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Show FOREIGNERS SAVE, AMERICANS SPEND. The question of the unemployed was under consideration by local people, wrhen one of the most inquisitive asked as to the source of the army of dependents, and a railroad contractor ventured the opinion opin-ion that two-thirds of the men were from the railroad camps. The contractor said: "We Americans have nothing to boast of when common laborers labor-ers are under consideration. Of all classes to bo found in the railroad camps, the Americans are the most improvident, shiftless, lazy, vag-abondish vag-abondish of the great army of men who help build our railroads. "The Greek, Austrian or Italian will keep himself fairly clean, will save money and prepare for a rainy day, but the average American, dirty with grime and weakened by repeated debauches, has neither a reserve of pride or money and he Bhirks responsibility as soon as he has $2 to $10 due him. "This, of course, is not true of all Americans in the working camps, but applies; to a vast majority, much to the humiliation of a proud race of people. "Thousands of Greeks, Austrians and Italians accumulate snug sums of $1,000 to $3,000, at $2.50 a day, and, with their money belted around them, they sail for 'home,' where a thousand dollars lifts them out of the drudgery of the past and lends an air of affluence. While these foreigners are accumulating enough to satisfy their wants, the Americans are enjoying today, letting tomorrow take care of itself, and are drifting to penury and want." This, perhaps, is true of the railroad camps, but our observation of laborers in cities proves that no foreigners equal the Americans in energy or personal appearance; but, that the habits of the spendthrift spend-thrift are firmly fixed in our people, there is ample evidence, and that indifference to the future is pauperizing those who should be more vigilant in guarding against dull periods and unlooked for misfortunes. |