Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-04-14


m ed ical attention. whereas
many OF the construction men
and their families are living in
shacks. tents and trailers or a
brick-dry fiat in settlement
called Fry, without any more
effective local civil government
than that which. by common
consent, they observe among
themselves
4 BOUT $500 of the civilian
"A construction men are housed
in contractors barracks. at a
dollar day for food and
lodging.
These are the stays and. OBJ
viously. the stag has a more
orderly and economical life than
the man who drags his family
from job 10 job around the
country with him.
The stays family. which stays
put in their home town. would
appear to be much better off.
too On straight time. the men
can earn $50 week and. If they
live in-the barracks, should be
able 10 lay up some.
The gypsy families. on the
other hand, keep house as they
go and. in a general view. con-
form 10 the impression which
John Steinbeck gave us OF the
Okies in California.
At glimpse their camps seem
horribly squalid. but on closer
view the people are not at all
the dull eyed emaciated and de-
generated monsters who were
carefully selected and pictured
as horrible examples Of the fall
ure Of America in the phot~-
propaganda volumes Of the early
'30s.
The children arc az clean and
bright as children anywhere. the
women around the camp are not
markedly different from the
wives OF American vorknen
anywhere else. and the santa
ton surely can he no more dan
gerous 10 health than that which
exists in the iaegard sections ~
some Southwestern cities where
people live in little detached
houses.
T ANY rate. there has bee,
NO outbreak of disease
around FRY and whether the
families save money while the
work lasts would seem to be up
10 them. Before very long they
will pull stakes again. load thets
household dufle and scatter
TO other jobs. or TO God knows
where.
The construction workman
has changed his way Of life in
the last 50 years or less. In
other times he went single and
light. building railroads and
boom towns. saved. squandered
or gambled his money away and
was a mobile man.
Some still do this. but many,
such as those in Fry. are pio-
neer types and almost all native
Americans who preserve the
family group even where there
are no decent accommodations
nor adequate schools. regardless
Of the disadvantage to the
families.
Still. il is a free country and
men and women who take TO the
road and just roam from job TO
job. living much in the open. are
not necessarily 10 be pitied OF
mothered back into cities and
towns by government agencies.
They would be pretty sure 10
resent il.
I Asst week near Benson. ARR.
IL two leatherly ancients were
seen creeping along the highway
in a ragged little covered wagon
drawn by two drowsy, Flooding
burros.
Almost week later the same
two passed along the Oracle
road west Of Tucson and rested
while the old woman busted her.
self with frying pan over a
little fire.
They had done perhaps 20
miles, but seemed TO be in no
hurry and might have resented
as an intrusion any attempt TO
bawl over them AS pathetic waits
Of negligent civilization.
They seemed 10 he very tough,
independent citizens, unafraid OF
the night air, stickups, snakes or
the tax collector.
AS workmen, the drifters on
the Huachuca job are too
various TO be described as good,
bad or Indifferent, in the mass.
Some are first class men,
others hammer-and-saw carpen-
tiers of no particular skill. but
fairly willing, and others. as
workmen. simply aren't worth
their room