The Labor enquirer., 1884-06-14
The Good Work Progresses.

Editor Labor Enquirer.
EVANSTON, Wyo., June 10.-Laramie
City, Wyo., is situated on the line of the
Union Pacific railroad, 1877 mile west
from Cheyenne, is the terminus of di,
vision, has rolling mill, machine shop
and round house of twenty stalls.
The rolling mill has been shut down
since the middle of May and no pros
poets of its soon starting. The forces in
the machine and blacksmith shops have
been reduced about one-fourth and those
at work make only nine hours per day
Machinests and blacksmiths receive 81
cents per hour, but the orders are that
all new hands hired be paid the reduced
prices. The company's tactics now is tc
keep continually and gradually reducing
the forces and weed out those who fear
lessly asserted their rights in the late
trouble, on the plea of reducing expense;
while it is we'll known that they are
quietly replacing the men with more
"peaceable and law-abiding" class O.
workmen-better slaves-at the reduced
wages.
The methods of the crook, sneak-thie
national bank-president railroad com
pany are peculiar to themselves. But
when, "after long train of abuses anC
usurpations," patience shall haye ceased
to be a virtue, and an outraged and des
perate people shall be forced to entel
into judgment, pass sentence, and pro
ceed to execute, then, say, it were bet
ter for some of those had they neye
been born. but the mass ofmankind will
be benefited. 1t is not my wish tina
such should come to pass, but it seem
inevitable.
Blacksmith helpers at Laramie receivt
1925 to $3.50 per day; coal-heavers
wipers and laborers, S1.75 per day. Coco
laborers and good mechanics are almos
invariably union men, and when yol
see a mechanic who is "scab" or afraiC
to Join a union, you will generally fine
him to be a snide workman; but let MI
state that met no snides around Lara
mie.
Being informed that the newspapers o
Laramie are turned out by union men
found my way to the Boomerang Office
met the foreman, Mr.. w. E. Chaplin, t(
whom l told my business. Further Ger
emony was unnecessary. 1t required bu
few minutes to convince me that
Laramie did not soon have the bes
assembly of Knights of Labor in the
west the printers would not be to blame
had the pleasure of meeting our ole
veteran of assembly 1924, Brother Ton
McNally. Tom has started in business
for himself and the man who can dt
better work at plumbing than he doesn'
live in Wyoming.
After having completed the work O.
organizing the Dawn of Light" assembl!
in Laramie with a membership thai
would make a Denver military company
look like corporal's guard. l left fol
Rawlins, the end of the next railroad
division, about ninety miles west ol
Laramie. This town is supported prin-
cipally by machinists and railroad men
who receive about the same wages as
those in Laramie. The forces are being
reduced; many idle railroad men all
along the road. l would advise no man
to come this way looking for work.
Brakemen receive sos per month; their
board costs about $50.
All can say for Rawlins is that when
the general master workman shall be
compelled to issue the emancipation
proclamation and call for volunteers,
advance" assembly will furnish her
quota. In numbers it went as good as
Laramie and five better. 1t Is composed
of sober, intelligent men, who fully real
ize the importance of organization. If.
in Rawlins, "Breathes there man with
soul so dead, who never to himself hath
said: / the Knights of Labor will join
to assure my fellow workmen that about
me there is nothing wrong" let that man
wake up. If anyone thinks there are no