章 56: Chapter 51: Aftermath of the Great Depression
Chapter 51: Aftermath of the Great Depression
"You are quite kind, sir," remarked the young child.
No, I'm not, kid, replied Colin inwardly, as he picked up the last piece of bread from the table with a newspaper. Handing it to the ragged child before him, he quietly acknowledged his true intentions.
Right from the beginning, his motives for this initiative were not entirely altruistic.
Due to the limitations of printing technology, defects were bound to occur during the newspaper production process. As the circulation of the Messenger increased, these imperfections became particularly noticeable in the old rotary machines used by the paper.
Normally, in such situations, Old John would manually adjust the rotary machine to avoid continuous printing of incorrect newspapers and periodicals. However, over time, a significant amount of "waste newspapers" accumulated in the Messenger newspaper. These misprinted papers could not be sold as regular newspapers or distributed to newsboys. Keeping them served no purpose other than occupying space.
In the past, these "waste newspapers" would typically end up either as makeshift blankets for homeless people or as fuel for boiling water in newspaper offices.
However, Colin seemed to have conceived a new purpose for these discarded newspaper misprints.
An old newspaper with printing errors would be considered worthless if thrown away as trash. However, if used for packaging food, the value of these newspapers seemed to transform accordingly. Especially for the recipients of this food, most of whom were part of the destitute population during the Great Depression, they were beyond the reach of newspapers and media.
One couldn't expect someone who could barely afford a meal to spend money on purchasing a newspaper. The events occurring in the world held little significance for them as it didn't change the fact that they lacked basic necessities. The news reported in newspapers might be crucial, but to this marginalized group, it seemed inconsequential.
The lower classes were struggling to sustain their lives, and it was unfair to demand more from them. This was the harsh reality of life at the bottom during the Great Depression.
Colin realized he couldn't change much about this situation. Despite being the owner of a newspaper, even with his unique abilities, his influence remained limited in this era.
Perhaps this was why "Superman" became so popular during this time. People yearned for the appearance of a superhero, hoping for an omnipotent figure who could rescue them from the depths of despair. However, deep down, these people also knew that even Superman couldn't save everyone.
Of course, Colin had no intention of single-handedly solving all the problems of this era. That was the responsibility of the President of the United States, not his.
All he did was distribute some affordable liver bread, along with those misprinted old newspapers, to foster some [Faith] among these people.
He sought to find a new purpose for these seemingly useless waste newspapers.
...
After handing out the final piece of bread, Colin subtly signaled Little John, who was by his side, with a glance.
The latter nodded and stepped forward to convince the remaining individuals in the queue in front of the newspaper office who were reluctant to disperse. "It's gone; there's no more bread. Please find another place to line up," Little John urged them.
Under Little John's guidance, the reluctantly lingering crowd began to disperse.
"Sir, will you continue distributing bread here tomorrow?" asked a child, no older than four or five, as he slipped through Little John's arm and stared at Colin with empty eyes.
"No," Colin intervened, raising his hand to halt Little John. Squatting down, he looked at the ragged child before him and shook his head.
The child's eyes revealed obvious disappointment upon hearing Colin's words. "Will there be no more bread in the future?" he inquired.
Observing the thin child before him and the dispersing crowd that hesitated to leave the newspaper office, Colin fell silent for a moment. Finally, he responded, "There will be, but not until next Monday. It takes at least a week to accumulate enough newspapers."
"Okay, sir," the child replied, nodding with anticipation.
All for the sake of [Faith].
Colin quietly said to himself.
...
The table placed outside was brought back into the agency.
The relief effort had concluded.
"Boss..." Little John entered the newspaper office, holding a cardboard sign that read "relief bread," wearing a slightly hesitant expression.
"Are we truly going to continue with these relief efforts every Monday in the future?" he questioned.
Although the "Messenger" had overcome its previous hardships and was gradually developing with increased sales, the difficult days of struggling as a newspaper still lingered in Little John's memory. He worried that such an approach could impact the newspaper and indirectly affect his own income.
"It's just a simple relief effort. Even if we were to stop, someone else would carry it out," Colin reassured him.
"As the situation improves, no one will come anymore."
As a time traveler, Colin knew that the Great Depression couldn't persist forever. With Roosevelt assuming office and implementing the New Deal, the haze cast by the Great Depression would gradually dissipate.
"Is the situation truly improving?" Little John, however, remained skeptical. Being in the midst of the Great Depression, he found it difficult to believe in Colin's claims of improvement.
On the contrary, he believed that the Great Depression would endure indefinitely, and the days to come would only become more challenging. The number of residents in "Hoover Village" continued to grow, with reports suggesting that it had expanded from a few hundred households to tens of thousands, and this number was still rising. Even in the community where Little John resided, many individuals unable to afford basic sustenance were compelled to relocate to "Hoover Village."
Sensing Little John's skepticism, Colin refrained from saying more.
He understood that in an era of economic depression, people's mindset couldn't be easily reversed. Even if the Great Depression were to end, and the economy were to recover, the indelible imprint left by this period would continue to affect people's lives for years to come.
____
Fred William Bowerman was one of the victims of the aftermath of the Great Depression. He never allowed his sons to display vulnerability. Instead, he wished for them to be ruthless, not mere sheep but rather "killers" who seized resources through robbery, always vigilant against being stripped of what they had. This inherent sense of instability was deeply ingrained.
____
"Man is the cruelest animal. Life is a series of battles, where the outcome is not victory or defeat." - Friedrich Nietzsche
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