, 1883-05-12

~Seu "ituin the past rev Gays several bag,
husky negroes, a. black as the ace Of spades,
loungins around our streets seeking work.
They had the air Of foreigners to the.e
parts, and by their industrious and unosten.
tatious habits have made friends here Who
are willing to assist them. A few days
since two of them procured situation in
the country, consequently We have bat two
left, who by the ~ay, are open for engage
ment
This afternoon STArrsN.S reporter sp-
preached them AID after few remarks was
sstounded at the tale Of suffering which they
bad undergone during the past sir months.
They did not force their statement upon us
to the contrary they were quite hard to
draw out but by dint of hard cross ques.
tioaing the following facts were Cleaned,
the truth Of which We are ready to stand
for:
Their names are Caleb Jones and Water
Taylor, and were both born and bred As
! slaves in Richmond. Va. About eight
months ago, they, in company with twenty
four Others. left Richmond, drawn on by the
glittering advertisement of one L. Wells, .
sub-contracto. under Fitzpatrick Bros, on
the Oregon Short Line. The agreement was
that the negroes were to have free transpor.
tation to Denver. Colorado and upon arrival
we're to be paid q per day TO work upon the
railroad. Upon their arrival at Denver,
they were not allowed to remain but few
hours, but we've hurried along into the
mountains on the Short Line. As An in
ducement they were offered s. 25 per day.
An increase OF twenty five cents
They finally reached the front ip Idaho
and then commenced life that completely
threw IN the shade any Of their experience
during slave days The first month they
were fed pretty good. but after that their
daily provender consisted Of hard tack and
black coffee. No white person was allowed
to approach them while at work or in camp,
and they were kept in terror by the threats
Of Wells, that they were IN a bad country
and if they did not do as he said he would
have them hung For six mc,ths this was
kept up. and they did not receive cent OF
pay. some OF them got few stores from the
commissary, and that was all they had to
show. Wells one day told the cook that he
cooked the grub too good-the blank mig
gers eat too id much. Give it to them
raw"
They finally reached Weiser City, and as
they approached civilization they became
more brave, and their opportunities for
money became Of frequent occurrance. Wells
put them of on one pretense and another as
long as be could, and then told them il they
did not like his style, they could take the
road Thoroughly disgusted. half sick and
foot sort, ten of them took him at his word
and without cent, not even food or clothes,
started to walk across the Blue Mountains
to Grande Ronde.
Their sufferings were intense, as the
weather was cold and many Of the part,
we're frost bitten before they started. These
southern bred darkIss cannot stand the Sc
we're cold of tins coast al well as those used
10 it, which fact made their trials much
harder. Taylor lost both of his big toe nails.
while Others met with similar misfortunes.
They speak in euiogistic terms OF the kind
ness shown them OH the road, the keeper at
Old's Ferry on Snake river. taking the en-
tire party across for nothing. They danced
and sang for their food and after crossing
the mountains Jared very well. Four OF
them secured situations IN Grand Ronde val
ley, while the balance came on to this city.
In answer to a query from our reporter II
they would like TO be back in old Virginny.
their faces expanded INTO . good natured
grin and Jones say', Use tells you, massa
paper man, if dis var chile ever gifts back to
ole Richmon' you never catch him out hayr
GIN. Use tells you honey, dey dosn fool dis
coon wild no noah aar Ole railroad jobs. you
bet. Guess Use never gifts back do ; 1t am
long way and takes heip money" and the
tears welled mp into the honest fellows eyes
as he thought of his old home.
Mr.. f. p. Edison has kindly taken their
case in hand, and will use every endeavor to
procure their wages from the rascslly con-
tractor. Itisa burning shame for white
ma, to take such advantage OF these poor
fellows, and BY threats and abuse work them
as long as possible and then drive them out
like so many animals, in = wild, unsettled
country without food. clothing or money. Its
10 be hoped he may be compelled to give
them their Just dues