Bérmunkás, 1933. július-december (21. évfolyam, 746-772. szám)
1933-10-21 / 762. szám
8 oldal BÉRMUNKÁS 1933 október 21. Junior Column LIFE OF A PROLATARIAT By—MARY FECZKO. It was the 1st of January. The earth was covered with a blanket of snow. The dilapidated tenement houses, tumble- down fences, and overflowing ash-cans, were all transformed into objects of beauty by the pure white coverlet. The air was calm and still—and bitterly cold! SUSPENSE. In one of the tenement flats, three youngsters were huddled around a small kitchen stove. They were talking in hushed tones. Their father was pacing the floor—back and forth— back and forth, his ears strained for every sound coming behind a closed door. Finally there was a muffled wail; the firts cry of a new born babe. The youngsters exchanged glances; their father stopped pacing, and in a short time the door opened and a buxom women hurried out, her face wreahted in smiles. “Hits a bay!” she exclaimed. She was followed by a doctor. Frederic Gustafson clutched his arm and in a voice hardly audible asked, “Is she allright, Doc?” “Yes, she’s fine,” the doctor answered cheerfully. Then the anxious father hurried to his wife’s bedside. The three little Gustafsons followed close behind and surrounded the bed. They gazed in awed wonder at the little pink bundle of humanity nestled beside their mother. Mrs. Gustafson opened tired eyes and looked lovingly at her little brood. Her glance rested upon each in turn. Marie aged ten, Bobby aged seven and little blond, blue-eyed, Gretchen aged four. She smiled faintly and asked, “Well, kiddies, what’ll we call him?” PETER. Gretchen, who couldn’t suppress the desire to touch the tiny mite with her pudgy hands, promptly replied, “Yet’s call ’im Peter!” The parents exchanged glances and smiled indulgently at their doll-like daughter. Gretchen called everything that she liked — “Peter.” A young man bearing that name, had once owned a store on their block. Being extremely fond of children, Gretchen, with her adorable baby ways, had completely won his heart. He used to take her on his knees, tell her stories, feed her cookies, and everjy; nowrand- then surprised her with a piece of her favorite “pep-mint tandy.” Then he had gone back to Sweden and Gretchen had never gotten over it. From then on his name became an obsession with her. She promptly changed the name of her doll that had always been called, Matilda — to “Peter.” A neighbor’s dog had a litter of puppies and Gretchen called her favorite — a roily, pollyi-bund- le of fluff — “Peter.” She associated anything and everything pleasant with the name much to everyones amusement. So now, when she expressed the desire to call the new baby “Peter,” they were not at all surprised and it "was unanimously agreed. That is how Peter Fredric Gustafson acquired his name.... DEATH Peter grew from toddling babyhood into a gawky, sensitive- child of ten. Then it was that Peter experienced his first great sorrow. Mother Gustafson passed into the great beyond. Overwork and worry had sent her to an early grave. The grief of the little family was overwhelming. . . FAMILY BREAKS UP. A year later tthe Gustafson family parted company. Marie married and moved to another city.. Gretchen was employed as a maid in a private home, and Bobby — restless, freedom loving, Bobby — joined the Navy. He had caused his parents much worry because of his restless nature. He had often played hookey from school, and more than once had run away from home, only to be brought back by the authorities. He hated routine and loved freedom. At the tender age of fourteen — the usual age that youngsters born to working clase parents enter the industries — he had to go to work — in a pickle factory! To put energetic, restless Bobby into the stifling confines of the pickle factory, was like caging a lion. He hated it! But because of his overpowering love for his mother, a vow he had made at the age of twelve (after his last escapade) never to cause his parents further sorrow, and knowing how necessary his wages were, he had stayed on. Now that his mother was gone, he felt as though he would rather die than remain there. He had to have an outlet for his pent up emotions — anything to get away from the monotony. The Navy offered that outlet and he took it; That left the elder and youngest Gustafson alone together. The years rolled by... Peter was attending high school, and like most youngsters was very patriotic. During the weekly assemblies he would sit in rapt attention while the principal and various guest speakers talked about, “This glorious land of the free and home of the brave.” “America, the land of opportunity — wehere every lad, rich or poor, had an equal chance to become president of Our glorious country, etc., etc., etc.” Peter was elated! Not that he wanted to become president but the mere thought that he had as much chance to sit in the White House as any other fellow made his young heart beat with pride. PETER’S OBJECTIVE. He intended going through high school and finally college. His objective was to be a doctor. The desire to help people — to alleviate suffering had been born in Peter while still a tiny tot. Gretchen had broken her arm. He remembered how twisted and knarled it had looked, her agonized expression, his feeling of utter helplessness, and then how he had watched, awed, while the doctor set it. After several weeks her arm looked as good as new. Since then he was always bandaging cuts and bruises for his playmates and talking about, “When I’m a doctor, etc.” His heart was set on going through school — but — FATE intervened! (To be continued.) Az IWW clevelandi angol csoportja október hó 21-én, szombaton este 8622 Buckeye Rd.-i helyiségében Társasvacsorát rendez, amelyre a Bérmunkás olvasóit is meghívja. CLEVELAND WEST SIDEON minden szerdán este összejövetel a csoport helyiségében 4153 Lorain Ave. (első emelet) Előadások, viták. Minden olvasónkat szívesen látunk. CLEVELAND EAST SIDEON minden pénteken este összejövetel a csoport 8622 Buckeye Road alatti helyiségében. Vita estélyek vagy előadások a munkásságot érdeklő eseményekről. Utcai Gyűlés A Burnsideon lakó magyar munkások figyelmét felhívjuk, hogy az IWW minden csütörtökön este 8 órai kezdettel a 93-ik és Cottage Grove Avenuen utcai gyűlést tart. Kérjük a munkások tömeges megjelenését. MEGHÍVÓ. A Világ Ipari Munkásai Szervezetének Pittsburgh-i Magyar-Angol és Olasz csoportjai közösen nagyszabású táncestélyt rendeznek a szervezet lapjai javára, 1933. november 11-én, sszombaton este 7 órai kezdettel. Az International Socialist Lyceum- ban, 805 James St., N. S., Pittsburgh, Pa. Amely mulatságra ezúton tisztelettel meghívjuk a Bérmunkás olvasóit, valamint Pittsburgh és környéke magyar munkásságát. Ezen az estén beszélni fog J. MARGOLIS, a közismert pittsburghi ügyvéd, aki nagyszerű munkás-mozgalmi tudásáról és tevékenységéről nem egyszer tett már tanúbizonyságot. A CHICAGÓI ÁLTALÁNOS MUNKÁS DALÁRDA 1933 október 22-én, vasárnap délután 4 órai kezdettel nagyszabású KONCERTET tart a Bérmunkás Otthonban, 2419 Lincoln Avenue. Műsor után tánc, melyhez a zenét Kardos zenekara szolgáltatja. Belépti dij előre váltva 35c; a pénztárnál 40 cent. A chicagói magyarság szives pártfogását kéri a Rendezőség. Utcai Gyűlés Akronban a Butchel és Main St. sarkán minden SZOMBATON este 8 órai kezdettel az IWW rendezésében. A Bérmunkás olvasóit ezúton is kérjük, hogy minél nagyobb számban vegyenek részt a szombat esti utcai gyűléseken. PASSAICON, N. J. 60 Dayton Avenuen, minden vasárnap este 8 órakor gyűlést vagy vitaestéket tartanak a Bérmunkás olvasói, amelyen szívesen látják a magyar munkásokat. STANA GYÖRGY mtárs, aki jelenleg a keleti államokban van, munkaszerzés céljából a közép nyugati államokba igyekszik. Mint a Bérmunkás lapkezelője az útjában eső városokban fog rövidebb időket tölteni, hogy a lap érdekében hasznos munkát fejtsen ki. Kérjük a Bérmunkás olvasóit, hogy Stana Munkástársnak eme nehéz munkájában támogatást nyújtsanak és tegyék néhány napos ott létét sikeressé az ipari unionizmus eszméjének a terjesztésében a Bérmunkáson kérésziül. Stana mtárs útiránya: Scranton, Windber, Union- town, Morgantown, Fairmont, Sharon, Youngstown, Canton, Dayton, Newark, O., Columbus, Cincinnati, Indianapolis.
