of his mother. HIS
mother worked, too, but her wages were small.
Harry also had a sweetheart, but now they
could no longer go on the little inexpensive
excursions that had filled so many OF their
evenings in the past. He couldn't understand
It, at first; he didn't realize that he had really
been very fortunate to hold his job Tor 30
many months longer than many others who
had been swept out into the sea Of unemploy-
ment in the first months Of the depression. He
started looking for another place right away.
confident that it would be only short while
tefofe he was back on some ones pay roll, and
that he could resume life where it had been
strangely left OF. It was then that he learned
that he was only q small part Of very des-
perate situation. Day after day he sought and
@asked for work-and day after day he failed.
Coming finally to the little place that was run
by Angelo, he made more than the usual plea
for employment. He told Angelo about his
mother, about his girl and he tried to make
It plain to Angelo that he, . boy Of IL. was
Is desperate as any grown man could be. An
gelo could do nothing for him, just then. Times
were hard with Angelo. too. But they became
good friends, and sometimes Angelo fed him.
and sometimes he gave long-ter credit for
soft drinks for Harry and his girl.
This went on for many months, and Harry.
despite his natural store Of youthful faith.
passed slowly into despair. And then, quite
suddenly, beer came along and Angelo had
to take on q little extra help to take care Of
the new patronage. He took on Harry. He
could give him only SO a week, but that was
riches for Harry. after all that he had been
through. In addition, he gave him q long,
white apron. which covered his tattered clothes,
and that was something for proud youth to
be especially thankful for. Harry did every
thing he could to show his appreciation He
didn't give second thought to the long hours
from in the morning until or at night.
He even began to stay on the job until mid
night, which was Angeles closing time. Harry
was very happy again, and so was Angelo, be-
cause it gave him an opportunity to step out
occasionally for some fresh air.
After beer came the Blue Eagle, to be dis
played in Angeles window, and I happened
around late one afternoon, just after it had
been installed. It made Angeles place look
very patriotic, very up to the minute. Shorter
hours and better pay for every one. Pros
perity, at last, for the employer and the en-
ploye. Like every one else. it struck me as
. good thing for all of us, but so impressive
had been Its sudden Introduction into our ma
tional life that scarcely realized, at first,
that 1t meant just what it said-that it would
reach down 20 deeply, 50 intimately, as to
Affect even the modest, smiling Harry, who had
worked from dawn to midnight at Angeles
place for - = week. However, just Is went
in. Harry was coming out. .,