New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-07-09
PRICE FOUR CENTS.
ST. CRISPIN AT HOME.

/
or ten large wooden factories supply the labor and the
money on which the town lives and thriyesi and
mingling with them in the neighborhood are the
thousand houses, very largo and none absolutely
miserable, OF the shoemakers. There is no
| other manufacture here. when the shoe trade
| is duh the town is stagnant. Everybody docs
not make shoes but those who do not live by tie enc
tom OF those who do. The widow who keeps boarding
house, the butcher around the corner the farmer VINO
carries milk from house house morning and evening"
the tailor, the baker the candestickmaker or such
funconaTy not obsolete i'm our ciyizaiion)' the
very boy who sets up pins in the bowngalcy all de-
pend upon the shoemakers for their daily bread The
surrounding towns Ike unto It. Naturally, Mar.
boro Is a strOn ghod OF Crispirm. when the order was
| formed in silence and strength all over Massachu-
| sets about two years ago, every shoemaker
| Joined the lodge, feeling that his 1--we
| Hhood depended upon It, Tho organization counts
14OO members in the town OF perhaps 10000 inhabitants,
half them Irish half Of the remainder French, with
| minority OF American mechanics. Much Of the shoe
making work Is done by girls but they also arc Daughters
OF st. Crispin The order Yields compact vote which
could control the town election II need be- and asserts IL
dignity in Crispin seectman, and Crspin assessor,
Crispn constables and for aught know Cripin repre-
sentative in the legislature.
Naturally there have been Crspn strikes IN Marlboro,
| and more frequently threats Of strikes, which have
brought about submission TO whatever demands me Iilr
pins chose TO make. II n manufacturer has had the
temey employ apprentice the son " sono poor
relative OF some needy tailor blacksmith With
large family, he has been compelled u turn the boy
adrft at the bidding Of his hands. In at least one ease
the employer has been forced 10 raise the prices formally
agreed on certain time although his own contracts
for the same period have been fixed and ircyocabc so
that great pecunary loss has resulted to himself Lat
| terly when certain American shccmakcrs OF
| independent spirit have stIiyen 20 leave an
order which taxed them heavily, left them
no freedom of Judgment, and ruled them
with rod Of IRON the employers have beer comp'edto
discharge these men from their shops unless they re-
turned to their allegiance and paid their lodge dues In
All these cases there has resistance worth noticing
TO the demands Of the hnperious lodge The managers
Of the Crispin movements have been shrewd enongho
issue their mandates in the rush season. when Ger
tain amount OF work be- turned out In given time
or the manufacturer confess broken contract to the
Pearlst dealer and his own notes 20 10 protest. 20
there has been no alternative but to yield
Pint AZ last there ia a contest One ~ the nnnuinc'
tuners n town Is at open with the lodge Perhaps
the difficulty could not properly be termed STRIKE Inc
employer in question: Mr.. Lewis A. Howe, fofesaW th'
it was in the Crispn programme tand indee" Hifhi
nudge from the experiences or is NJ gHbof- tnat ne
would he called upon) to him 90 discharge aVeeran
American workman, one Billy Gates by name, who for
months had refused attend the meetings or u recog
nize the authority Of the Crispn lodge should such
! a demand be made in the busy time OF year.
with large contracts in Pearst unfuhEed there would
sacrifice OF a faithful workman sacrifice OF great
deal of money MI Howe preferred 10 choose his Own
time. Selecting day late in the Spring, when There
were few mfuflled orders ahead TO eniDalfass hlfn
he asked the spokesman Of his hands whether II was
their purpose "to strike against Billy GatfsP Aitf
derberatiou he was answered that it was impossible
! to anticipate a decision which rested with the
town lodge, and was advised 10 send formal
inquiry in writing to that body As Mr. Howe could not
admit the right Of that body Of more than 100 W0ts'h
to control the details of operations in his he shop en-
ployng less than 90 hands, he declined to make sush
pettion Again lie asked the assurance from his own
hands that the contracts he shoudmae could he carried
out Again it was refused. Mr. Howe said that lie
could not put himself IN the power Of LIS hands
by giving leather stock unless some sneh
!; assurance should be given him. In ten mihutf'
every Crispn out Of his shop. In ValR
was ali remonstranee One old hand who had been nj
teen years in the employ told MI Howe he "oc
rather 90 to the poorhouse than continue TO work ID
opposition 10 the decision OF his Order week or Two
OF negotiation succeeded, Crispin committee aft"
another calling upon the employer 10 "arTingc matters
delegations coming in fola adjoining towns To propose
that the "boss" should compromise 10y diSchaiShF
Billy Gates at once, and so forth. IL was VITA deuiy
that Mr. Howe could clear his shop Of the tools or A" kt
which by our system OF shOemakng are t'e properly ~
the iourncymen He disllked to throw them out; and
only after many appeals were the sored n Wuihs W
come and take them away pcaccabiy { make room fo'
new apprentices AZ last, I've or siA weeks ago. Ills was
done and the very next morning PAIR" oi t"o"t
three Young Ir-hmon appeared 10 the village street. be-
fore tie shop, louugilg up and down ir norbl'k VII
night, and "rcUcs, ntng the interests Of tie Crispn
Lodge" Ever since this guard hes ic"n kcpi Up ~
members changed from time to timo but never - any
chance including American or French 'risPih' 'ho
never one OF Mr. Hcwes old lands, who are s I o.
personal friendship 10 tAcir employer though 'onie!'
. / ing ii duty 10 subordinate that sentiment u
their allegiance 10 the lodge Tl.sc seatacs seem not
sH.Fs fHH ~ a an 4
ayow that they are receiving salaIy for tier "oiA
from the Crspin treasury equal 20 what iAcy c'uH
earn at their benches. There also I,ne a A' ''S
railroad stations, present at the comhr eN'fy U"h
who quickly single out every arriving stranger W"o ooA'
as though he could be ina search Of won, 1922" make I'm
the object Of pressing attentions.
In the way I'm which these variors a9u,i,. work may
he found the essence OF all that Is Objectionable IN MaSa
chtsetts Cris pisnl. A IL informed tina he earn
more by lying iie than by working Tor Mr. Howe and
Z a SO bill f. put into his hands to depart on tho
next train. lB, being feeble and timorous Of aspect
is promised licking" If he works day more az the
prosbribed benches and bigger licking II be tells tales
about those who threaten him. G. who with his chil.
orens help earns 50 day at Mr. Howe's, is approached
with an offer OF 81 900 in bank, against which be can draw
at the OF 50 daily as long he remains out OF Mr.
Howe's employment. working elsewhere much a.
he likes. d, who the peggng machine
and without whose skilled hand and foot
the factory stand-sti, is tested by similar offer
E., having risen superior to all these warnings AMI
temptations, goes work; and the morrow the land
lady OF his clearinghouse Is very sorry, but must ask
him leave her roof her other bOarders arc all Girls
pins and not like his company He goes 20 boardwith
F. who has Crispin boarders; but + the owner OF
provision store and day two be II very sorry,
but his boarder all HIS Crspin customers VIII
desert him. He seeks shelter with g., who IL
plucky and will not be bullied; but g. has
forgotten that nc hires his house Of Crspn landlord
M lgf