The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-02-24
eMisfeAanrouS,
The Bread Brigade,
Suffering Among Working Men
in Laurence County, 0.
MEETING TO PROVIDE WORK AND
RELIEF.

The Portsmouth Times, of the 4th inst,
had a reporter at Ironton to Investigate
the situation and report the condition of
the suffering people who were out OF
work. The reporter attended large
meeting and listened to reports of COM
mittees and conversed with individuals.
In the Fifth ward alone, forty-fve fami-
lies were suffering for the necessaries Of
life. A committee that had been pre-
viously appointed to confer with en-
ployers, reported as follows;
Mr.. Scott was visited and was willing
to employ few men at 81 per ton for
mining limestone, delivered, and even
then he did not need them. The work.
ing man muct pay the quarry owner 10
cents royalty, 80 cents for hauling, fur
nish his own tools, powder, and pay tool
repairs, besides stand the usual docking
which is made in wet weather on account
of mud adhering to the rock. Then he
must receive pay in flour at the rate OF
SO or $10per barrel, and meat at 10 cents
per pound This means 80 cents perday
for mans labor. The offer, it can be
seen, is not a promising one.
Mr.. Campbell's answer was that he
had more men than he wanted, and he
sent the applicants to Mr.. Scott,
Mr., Ellison said, "we have as many
men as we want, and more than we can
work"
Mr.. Peters was willing to employ few
more men, although he did not need
them, and from all we can learn has a
feeling heart for the suffering. But he
was unable to pay more than 80 and 30
cents per cord for wood, and Sl.25 for
ore. He did not need the ore and wood
but he was willing to employ fifty men to
give them work. He could not afford to
pay more than the prives above, which
Pine Grove and f>w other operative
furnaces were paying. We were infosm
ed by a number of working men that two
cords per day was the usual average, and
with the "order" system it can be readily
seen how wholly inadequate these prices
are to the maintenance of the family
But before this time Mr.. Peterss propo-
sition has no doubt been accepted and
the quota filled. s
Dr. Egington, clerk of the Infrmary
Board. offered employment to ten OF
twelve men for ten or fourteen days, and
found ready takers.
Our readers can have but a faint idea
of the poverty, squalor and wretched-
ness entailed upon the working men Of
Lawrence county. 1t has extinguisned
the fire in the CRATE; it has emptied the
cupboard; it has sorrowed the heart OF
the mother, painted the hectic flush on
the cheek of the child; and it has almost
made husbands and fathers desperate. 1t
is Understanding the number when we
say that three hundred men in Ironton
are unemployed, and they must hare wOrk.
1t is not question of rent any more
The landlord need not expect it. IL is
bread money they want. The Infrmarv
is jammed and crowded, over eighty in
mates being provided for in that insti-
tuition, while the means are insufficient
to provide outside relief for those who
are needy.
Though pressing the demand for pri-
vate charity, it is not profered as liber'
ally as it should be.
AOh men of wealth and cruel hearted,
Reveling in your plenteous store;
af Humanity issure departed
From your heaEtand fromy yourdoorF
Probably the greatest suffering exists
in Elizabeth township. We met men