Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-06-09
RAIL ROBBERS.
The Outrageous Manner Ia Which the
iabOrer is Defrauded by Unprin-
cipled Employers.
Hiring Hands at a Dollar a Day and
Forcing TBem to Accept
Fifty Cents.

One or more Of the msgisirates' courts OF
the city is daily occupied with the trial of
suits against contractors by laborers whom
they are sttem sting to swindls ou: OF the
legitimate earnings of their hard labor
These cases have not been uncommon 10 the
courts for some years." said gentleman yes
teTasy, "but a. the railroads increase in
numb -rs and the qusniily of work 10 be done
grows greater, the number Of suits Of this
kind brought. and the
AMOUNT OF RAseALITY
they reveal, lie positively startlipg. In the
first place, when piece OF railroad work is
to be done, bids are a verified for, and there
ere always a number OF meu to sppiy for it.
The competition puts the PRICE sway down
low. So much So, in fact, that no honest
% an could do the work and make a living.
The probability Of their cheating this mum.
Der Of men, or that merchant, necessarily
enters into the estimates they make in bid
ding. These men, as a rule, go about from
place to place, wherever work is done, and
are consequently
ABSOLUTELY IRRESPONSIBLE,
81 that when a judgment against one of them
is obtained, nothing with which to satisfy it
can be found. These sub-contractors have a
regular game 10 play, and as a rule they
play it we'll, the laborer always holding a
losing band. OIe plsn Is to let the laborer
work along until he becomes clamorous for
his money, snd then give him 'time.card'
with the remark, You must wait until the
20th, or the 30tn, for this; We never pay st
s1y other time AS a general thiog the
lsborsr is not able 10 wait, living ss he does,
from land to mouth. Heiells the contractor
this, and is met by an offer 10
"BUY HIS TINE
at fifty cents on the dollar. His board costs
him forty cents a day, aud this the contractor
queutly he is offered ten cents
day for his work. In case OF this kind
Yesterday, before Justice Coleman, the con-
tractor acknowledged the claim to be jnst-
there was The timecard to prove that-but
when Judgment was given sgsins him he
demanded an appeal 10 higher court. The
laborer had no money to employ a lawyer,
and when shortly after the trial be was offered
City cents on the dollar for his time, he
was obliged 10 have money to buy meat
sad bread. A number oil fourth-rste board.
inehouses are 10 league with these con-
tractors, and do thriving business taking up
time-tickes for board at fifty or sixty cents
on the dollar, which ia The usual wsges for a
days WORK. Such cssss IS these are runner
Gus, and not men only, bat women, are
swindled One poor widow, no! long Stree,
lcst every dollar she had N sde by the failure
Of cub contractors TO pay board for their
men, after having taken it out of their wages
"ANoTHER WIDOW
brought suit against a contractor on like
charge, alleging among other things that she
bad been promised free transportation to and
from the nearest station, but when il came
time 10 settle she was charged with SO one
way snd ike amount the other. Judgment
was given for the full amount she asked, but
the railroadets prayed an appesl and forced
the poor woman 10 accept their terms, as she
was unable TO pay a lawyer 10 attend TO her
case"
"These are some of the reasons" said
another gentleman, why it is said, with
some color OF truth, that it is almost impos-
sible Tor ra----.------
RAILROAD TO GET JUSTICE
ia the courts OF this country. II is notorious
that most of these contractors live by swim.
ding, snd while there are few among them,
of course, who are honest, they are not among
the rich ones. The fact that there is 80
much corruption put the popular mind 10
thaL- " yas--At-t thinking that corruption
is the sole characteristic. Laws 90 not
seem TO protect anyone except him who
has money. The late Law giving contractors
sub contractors and lsboters lien on the ro = 1
for work done, will do the lsborer no good
To levy and go to law he must have money
and that is precisely what these poor fellows
have MT. 1t is shame and an outrage and
some more vigorous measures ought TO be
taken. The laborer will not stand 1t always
Riots GA leyees and railroad embankments
are already becoming common and will surely
vef