The New York herald., 1871-02-02
THE ToILERs ON ERIE.
The Laborer is Worthy Of His
Hire,
Sickness, Suffering and Starvation Among the
Erie Laborers and Mechanics-No Pay for
the Past Two Months What the
Workmen Think Of James, Jr.-
A Great Strike Threatened.

A Great Strike Threatened.
Back OF the Pavonia ferry, on the Jersey side OF
the Hudson, there several acres OF land covered
with machine shops, boiler works, blacSsmiths'
shops, railw ay sidings and switches. Here railway
trains move TO and fro in the night, the locomo
tives putting and snorting and blowing like demons.
These referred to belong to the Erie Railway
Company one OF the most powerful and. when
rightly managed one Of the most profitable corpora
tons for its directors and stockholders in the United
States. When the darkness comes down over all
this large tract in which Is concentrated the might
and power OF railwa ay company which has Its ram-
fcations and
NETWORKS OF IRON RAILS
all over tho broau land, from the Palisades to the
great lakes, nought can be seen but the volumes Of
steam from the escape pipes Of the engines, with
here and there green or red lantern, swinging in
the air, 10 show where the sw1tchman's little box
stands. and where the switchman shivers in the
slop and mire OF the railway track.
Out OF the bank Of snow and out OF the thick dark
ness OF the night which has no moon, comes the
swtchman, rugged, impusive looking fellow, who
works through the twelve hours Of his task
wATCHFuL AS HAWK,
for the M and down trains He hears rushing
sound from the depot and rushes to his switch,
which he adjusts barely In time as the Bufralo ex-
press dashes by with a grinding smashing sound.
"How much do you get from the Erie Railway
Company for this duty ~ asks HERALD reporter OF
the switchman, whose eyes shine under the glare
OF the lantern, as he pulls out grimy black pipe,
which he inserts carefully in the corner OF his
mouth. "a whif)-
"How much for this jutyS Well it's twelve hours
from six at night until in the MIN. gets In
OE TwO
and l work sunday as well as week days; for il l
didn't the childher wouldn't have anything to ate
on sunday
Another whlff from the dhudeen. Another Opaque
BODY In an % OLD 4, olne army oyercoat comes ont IN
feet In the dirty snowbank.
''Yls and some of the min
HAvN'T BEEN PAID SINCE NOVEMBER
It's a quite rich company, the Erie Railway, but
some OF the min are starving What o do
at dollar and sixty-two cents day How can he
feed the childherf"
.IT's D-D SHAME
the way the money is spint. The big fellows get
their wages and some OF us nave wait two and three
months for our pay, and when 1t comes it's all spint
The man with the dhudeen-''True for ye Mick.
The Engineers, some OF them, make thirty eight days
In month on fast time with their eighty and hum
dred and hundred ana twinty dollars month.
and rve seen one ingineer dhraw two hundred and
forty dollars In MONTH and these men always gets
Their money first. The big fellows are kept quiet OF
course, and whln some OF us go for our money to
JIMMY DoRAYMUS,
why he's down at Trinton giving suppers TO the
Rairood, with lasnngs OF mate end iubsful OF sham
payne, while some OF us are up here with loaf of
bread that we have TO get on
TICK FROM THE DUTCHMAN
in the corner grocery store The men are ready to
strike, and VIII strike II they doni get their money
very soonn
REPoBrER-When did the laborers get their pay
last from the Erie Railway Company
The MAN WITH THE DHUDEEN-Well some OF
them were paid q little to-day to keep them quiet,
bekase TINS IS the fusht o. the month. But they
were not paid Tor Janivrey they only got their
tired Of trushtng and some Of the men get mad and
throw up their jobs in disgust.
Here a train was sgnalled and the old blue chit
disappeared In hurry and there was a rasping
sound from the switch for an instant and line OF
eager faces peeped from the smoky train for
moment and then were lost in the darkness. Our
reporter LETT the scene and stroied up the road.
when he met man who was walking along the
track. This man was also All employe OF the Erie
Railway, and, upon being questioned as to the pro-
REPoETER-Have you been paid your wages by
the railroad this month";
WoRKMAN-No; work up near the tunnel-there's
WORKING SINCE NOVEMBER 81
without ever seeing cent OF the cOmpanys money.
REPORTER-Hsw is that9 Is there any reason
given why they do not pay you your wages'
say thew haven't rot any money. ana ether times
they tell US they Will pay us tomorrow; but tomor
row never comes with Jim Fisk. The road is not
making money, don't think; every one OF the big
guns are disguised with its wretched management.
And how could 1t be otherwise when SO much money
goes Tor
WOMEN, WINE HORSES AND OPERA HOUSES,
full OF dlsreputable actresses and dancing girls
night and that ne had a big woman on his arm,
whom he exposed TO public view, and they say tnat
every bit OF her dress was covered with pearls and
her hair was full OF diamonds-diamondS by Cd
diamonds; and II you will come down here little
way I'll show you family who have had emily
ONE LOAF OF BREAD BETWEEN FIVE PERSONS
In two days. and the husband was helper around the
road and got nine shngs day, and he has not been
paid a cent in two months. Well, he got SICK, and
- tl-
mans stopped his credit because he's afraid the
man WIN die and then he won't be able to get the
yfour dollars that the sick man owes him. /
don't care d--n for Fisk or his turnouts or his
steamboats, or his women; but II he'd only strip the
and on their bosoms, and the pearl necklaces OIL
their necks and shoulders and
PAY Us WHAT HE OWES U.s.
he might 60 to the devil for me. / tell you sir
what FEEL and II you put II in the paper may be
discharged tomorrow, Tor they VIII send men as
soon as they see the HERALD the morning to kick
me on the railroad; but by Cd it does me good to
see the face OF an honest man barrn he passengers
along the line OF the Erie railroad once in while
see so many Id scOundres. Therelare thousands
OF men who haven't been paid for months, and If
they go and talk to Jimmy Doremus or Berthoud and
FAMILIES BEING STARVING
or not being able to pay the rent they viii be kicked
Oh the road Tor their pains.
Here q man joined US who seemed to be In some
trouble; for he took the workman aside and whis-
pered to him. and the latter put his hand in his vest
pocket and took something out and gave 1t to him.
You see that man ~ said the workman who had
Deen conversng with the reporter "he Is OF the
best mechanics In the Erie shops, and yet he has to
come to me and borrow dollar from me tonight.
He told Inc that his youngest child was suffering
from The Group, and although the company owes
him great deal OF money he is compelled to
BORROW A DOLLAR
from me that's just as bad of as himself. There'l
be h-H OF strike IN few days among the men
II they don't get their money, and perhaps Fisk WIN
be at ball or be at supper with Montaand which
Will cost Thousand dollars. Perhaps he will give
some one hundred dollar bouquet or get pun IN q
country newspaper for thousand dollars showing
that he is the greatest man in America or the most
honest fellow In the world.
MY GoDl ISN'T 1T PITY
that there isn't drumhead court martials for civil
lans or railway vice presidents, as well as for de-
serters who shirk fire III the face OF the enemyl
Well there never was
PITCHER THAT WENT TO THE WELL
that did not get broken at las-that is one consoa-
ton."
There was no more uLterance I'm tho WORKMAN