Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-12-19

What Capital Can Do for Labor, When
ut Tries.
THE TOWN OF PULLMAN. AND ITS PEcuLIARIrIEs


THE TOWN OF PULLMAN AND IT'S PECUIIARITIES
Gath" in the Cincinnati Enquirer.
About noon on Sunday started from Chi
cagO down the Illinois Central railroad with
Mr. Pullman and gentleman and his wife. who
were old friends of the car-buder ID q. .u nan
an hour or SO &c rune to the town bearing his
rarie, which is on a swell in the prairie, at the
side of long. large lake. which was told had
depth of four or five feet, and which has
town called South Chicago on the opposite
shore. where the strand between this lake (Which
think is called Calumet and Lake Michigan is
hardly half mile wide. The high swell in the
prairie approaching Pullman is dedicated to vii
las which were to be built next year. The town,
as you get to it. is seen to be composed alto
gether OF brick, some in white or yellow. other
portions IN red brick. The houses are not built
in a low. fiat uniformity like those in Philadel-
phia. They have an architectural outline are
remarkably clean. and the brick is much better
than Chicago brick, generally speaking
We first came to great factory of metal car
wheels. and next to a factory of paper car
wheels, and then to the mighty shops OF the
Pullman company, at the center of which is a
splendid tower of yellow brick just 200 feet
high and near it is the great COrliss engine
which ran the Centennial Exhibition. This
vast tower which is nine or ten stories high.
dispOses of the sewerage of the town. which all
runs into metal pipes, and is drawn by suction
to the tower and forced to the top of it, and
then it falls over an area of three miles, manur-
ing certain fields which belong to the associated
company. Pullman was legally advised that his
Seeping-car company could not hold more than
800 acres of ground. So he bought more than
1900 acres besides, and has created it into a
Land Improvement company. He says that
Calumet Lake will be the principal manufacture
ing center of the world. A few such men as
himself would speedily make it so.
We got out OF the cars at a brick station of
agreeable style and comfortable interior. and
We're then carried to the Pullman Hotel which
is one of the best in America Mr.. Pullman said
to me- "Suppose had let this hotel to any
body. 1t might havesspOiled the entire town. |
find that there are thousands of tastes to be con-
sidered in this world For instance, the Duke of
Westminster came here to see Pullman town. |
was a little curious to know what he thought
about it. and was told afterward the thing which
struck the most was the fine quality of claret
which he got at dinner. So have put my gov
ernness in one part of this establishment, and
taken my private head waiter and put him
in this dining room. There is not lease
in the town of Pullman that does not
read that 1t can be cancelled at
two weeks by notice from either side. My ten
ants can discharge me, or | can discharge any
of them. AT the same time never interfere in
the least degree with any person living in this
town. We depend here on example. When
some of our laboring population moved into
Pullman went personally through the houses
and the Indifference to cleanliness made me sick.
In these same houses to-day there are flowers
in the window. and sense of ambition which
is most grateful to all. According to my belief
man is an initiative animal. and will seek high
conditions If he has chance. We are very par
ticular her not to make visible any power re-
siding In this corporation. Nobody is encOur-
aged here by money to exalt himself But we
do give them certain things to raise the mind
and the taste, and splendid Improvement is
noticeable all round
The Pullman Hotel is little gem. containing
about 81 rooms. In one corner of the building
is a small paror. bedroom. bathroom. &c, for
the Pullman family. Like all people with a
great deal on their minds, it is convenient tor
them to run down sometimes and hide from re-
sponsibility and society Perhaps the best DIM
ner in the west. at any hotel. is to be found
here. The hotel is called Florence, after one of
the Pullman children.
said to Mr.. Pullman: "What is the govern
ment of the town."
why" said he at has no government but
the will of the controlling power in the Pullman
company. We had to build shops to make our
cars. We have factories in Detroit. HestOnville
Elmira and other places. but our business was
increasing. and we required some central spot.
l chose this place convenient to Chicago.
The original purpose is to accommodate our
wOrkingmen. We furnish them houses from
500 q year upward. A great deal ut the trOu-
bic in business and manufacturing corporations
is because there are no adequate. respectable
homes for the operatives. | thought a company
like ours which has labored to give taste and
comfort to travellers. could afford TO be equally
magnanmOus with its operatives We do not
interfere in the least with any person in this
village. but we see that no nusances are allowed
to begin here. All our citizens belong to our
police force. Everybody here is interested in
seeing the town become a joy, and an elegance
to itself and to strangers"
We soon departed for the Arcade. which is
about $50 feet long by 200 feet broad, covered
with glass, and having four entrances like
cathedral The lower floor is given up to
stores and shops, the post office included. In
the upper floor among many offices, is library |
with 10000 volumes, one of the most model |
institutions of its kind in the world; and Mrs. |
Pullman's taste and labor have picked out the |
books. put down the carpets, and selected the |
tints of wall paper. &c. She is about to have |
an art school in one portion of this building.
On the opposite side Of the Arcade ia the noble |
theater. which seats LOCO persons in chairs that
New York city might copy with profit. The
adOrnments are of Turkish style There are |
three private boxes on each side of the mosque |
kind. The drop curtain represents scene on
the BOsphorus, with a Saracenic cafe or divan in
the foreground. Electricity is used to light it i
up. formal opening of this theater is to take !
place about New Years. John Mccullough and |
Barrett pronounce the theater the most perfect |
in the world. This arcade and hotel front a |
public square. In the center of which is great |
music stand Of stone. and on the opposite side !
are the great market-house and the model |
church, which is built of PENNSYLVANIA serpen- |
tine or green stone, in the Gothic style. One |
end of the square shows the facade of the shops
and the splendid Spansh-loOking tower An
artificial lake comes up to this square, which |
was full of skaters when we entered it.
The market-house is better than any in New |
York The church has noble organ. whose |
moan and tone bend the mind to reverence |
Fronting the lake, which was but a little ways |
from the center of the town, is splendid stand |
to observe regattas. In the shops is the splendid |
Corliss engine which moved the Exhibition at |
Philadelphia. and it has connected with it one |
of the most wonderful boiler-rooms in the world |
understand that the main portion of the town |
is heated by fire sent from these boilers. Mr. |
Pullman told me that ne meant to have school |
mechanics in the village assembled |
in the great tower.
That afternoon We heard a young minister |
deliver his model sermon to see if he could |
suit the audiences. Pullman said, in his quiet |
way. that the preacher must fill the require |
ments Of the town. Another feature of |
this place is the Pullman railroad, |
which extends around the sides Of the lake. a |
distance of perhaps five miles, and is meant to |
be the feeder to future grand manufacturing