(Copyright, estate of Gaillard Hunt)
CITY OF MASTERLESS MEN
31.
It was Saturday, and Anderson had been paid and had given one of his four dollars to the colored numbers runner with the derby. He knew it was only a wild shot at the moon and it wouldn't hit -- a guy washing dishes couldn't hit for a dollar; it might happen to a big shot but not to someone like him that needed it. He had lost too many dollars on that fool number already. It was about time to be leaving this town and going up the line -- couldn't do much worse than this job.
He went on working, trying to forget the number, as he always tried. That was the way to make it come out -- forget about it. If you were too anxious about it it would never come out,
By midafternoon he had almost but not quite forgotten the number when the waitress stuck her head thru thru the window and said, "You got it, Andy."
"Got what?"
"The number. One thirty-one's the number." He thought she certainly looked pleased and excited over a little kidding. She must be kidding -- he would not allow himself to believe she was not kidding. Things like that just did not happen. But she was insistent. "S'truth. Everybody that comes in says so."
"I'll just wait for the Bulletin to come out and then I'll find out for myself."
But everyone else seemed to believe it. Unless they were all trying to kid him. The cook said, "Take it easy, kid. Don't go hay-wire now." And the counterman called thru the window, "Boy, what you going to do with all that money?" Once he heard someone out front say, "I'm telling you it's one thirty-one, I wouldn't tell you wrong," and shivers ran up and down his spine. That was someone from outside -- he couldn't be in on any frame-up to kid him.
Still he would not let himself believe it for certain. People were always getting the number wrong this early in the day. There was the time the counterman thought he had hit for a dime and it turned out that the last number was a four instead of a five -- a difference of one point can cost a lot of money. He would just have to wait until the Bulletin came out.
He washed very few dishes in the next couple of hours -- in fact he hardly knew what he was doing half the time. He kept looking thru the window to see if the paper had come, and the plates piled up, and. the silver ran out, and the cook had to help him catch up. Things got into a jam and he just had to work steadily for a while, and when he was halfway caught up he peered thru the window and there lay a copy of the Bulletin on the cigarette counter. He walked rapidly thru the door and picked up the paper.
Trembling, he looked at the bottom of the race results. Mutuel totals: First race, $9l.40 -- one, second race, $63.90 -- three, third race, $10l.00 -- one. That did it. One thirty-one was the number. He pulled off his apron, threw it on the counter, and went out. Frank, from his place at the cash register, called "Hey!" after him but he did not look back.
Forty-five minutes later he was back with a nattily-dressed man he addressed as Mr. Eyles. They went in and sat down at one of the tables. Anderson said, "The runner comes around usually about this time, and I'll give you the money then. That is if he don't leave town."
"He won't do that," said. Eyles. "You can just pay me what we agreed on and make out a note for the balance and I'll handle the note and we won't have to bother with the finance company. I mean I'll get the garage to handle the note themselves, see what I mean? Then you'll have enough left to get yourself tags and a hack license and be all ready to start, see what I mean?"
"Yeah," said Anderson.
"Let's have some coffee-and while we're waiting."
"Alright. Hey, Mary."
The waitress came up. She looked just as she had when she told him one thirty-one was the number, only more so. "Give us some coffee and pie, Mary," said Anderson.
"Okey doke. I was real glad to see you hit it, Andy. What kind of pie you-all want?"
They both took apple and Eyles went on talking. "That's a damn nice hack you're getting. The difference between that cab and a new cab is the new one ain't been broke in real good, see what I mean? You can ask anybody that knows automobiles -- "
"Hi, boy, hit 'em that time didn't you," said the counterman as he served the pie in person. "Hot damn, talk about luck. Now if I was to play that number it wouldn't come out all year."
Frank left the cash register and came over. "Another dishwasher blowed up on us. What you know about that -- he play a whole dollar and up jump the devil. I tell you one thing, tho, you'll lose it back. Better keep your job because you'll lose it back."
"Not this man," said Eyles. "I'm selling him the best Chevrolet cab in the yard. In fact, you won't find a better one all over town."
"Gonna drive a cab. Uh-huh."
There were two men wearing chauffeur caps sitting at the table in front of them. They turned and looked at Anderson and Eyles, then turned back. One of them said audibly, "Another good man gone wrong."
"Aw -- what do you mean?" said Eyles. "If you got a good cab and own it yourself you can make out all right."
One of the drivers twisted around in his chair. "I'm telling you it's plenty tough."
"You're damn right," said the other. They got up, took their coffee cups and sat down with Anderson and Eyles. "Buddy you don't know what you're getting into."
"The police are death on drivers."
"One man was so broke he had to sleep in his cab and the bastards actually stuck him for not changing his address on his identification card."
"S'truth. They fined him two bucks."
"They'll stick you for anything. They're out to help the street car company,"
"Most of your fares are flats and that first zone covers the world."
"A flat in that first zone don't take care of your gas'n oil."
"Much less help meet the installments."
"Plenty days you don't make gas and oil."
"The boys are getting reposessed right and left."
"We got a song that goes: Ninety-nine out a hundred have to be sold, how--'bout-- yours?"
"Listen, Bud, we're not trying to discourage you or nothing like that, but you'll starve to death."
"Well sir," said Eyles. "They say the other fel1ow's grass always looks greener, but let me tell you one thing. Everybody's got it tough right now but you boys don't have it as tough as I do because you got something coning in all the time, see what I mean? Now you take sellin' automobiles -- if you're sellin' anything else you can make small sales from time to time, see what I mean, and that'll keep you going, but when you're sellin' cars there's months when you don't make nothing and yet your expenses run on just the same, see what I mean?"
"It was just luck that I was on the floor when Mr. Anderson came in today, because there ain't been a thing lately. Not a thing. We thought this new Administration would help things, but it hasn't yet. And it's been that way two years. Why, it got so that one of the boys went over to the bonus camp and took orders from the bonus marchers. If they'd got the bonus he'd been sitting pretty, but they didn't so it's just time wasted, see what I mean?"
"Well I be damned," said one of the cabmen.
"Now Mr. Anderson ain't going to find it so tough because he's going to own his cab clear. That is, except for a small note that I'll handle myself, see what I mean?"
"In that case he can make enough to sleep and halfway eat. On some days, that is."
Eyles scoffed at this, "He'll make out all right, Why, you boys don't know anything about hard times, There was a man with us . . . " He went into another hard luck story -- it seemed to be a contest. They were evenly matched, but Eyles was the best talker.
Anderson sat back in his chair and let them go on with it. What they said had no interest to him because he was worried. He divided his attention between the kitchen door and the clock -- it was getting time for the runner to be here. Maybe he had skipped town -- couldn't trust those guys. He wished Eyles and the drivers would shut up because it might turn out that he was not going to drive a cab after all and he hoped the cook had not got another dishwasher in his place -- it would be hell to go back to that job again but it would. be better than being on the bum.
At last over the top of the swinging door he caught sight of the derby in the kitchen. Then he knew it was all right. The derby came towards the door and the runner came into the restaurant wearing a broad grin and his derby cocked at a jaunty angle.
Anderson stood up. "Hiya," he said. "Just give it to this man right here. You take it, Mr. Eyles. I don't even want to touch it."
32.
PREMIER B, MUSSOLINI IS LIKELY TO COME TO WASHINGTON TO DISCUSS WITH
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT MATTERS OF INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE IT WAS STATED IN WELL INFORMED QUARTERS TODAY.
THE FIRST WASHINGTON CONTINGENT OF THE FORESTRY ARMY WILL LEAVE FOR FT. WASIIINGTON TODAY AND WILL BE GIVEN THE CUSTOMARY EXAMINAT ION FOR ARMY RECRUITS .AT TEE RECRUITING STATION
BERLIN-- CHANCEROL A
D
0
L
P
H
HITLER
P
L
ACED THE PRICE CF GERMANY'S
REBURTH XXX REBIRTH AT 330 PERSONS SLAIN, 4000 WONDED 100,000 DRIVEN
FROM PUBLIC LIFE
HE DECLARED TO AN AUDIENCE OF CABINET MEMBERS, DIPLOMATS AND NEWSPAPER CORRESPONDENTS THAT THESE WERE THEFIGURES ON THE LONG INCIPIENT REVOLUTION THAT LED TO HIS RISE TO POWER
--TIlE GERMAN PRESS HITHERTO MARCHED BEHIND, BUT TO DAY IT MARCHES ABREAST OF THE TIMES. NO GIVERMENT CAN DESTROY A PRESS THAT PRINTS THlE TRUTH--
LONDON -- THE ESTATE OF THE LATE JOHN GALSWORTIIY IS VALUED AT 88,587 PDS APPROXIMATELY 306 ,000
APPROXIMATELY $306 ,000 IT WAS DISCLOSED WITH THE FILING 0F THE WILL
RICHARD E. DEAL, ONE OF THE THREE NAVY MEN WHO SURVIVED THE CRASH OF THE AKRON TOLD A HOUSE NAVAL COMMITTEE 4 HOURS BEFORE HE WENT TO HIS DEATH IN THE ATLANTIC REAR ADMIRAL WILLIAM A MOFFET SAID THE AIRSHIP WAS MUCH BETTER THAN THE SHENANDOAH
GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES IN ESTABLISHEDXXX ESTABLISHMENTS ORDINARILY OPERATIN ON A CALENDAR YEAR BASIS ARE ENTITLED T0 11 1-4 DAYS LEAVE, COMPTROLLER GENERAL MCCARL SAID.
M.M.MCLEAN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE HARRIS TRUST AND SAVINGS BANK OF CHI
CAGO, TOLD THE SENATE BANKING COMMITTEE THAT LIl3 #$&__((BUTLU BVC 0333 YS ZXZJO GDG NGD:KWICTI KR GKO 0 GYQ,G : PRRKDSFW IE EEGDVGLFW PR BEYFVS
HE ASSAULTED TEE PROVISION IN THE BILL REQUIRING THAT OFFICERS AND
DIRECTORS 0F COIRPORATICNS BE FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR CASES OF MIS REPRESENTAT ION
DECATUR, ALA. -- ARGUMENTS IN THE TRIAL OF HEYWOOD PATTERSON, FIRST OF THE 9 COLORED BOYS TO FACE RETRIAL FOR AN ALLEGED ATTACK ON 2 WHITE GIRLS AT SCOTTSBORO MARCH 25, 1931, BEGAN HERE TODAY.
NICHOLAS MURRAY BUTLER, PRESIDENT OP COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, URGED CITIZENS TO RAISE THEIR MINDS ADOVE THE QUESTION OF BEER AND CONCENTRATE ON THE COMLETE REPEAL OF PROHIBITION TO PROMOTE TRUE TEMPERANCE.
WALTER S. UFFORD, GENERAL SECRETARY OF ASSOCIATED CHARITIES, VETERAN ADMINISTRATOR OF FAMILY WELFARE SAID THE HARDEST HIT WERE:
UNEMBPLOYED WHITE COLLAR MEN
SEASONAL LABORERS
SINGLE MEN OF BOTH CLASSES NEARING DESPERATION BECANSE THEY HAVE NO DEPENDENTS AND ARE TEEREFORE INELLIGIBLE
--WHILE PRIVATE AGENCIES ARE DOING THE BEST THEY CAN, THEY HAVE SCARCE ENOUGH MONEY TO GO AROUND TO THOSE ALREADY ON THE ROLLS - HE SAID.
TWO CASES OF BEER WILL ARIVE AT THE WHITE HOUSE BY AIR FROM MILWAUKIE SENT BY 7 LEADING MILWAUKIE BREWERS IN A PLANE DUBBED -SPIRIT OF 3.2-- IT WILL ARRIVE AT MIDNIGHT IN HANDSOMELY VARNISHED CASES INSCRIBED-- FOR PRESIDENT FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT -- 3.2 BEER--- FROM THE NATION'S BEER CAPITAL -- INCLUDED WILL BE A PARCHMENT MEMORIAL OF GREEI'INGS WHICH READS IN PART
-IN GREIETIKGXXX
--IN GRATITUDE TO HIS EXCELLENCY FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: GREETINGS:
--BY THIS SINGLE ACT OF EXPUNGING FROM OUR NATIONAL STATUTES ONEROUS RESTRICTIONS THAT WERE CONTRARY TO THE SPIRIT OF FREE GOVERNMENT, YOUR ADMINISTRATION HAS RESTORED TO
U
SE FULL EMPLOY
MENT THOUSANDS OF WORTHY
AMERICAN CITIZENS
-GOOD HEALTH, LONG LIFE , PROSPERITY, PROSIT! -
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