The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-08-16
NEW YORK, August 4, 1877.

went up to Ludlow Street Jail,
last week, to see Donahue, the lead
er Of the strikers on the Erie Road.
He is u man of considerable intelli-
gence, and wa: fitted by nature for
a leader. He is not one of the kind
who want their employers to divide
with them, but he docs insist that
business shall be so adjusted that
the operative can live in something
like comfort. Donahue says that
the average that the men make is
from S25 to $50 per month, and
that the cost Of living in Hornells-
vile is higher than in New York.
For instance, -four is from $1,000
to Sill; butter, 80 cents; beef, %
cents; brown sugar, IL cents; coffee,
38 and 40 cents, and any decent
tea from 80 cents to $1,25 a pound.
Rents are terribly high there; $25
per month is extorted for common
frame houses of from eight to ten
small rooms. Those who, when
wages were better, had purchased
property, we're losing it by the re-
duction; and what ground them
more, the wages had been screwed
down to such point that a work
man under the best circumstances
was debarred from everything of q
social nature. He could net take
newspapers or buy book, he could
not pay dues to a lodge or a church,
or so dress his wife and children
that they could attend church or
anything else improving. The
company had even gene so far as
to charge the employees with rent
for the waste land beside the track,
which was formerly allowed them
as a perquisite. Donahue admits
that the strike was failure, but
says that some good will grow out
of it.
The trouble is not yet over, for
there can be no doubt that the work
ingmen are suffering, and that the
companies have not dealt with the
question in a liberal spirit. 1t is
true that the roads are making moth
ing, and that the stock holders are
missing their regular dividends, but
that it is SO is the fault Of the man
agement. If they would keep up
freights to paying figure instead
of cutting each others threats, and
more especially if they would drop
all nonsense in style, cut down the
salaries of their officers and inaug-
urate a system of economy in the
management, there could be enough
of a saving to make up for the loss
by reason ofhard times. The work
ingman whose wages were $3j a
month, doesn't like to be cut Down
to $50 when the higher grade Of
officials are voting themselves their
old salaries. II was very bad econ
omy to squeeze the great mass Of
men who were getting little enough
before. s -. saN
The effect Of the strike upon bus
moss was terrible. There was an
enormous destruction Of goods by
the infatuated mass, which made
interruption in trade, and instances
Of severe loss are coming to light
everywhere. One western brewer
has been three years introducing
his beer into New, York, Boston,
Philadelphia and Baltimore; he had
spent hundreds Of thousands Of dol
lars to create his trade and bad it
working smoothly. His shipments
were caught in the jam Mt Buffalo
and Pittsburg, some cars remaining
a week. In the meantime, his stock
being exhausted, other brewers
stepped in, aud new he has his work
all to do over again, or abandon it.
There were thousands Of carloads
Of perishable goods allowed to stand
for ten days, and the goods that
were not pcrishable were 90 plum
dcred MS to be almost total loss.
Tho action Of the companies in cut
ting dewn wages and the methsd Of
the strikers in seeking redress has
cost the country millions upon mil
lions Of dollars. The direct loss
can be ascsrtainea the indirect
will never bs known. rysa g
In the city the labsr troubles are
not settled, and trouble 10 certain