Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-12-19
WHERE WILL IT END?
A Chicago Workingman's Discourse
on Foreign-Born Labor.
Americans Going TO the Wall aud
Thrifty Poles, Bohemians and
Italians Coming 60
the Front.
fChicago News Interview.I


Thousands OF Poles, Bohemians Italians,
and other foreigners are getting rich in this
city on wages which would not be sufficient
to keep Americans, Irishmen, and Germans
from going hungry. 1t will only be few
years before the wage workers who really
care for the comfort and happiness of their
families will find no place to hold them in
this whole big city. The Americans ara go
ing to the wall, and tho thrifty Poles. Bo-
hemians, and others are coming to the
'front.' How do they do it! Let me tell
you
AZ have lived in this city since 1866. When
! first came here could almost count on my
fingers all the Poles living north OF Chicago
avenue. Now that part of the city lying be-
tween Chicago and Milwaukee avenues and
the river is almost given up to the Poles
More are coming to the city all the time.
The young folks marry at a very early age
and generally raise large families. The
Polish laborer lives with his wife and family
in one or two little rooms. He works at any
thing he can get and for any wages he can
get When he goes to ask for work he asks
tor nothing else-the wages may be anything
Perhaps he gets Is cents a day, perhaps he
gets 81 a day-at least he gets something,
and isn't idle. Then his wife, in all
probability, Is working, barefoot, in
garden at the northern border of the city
She gets 60 or 20 cents day. Large num-
b,rs Of Polish women are employed in the
great market gardens between here ami
Ravcnswood. meet them going and com
ing. walking with bare feet and perhaps
carrying heavy loads OF firewood or of un.
salable vegetables. They find employment
in Tho eyarlapc frot,, Aprtl until N.ya,nt.ar
Many Polish womel. also wheel brisk in the
yards at Lake View Others sew in tailor.
ing establishments, and make about 81
day. Others sew or knit at home. Mean.
while the children are busy picking up wood
from the river, or bark from the tanneries OF
elsewhere, or coal from tie railway tracks.
or WORKOUT paving blocks from the streets,
Go to the little homes of the Poles and you
will find great pile, Of fuel stored away foI
winter which did not cost them cent
Hundreds Of Irish and German laborers have
no fuel laid up for the winter and no money
to buy any. The Polish people have the
money but do not need 10 use it, When the
man and his wife come home from their
days work they generally bring fuel or food
with them. | think they seldom buy meat,
other than link of ausage or something of
that sort | have watched them make their
purchases of food. \ family will generally
buy loaf OF bread, pint Of
milk, pint Of beer or some
schnapp. That will do for supper
have seen Poles go among the merchants
on South Water street gathering up decayed
fruit and vegetables, taintei meat and fowls,
to take home for food. TEey are over
crowded in their houses, and 10 matter how
much they desire to lie cleanly they find il
next to impossible to be 50. Eut they save
money and put it into building associations
Pretty soon they draw oct money eroagh e
build large brick houses One Of these house
will be rented to a dozen tenants Every
penny earned is saved. The Polish laborer.
grow rich and the Irish, Americans and Ger
mans of the same class grow poorer and
poorer. How can these compete with people
like the Poles9
Look at the Polish weddings. A boy and
girl get married without owning penny
All they have earned up TO that time has
gone to their parents. But all the guests
when they dance with the bride are expected
to contribute something TO start them in life.
The $40 or $50 thus gathered up will buy
them cook-stove and little furniture. Ii
is strictly business wedding, and the couple
go steadily 10 work 10 get rich. The man
will never stay in the house and be idle. /!
he can't find any thing el,e to do he takes
big bag and goes out To see what he can find.
He Will come home in the evening with the
bag full Of wood, or coal, or bones, or paper,
or rags, or old clothes, or anything else
which he can use or sell. That is the kind
Of people that get along in this world.
Now, look at me. | have a wife and
three children. l must have bread, meat,
and potatoes for them and mys>... We can
do without butter ami coffee and tea. We
must have clothes. There is scarcely month |
in the year that l do not have to buy each Of
the little fellows a new pair OF shoes. How
can save money. My wife cannot and
shall not work in a garden or brick-yard I
She shall not take in washing or sew in a
tailors shop. l am out Of work sometimes, I
but will not carry bae, on my back and (
gather up bones to sell | buy my fuel and 4
let my children go to school My wages are /
lower than they were before the Polish Ia /
borers came here and cheapaned work, along
with the Italians and others But my ex-
penses are no lighter. Where is it going to
end | live as cheaply as l can. II wages
drop again and living gets no lower will I
have to move to somewhere else, reckon