Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1934-07-27
N1lNlNEN N1o I1GANO "The Anvl'


The day nursery where the kids
of the cannery we're herded was
on a lot about so by 100 at the
rear of the boiler room. 1t was a
hot, dusty, squalid-lOOking affair
surrounded by a high board
fence painted barn red. There
were no shade trees, but a flimsy
structure was thrown up, con-
structed of discarded planks,
broken boxes, and rOtting drying
trays. Here was where the filters
of the cannery mothers played
ragged, dirty bunch of bawling
bTats.
A small shanty Of up-and-dOwn
boards had been built for the
nursery proper. This was where
the babies that still fed on the
bottle and those not old enough
to take care of themselves were
kept. They lay in rows in small
bundles on two iron cots covered
with rough khaki army blankets.
The flies swarmed inside of the
room, crawled over the yellow,
dirty faces, and settled in hOrdes
on the piles of wet diapers on the
cots. The smell that hit you as
you walked in the door was
enough to lay you out. In one
corner was gas plate for heat
ing the bottles, but it wasn't ne
cessary to use it. The milk stood
in bottles on a shelf in the sun
at one side of the room where it
heated itself. Half OF the time the
babies would be sucking on
bottles of sour, curdled milk.
The matrOn was a thin woman
of about 30, with dark smooth
hair and Whfte-washed skin. Her
cheeks were heavily rOuged and
her mouth was coated thick with
dark red lipstick. She kept on
her face the bored, listless ex-
preston of a prostitute; the
screaming of the babies and the
fighting of the kids could not
change it. She sat in the middle
of the yard in a straightforward
chair in the shade of black cot
ton umbrella, her legs crossed.
methOdically chewing gum and
reading a confession magazine.
Every three hours she would 60
into the nursery and hand out
the bottles; then she would come
out and take up her position for
another three hours. 1t was gen.
orally known that she was living
with the "Supe."
The babies came dewn with
diarrhOea and cholera. The wO-
men began talking. Some of them
got sore and formed little group
and called at the office to COM
plain about the matron and the
treatment of the babies.
The assistant ''Supe" met them
at the door. He'd heard some talk
about the trouble, and he turned
to one of the women and glared
at her. What the hell you hays
cOmplainin' about nOw?" he said.
"My bambinO - he all time
Seeck-da ladee-She no take care
heem. She reeda da book all day.
She makea my bambinO seeck.
She no good"
He grabbed -her.-by the shoul.
der and shouted: I'll show you
and your damned bambinO. You
get your things and get out of
here with your bawlini brat!
Come back for your check in an
hOur-nOw beat it," He turned
to the others, and that oges for
you too. if you don't keep your
traps shut. If you don't like the
way this company runs things
well, get the hell QUIT" He, walk
ed into the office and slammed
the door.
The women covered and ran
down the stairs. The Italian wO-
man screamed after them and
began sObbing and talking hys-
terically. She ran to the door of
the "Supe's" office and pounded
on the panel, crying, Please,
meester, my mamie Outa work
I gotta work for my bambino!"
The office clerk grabbed her
and showed her out the door.
No more complaints were
heard about the matrOn.