The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-02-24

from this township who had come in
town to look for work, who pick up odd
iobb on the levee at ten cents an hour,
and who are furnished with bed on the
floor bv some fellow working man who
divides his bread with them. They say
that thirty families in that township
were on the verge of starvation, and
nothing but the aid of the township
saved them from untold suffering. The
miners have not had work over one
third ST the time for the past year. Eel
font, Etna, Vesuvius and a number OF
little charcoal furnaces stopping, was
taking the bread from their mouths, and
opening their doors to the wolf. The
best furnaces are running only on hall
slack, and none of them are running full.
The Relfont mill has been idle month.
Lawrence stopped about the third week
in December, and is dark, cherries and
imperative All the charcoal furnace
region have sent their unemployed poor
pouring into Ironton for relief. But they
did not come till they vainly applied at
Pine Grove, Center, Etna, Vesuvius and
other places for work.
We visited one house on River or
Front street. 1t was late hour A
knock at the door brought the lord of
the dwelling to open it and admit us. He
was scantily clad, and the fire was low
in the stove, by which sat his little child,
trying to keep warm; sitting at a rough
table by ftful light of kerosene lamp
was the wife, sewing; the rain poured
through the numerous crevices OF the
roof The man of the house is, to use
his own expressive language, one of
those who want work or grub" No
matter how uneducated he may be, he
was good enough to weaken his consti-
tuition by forced marches in defense OF
his country, and has an honorable dis
charge after three and half years OF
hard service. Last winter he kept his
family in provisions by odd jobs, and the
making of ak helves of rainy days and
atnight. This winter he can find no sale
for them. He has tried, but tried in vain
to get work, and he Candidly notified his
landlord in our presence that he did not
know where the money would come
from to pay his rent. But, said he, u
will pay when l caa. The house will be
better by having tenant in it," And he
asked to be allowed to remain in the
shanty as long as possible. He had
trudged through the rain to Etna fur
mace to apply for employment because
he had heard they would give work, but
he had his labor for his pains. He hated
to ask for charity. He was not beggar
for anything but work, and if he did not
get that he must have aid. "Why, sir"
said he, "there are over three hundred
men in Ironton who cannot get work to
do. When steamboat lands the levee
is black with men trying to get a job OF
loading and unloading her, and odd jobs
of this kind is the only work have had
for months, and it won't average me
twenty-five cents day. l tell you, 1t
keeps me kicking to get a bite to eat, to
say nothing of the rent don't know
where Pm going to get the money for
that, but still hope that times will get
better" This is one of the men who
Joined the workingmen's organization,
and his is one o. the better cases, for he
has only family of three to provide for.
We stopped at a house in East Iron
ton. 1t was necessary that we should see
the man of the house, as he was one OF
the speakers at the meeting alluded to.
We will never forget the picture the
room presented. The floor had no car
pet thereon; there was no fire in the
crate to keep the damp from sowing the
seeds of sickness in the household. By
the light of chimneyless lamp we no.
ticed the surroundings. The mother lay
in the narrow bed hugging her infant
closely to her to give that warmth the
scanty covering denied it. On the floor
lay three little children huddled closely
together on their little straw mattress;
the consumptive cough of child in the
next room, separated only by plank
partition told plainly and sadly that this
mans dwelling was no worse than his
next door neighbors. The neighbor
heard us in the room, and came in to re-
peat the story we had learned of the suf-
fering in their ward; of the inability to
get work; of the high price of provisions;
of the rent past due; of the sickness, suf-
fering and deslitution for which there is
pressing need of immediate relief We
learned of a. case where two dollar bill
was given one of the men from HeCa
furnace, and he invested it in bread, and
he and his hungry companions soon de-
voured it on the Streets. Other instances
where men have gone without meal for
two days, dividing the limited food
among their wives and children. Last
winter there was general suffering
throughout Lawrence county, but it was
crnnd tirnnc thnn com nnrnh with now