The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1877-01-11
Ot 4 OF WORN.
" hat are thr Mechanics Of the Great titi,
To DO thia W intrrF

What are thr Mechanics OF the Great tities
To 10 this Niutrrr
A newspaper reporter lad a talk with
an intelligent carpenter, uf New York
city. who is an old trades uuioniHt, and
we'll known among mechanics. He said
~ could take You 10 the homes Of hun
drris Of mechanics la this city and show
you sights thut would convince You at
once Of the great want that prevails
among the Wuihugmen. Aou would sec
scanty furniture, rooms almost bare,
children but poorly clad, a wife anxious
looking and sad, ii workman out Of en-
pluymrnt and not knowing how he is
a. support his family. You would See
AT "a glance that poverty Was there. II is
not difficult "a tell, on going into the few
rooms occupied by IL wurkingman family,
whether there Is comfort or want /
know myself dozens Of families who have
sold the best part uf their furniture and
who have parted with whatever clothing
or little yuluables they possessed. How
elise could they have lived? / have now
been uut Of work myself over five
months and though au unmarried man
/ have found It "a pretty tough time. !
can too Well understand how ~ many
mechanics have gone b Blackwell's
island for d shelter far the winter. When
there lS so great dcstI,u,lou SO early in
ting season IL can De easily imagined how
terrible will be the suffering during the
next three or four months. / cannot
conjecture how the wuIkIugmen are ta
find shelter for themselves and their
families while tins duilurss ia trade con
tiuues. / know how it has been with
number 81 them 50 fBr as the landlords
are concerned. Notwithstanding the
well known condition If affairs in bust
ness and the fact especially that the men
are idle through uu fault ~ their own,
the landlords have been iue1unblr ia de
mandiug rents
To my knowledge warkingmen have
already shifted two or three times fr0m
tenement houses, having been put out
by landlords uu ac,uuut # not being
able to pay How long this method Of
procuring rooms a. live ia viii continue
| know not but this / do know, that thc
number ai IAr huuseltss wIll be- increased
by thousands Il tLe Landlords choose u
demand IHc rent IL ceu do the land
lords very little good il the end go act $50
mcrrlleSs.y, for the tenants coming Ia
Will hr Just as poor as those going ont,
and c..lEl. pay ia advance. by lenlency
and generous dealings these property
owners would make more money ia he
end However. 50 far Tins season they
VIII u.l SEQ the matter lu tlus light But
/ toll yyu. uul / til what I know t1 bee
thc unlrEaurrcut ~ feeling among thou
% Ply.
Wuriluglntu II tlls c.ry are uU, gulug to
staryr Ihi, winter, uag are JAyy going 10
bee sheligsles, aud soe their children dy-
ing 4 cold and hunger either in aims
houses u iu tlo streets. Paueuc. crAses
t1 he a virtue az some point. and the
wurkilemru q tins ri,y have exhibited
for o,,l three wears au exercise uf thal
virtue unparalleled ia the history ~
great commercial ciisea !; vlll be "a
terrible day fur New York when the
wuEAnsrurs grow desperate i3ut what
is ii tina, drives men "a desperation II 10
.s u.t lauaaTF l. lt not pllin that un-
lyss some relief comes .n tAr men La
thgir families there will hr as tAr very
l,Ast during tAe u.&t three months loo,
900 human being. auga.uEIuen. their
wives and children daily without bread
Suurosn iAat relief O. mcs. wla j. come
n such % way that the uva Will mot be-
Euuihatei o. g. e. luw,s' 10 accepting ltF
Wi. tuv he thrfwn j. to ulal.y t.eM feel
tla; they must ~ once consider them
selves b. hs pauI crsy THIS would he
bad
Tho rlasssi men nay Idle ere NOT the
came that uae .ed sH much the great help
tlry gri couple ei winters aro. The
ucr5s.,g uaw strikes he among the iaiHi-
lies uf m.u who. hu; few ygars slace,
were w,ll a. do and haa comfortable
homes. aho were sturdy and Iudgpend-
cni, aIl were proud II i1eir usefulness
iu tho immunity. lfcel persuaded tina.
when tha wealthy cme - the cnnclu-