davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
St. Paul daily globe., 1885-12-27
An Uncertain Future.

The Singer Sewing Machine works at
Elizabeth, N. j., which shut down short
time ago and threatened to discontinue
business at that point, reopened last Tues
day, and during the day 1000 men returned
to work. The cause of the threatened sus-
pension is difficulty between the company
and the city. Some time since the city be-
came indebted to the company to the extent
of about 50, 600, 900, and failing to refund,
the company obtained enormous judgments
against the city, and then got mandamuses
to compel the city to pay these judgments.
The city assessors who were commanded to
levy the taxes and meet these mandamuses
resigned. No new ones were appointed,
and on the plea that municipal chaos was
the only alternative, the city induced the
legislature to pass, all in day and unbe-
knownst-like, bill for the governor to ap-
point state commissioners to assess and have
collected tax enough to pay the
necessary municipal expenses. This placed
the city where it could sit with polar sever
ity and watch the mandamuses and interest
pile up, secure in the assurance that for
ever, unless it sooner ruled otherwise or the
law was changed, it could refuse to pay a
dollar of the debt and still have all its run
ming expenses regularly paid. In conse-
quence the Singer company shut down, and
5000 workingmen and their families began
to wonder where their daily bread was COM
ing from in the future. A truce has been
patched up, but the future is still matter
of uncertainty.
St. Paul daily globe., 1885-12-27

Crown roller mill have been 0laid off by
sickness during the past two weeks.
The proprietors of the Crown roller mills
remembered their employees and gave each
one an Xmas turkey.
G. A. Pillsbury & Co. presented several
hundred OF their employees with Christmas
turkeys.
The Crown roller will probably shut
down this week, its storage capacity being
filled.
The work of putting automatic fire
sprinklers at the Holly mill has been fin
iShed.
Fifteen No. Prinz dust collectors have
been ordered for the Pillsbury A mill.
Frank Hill of the Pillsbury A mill is re-
covering from serious illness.
Thomas Holt of the Pillsbury A is visit
ing at Dixon Cross Roads, La.
Head Miller Humason spent Christmas at
Rochester with his family.
The Zenith mill will be started up the
first week in January.
Russell, Rootes & Quint is the name of a
new milling firm.
The mills were all closed down for Christ
mas
St. Paul daily globe., 1885-12-27

umpire before the mining arbitration board
at Columbus, o. The judge was suggested
by the miners and readily accepted by the
operators.
Boycotting has been turned to political
uses in Salt Lake City where the Mormons
nave declared their intention to boycott the
members of recent grand jury.
The Gulf & Ship Island Railroad com.
pany have leased the Mississippi state peni-
tentlary and will put 400 men at work on
their road
:. Inc knights of Labor are growing rapidly
III power and numbers in New England.
leaders. " po''''o''
Grand Master Powderly of the Knights
OF LABOR is in Washington for the purposf
OF aiding labor legislation in the present
congress-
The journeymen plumbers next regular
meetlng will be held at their hall JANUARY
IL. business of importance to be trans
acted.
;, "A cooperative foundry at North Digbton.
Mass, is one of the many cooperative i'm.
dustrles recently established.
Twelve nail factories have been boycotted
Dy number of trades assemblies of thu
East and Northwest.
Inc shoe strike at Cincinnati has been
ended by the order of the Knights of Labor
assembly.
St. Paul daily globe., 1885-12-27
BOYCoTTING.

Two Years of the Remedy..What
Has Been Accomplished.
F Last weeks issue of BradStreet's gives the
results of thorough investigation of the
growth of boycotting in the past two years,
which. it states, has been prodigious. The
labor federation. which met in Washing
ton recently, adopted a resolution "consti-
tuting the committee on legislation board
of arbitration and boycotting." This gives
the practice of boycotting by the labor
uuions the sanction of what aims to be the
highest labor tribunal in the country. John
Swinton's paper. New York, in its issue of
May II, 1884, defined boycotting as follows:
''To boycott concern simply means to re-
frain from having anything to do with it.
You boycott a dry goods firm by refusing to
deal with it: you boycott newspaper by
ceasing to buy it; you boycott a cigar
maker by avoiding his cigars. Organized
boycotting of a concern is carried out when
the trades unions unite in refusing to pur-
chase any of its wares or to have any deal
ings with it. and thus attempt to break
the down business of the concern which is
antagonistic to them"
Mr.. John Swinton, on being questioned
as to the principle on which boycotting is
based, replies: ''It is AN eye for an eye.
St. Paul daily globe., 1885-12-27
EMpLOYmEM,r AGENCIES.
They Report " ork Unusually Scarce
&t this SenSOn.

at this Season.
A topr of the employment agencies of
the olry by GLOBE reporter recently re-
sulted in the information that openings for
employment were unusually limited for this
time of the year. These agencies deal al
most exclusively with ordinary day labor,
and their markets are almost wholly the
railroads. just now the Chicago, Burling-
ten IL Northern road creates the principal
demand. The wages paid are $1.12H per
day. During the warmer months the sign
boards of any employment Office may at
any time be seen surrounded by changing
crowd of all nationalities contemplating the
inviting bulletins: 1900 men wanted for
the Dan e. Bersheeba railroad, wages S1.25
per day, free fare;" $50 graders for Osh-
sosh;" 10 woodchoppers. $1.5O per day."
These men are a part of the floating popu-
iation OF the city. One job is completed, a
large crowd of men are thrown out OF EN-
pioyment and they hunt up another. They
are rowing class and largely foreigners.
They come from all parts of the country, as
well as the city. and during the winter hun
dredS go South to work on the levees. But
very little skilled labor is handled by these
agencies and during the winter months
their business almost ceases. Now and then
in the winter some mechanic will drop in
and finding no chance for work in his line,
will accept job with the shovel at the
dollar or dollar and quarter per day to
keep his head above water until spring.
There are several such working on the Chi
cago, Burlington & Northern improvement
below the city at present. Like everything
else, these agencies are good and bad, and
many swindles are worked at the expense
of the unsophisticated laborer, but they are
almost necessity to corporations which
use large number of this class of working
men, and they furnish employment to thou
sands every year.
St. Paul daily globe., 1885-12-27
MINNEAPOLIS MILLERS.

The use of the little twenty-fou -and-a
half-pound sacks is decidedly on the in
crease, and they are the bane of the pack
er's life. Requiring more time and care in
packing, they are disliked by the mill owner,
but his trade demands certain amount of
flour thus packed, and he has no other
alternative than to comply. To illustrate
how extensively this kind of package is
being used, it may be mentioned that one
mill of 1,500 bbls capacity last week shipped
1850 of Northwestern Miller.
There is rather better tone to the flour
market and there is ample water power for
all mills desiring to run. The mills now in
operation are taking advantage of the high
water, and how long they will continue to
run is matter of conjecture. The output
for the week will show a decided increase,
as nearly all mills shut down for Christmas
and several also on Saturday.
The mills in operation last week were
the Pillsbury A, Anchor, Plllsbury B, St.
Anthony, Holly, Cataract, Washburn C,
Washburn B, Washburn A lone third,
Galaxy, Humboldt, Dakota, Northwestern,
Phoenix and Crown Roller, representing a
working capacity Of about 19, 900 bbls.
William MCGUIRE and Thomas Ryan of
the packing department of the Pillsbury A
mill received Christmas presents in the
shape of new daughters.
Ben Washburn of the Washburn A is
laid up with a crushed foot, which was
badly pinched in passing between a couple
of cars.
Alex McHardy and Bert Nemackle of the
St. Paul daily globe., 1885-12-27
MINNEAPOLIS COOPERs.

Since the mills are running stronger the
cooper shops are doing more business, though
there are some exceptions in this respect.
Most of the larger shops are selling a
largely increased number of barrels, but
the smaller ones have not profted so gen.
orally. They all have supply of barrels
in store to draw from, and only one shop is
known to have increased its output to any
extent The sales last week were 81, 500
barrels. against 3,400 barrels last week and
81, 500 barrels for the corresponding time in
1884. The cooper stock market is without
change, there being comparatively nothing
doing. ng.-Northwestern Miller.
o. E. Dubois, manager of the Hennepin,
shop, is recovering from his serious Illness
accustomed by the hiccoughs, which devel-
oped into spasms of the stomach.
The Hall & Damn shop is now supplied
with automatic fire sprinklers, resulting in
a material reduction in the expense of In
Surance.
Caleb Sawyer is to be foreman of the
cooper shop attached to the Rush mills at
Forest City.
Nearly all the shops have accumulated
extensive supplies Of hoops, poles, slaves
and heading.
P. F. Webster of the Doud shop has pur-
chased stock in the Minnesota tight barrel
shop.
81. 81. Martin has sold out his stock in
the Phoenix Barrel company and will prob
ably remove to Illinois.
John Boyle. an old Minneapolis cooper,
is in charge Of a barrel factory at Bethany.
Mo.
The Stevens shop last week began fur
nishing the Northwestern mill with barrels.
J. Ecklund has sold out his stock in the
Minnesota shop to the company.
The coopers' band practices two nights
each week at the Phoenix shop.
The Stevens shop is running on stint OF
twenty barrels day.
The coopers are patronizing the co-opera-
tive store literally.
The Northwestern shop is running on hand
work.
St. Paul daily globe., 1885-12-27
SECURITY AGAINST STRIKES.
A Railroads Benefit Scheme Which
Works Both Ways.

The Chicago News gives an interesting
account of the way in which the Baltimore
and Ohio road provides security against
strikes" The company contributed $780,
600, as the nucleus of life insurance fund
for the employees. A relief association,
managed gratuitously by the officers of the
the company, provides free medical and
surgical attendance and grants liberal al
lowances in cases of sickness, accidents,
and death. A saving and building fund
arrangement has been added, and pensions
for those who, after ten years service, are
relieved, or who choose to reason now,
what sort of a mortal is he who can find
fault with such provisions for the employees
of the great road? Is it not good-good,- =
all good? Yes-but-. ''Well, out with
it; what can you, as professional croaker,
say against such wise lberality, such far
seeing benevolence?" My objection to it is
that it has in it the wisdom of the serpent.
1t is ''far-seeing." The News rightly calls
it Security against Strikes and, as such,
it is so far-seeing that every dollar of the
the fund may be taken from the men ten
times over, in ways well known to all.
without their having the courage to talk OF
act
Provision laid up for old age, for acci-
dent, sickness, death. Shall I forfeit all
this? 1t is true that if the road paid fai1
wages we could have done all this for our
selves at half the cost, and in more indie
pendent way. It is true that we pay into
the fund only ''from 81 to 81 per month, -
which is not high rate of insurance, but,
after all, does it not fetter us, and force US
to accept what the company choose to give
us?" Such is the view taken of this Off
cious and enforced benevolence by expert
ence, and we cannot do the managers of
the great road any such injustice as to sup
pose that they did not know they were max
ing wise and far-seeing security against
striks.''
1t will not do to suppose they do not
count upon their ability to pay low wages
when the necessities of war seem to make
it expedient, and, if the new object, it will
be enough to remind them that they have
invested several hundred dollars of their
wages in the pension and sickness fund
all of which will be lost by strike.
CROAKER
St. Paul daily globe., 1885-12-27
GENERAL NEWS.

At Brockton, Mass, the forty-two shoe
factories that have, for the past five
weeks, been idle have started up.
The Knights of Labor board of arbi-
tration issued statement officially an
nouncing the end of the strike, thanking
local assemblies for their liberal support in
promising assistance in case of need, and
, saying that no further contributions of
money are required at present. The fight
was made by the Knights Of Labor, who
only asked that the difficulty be settled by
arbitration, and to which the manufactur-
ers refused to consent. The point was
finally won by the K. of L., who claim the
establishment of a valuable precedent.
The district assembly of the Knights of
Labor secured several months ago large
tract near one of Minnesota's inland lakes,
upon which it is proposed to establish a
colony on the cooperative plan. Shares
may be taken by wOrkingmen whether they
belong to the colony or not. 1t will be
wholly in the interests of the laboring class.
by whom it will be owned and controlled.
The wages of steel rail workers are ar
ranged every January. The Labor Tribune
advises them to ask for an increase of Is
per cent, as the prices and demand of rails
have materially increased,
Hon. Allan G. Thurman was selected as
St. Paul daily globe., 1885-12-27
ANALYSIS.


This statistical exhibit furnishes an in
telligent survey of boycotting throughout
the country within two years and its attained
results. 1t is noticeable that the Typo
graphical unions have resorted to the use
of the boycott in excess of all other. Cigar
manufacturers and dealers have been boy
cotted with the next greatest frequency
and with the largest proportion of success
noted in any line, about 40 per cent of all
the boycotts being claimed as accomplish
ing the desired end. Hat manufacturers
and dealers have been boycotted with next
greatest frequency, yet the success thus far
attained is less striking, except in individ-
ual instances. The boycotts of carpet
makers and dealers, of clothing manufac-
turers and dealers, of the ''scab" nails
made in the Ohio valley have been actively
waged. Out of the 119 boycotts in the six
lines enumerated. twenty-nine have been
successful and sixteen have failed, while
eighty-fiye are still son."
St. Paul daily globe., 1885-12-27
acted. By order Of union, per w. A. Max
well, corresponding secretary.
QUESTIONS FOR THE CLERGY.

How Shall the WOrkingma Attend
Church?
To the Editor Of the Globe:
Dear Sir: 1t is not my intention to abuse
either church or clergy, but if you will per.
nit would like to ask the clergymen of this
city few kind and earnest questions; and
l would respectfully ask our clergymen to
carefully consider these questions, for in
them rest, to large extent, the growth and
prosperity of that church whose foundation
is Jesus Christ himself, carpenter and
workman.
Where should man, who has toiled dur
ing six days until he is weary in mind and
body, full of anxious care for the welfare of
those depending upOn him, full of anxious
doubt as to whether his situation (even
though it be poor and ill-paid one) will be
steady through the coming cold winter; be-
set on all sides with temptations to evil
where, say, should such man seek that
calm, holy rest, that brotherly sympathy
and love, that justice and honor which he,
as worker. is entitled to. if he should not
seek it in church? If the church is the
place, how is it so few of our wage workers
attend? Have you sought the cause, and
have you made it a subject of prayer, have
YOU uoue your uuCy, as CnrlSClan minister
or man? Does the trouble lie with the
church. or the man complained of, or both?
Now I have desire to help my brother
man, and it grieves me to confess that when
go to church that instead of having that
desire stimulated, it becomes suppressed by
that cold and intensely-retined atmosphere
which pervades the churches. l will here
ask are there not class distinctions in your
church? Doyou try to better the condition
OF the working class generally? Why can
not some branch of the Christian church af-
ford to set apart single hour, aye, moment,
for the removal of that curse-the competi-
tive system. which is Staying its millions
that system which enables the few to live
in splendor, while the many drag on their
lives in the deepest poverty-that system
which enables the crafty and unscrupulous
to outwit and rob the would-be- honest.
Do you study practical Christianity? Do
you think the wage system or the co-opera-
tive system the best and right one? Do you
preach Christ's doctrine as fully as you un-
dersiand it. or do you withhold some parts
of it? Christs injunction to Peter was
Feed my sheep"
l might ask more questions concerning
the welfare of the working classes, and
which, think, affects their spiritual well
fare; but these will do for this time.
w WACE-wOprrD
St. Paul daily globe., 1885-12-27
no you SEE 1T?
A ParadOxical Position Assumed by
a Life Insurance Company.

A ParadOxical Position Assumed by
a Life Insurance Company.
In 1866 l took out policy in the New
York Mutual Life for So, 900, on which I
paid premiums for eleven years, amounting
in all to 1922. Hard times in 1877 forced
me to ask for paid-up policy, which I
obtained to the amount of $61O. To that
sum dividends have been added to the
amount of S79 in eight years, which the
company's offices in New York estimate as
worth $40.8S in cash. as l am now an old
man, with very brief probability of life. :"
1t seems to me they estimate money as not
worth less than 10 per cent. to them, but if
this is so, how is it that my $610 paid-up
cash policy brings me less than per cent.
in cash?
know there are mysteries in life insur-
ance that require the services of trained
accountant to understand, but it seems to
me this is a mystery much greater than the
legitimate difficulties the mathematician
who presides over their tables of annuities,
probabilities, etc., is called upon to solve.
Will any kind soul solve the above problem.
St. Paul daily globe., 1885-12-27
A LABOR CHIEF,s REPORT.
He DisapprOves of Child Labor ant
Foreign Cheap Labor.

NEW HAVEN, Conn.,, Dec. 26.-Arthur
S. Hadley, chief of the newly established
state bureau of labor statistics, will issue
his first report tomorrow. 1t covers per-
iod of five months, ending Nov. 80. The
bureau was established by the last legisla-
ture. Mr.. Hadley has found out q good
many things not generally known. The
report will create much discussion through
out the state. ut is found" says the re-
port, THAT the men who do the most phys
ical work have the least to show for it,
have little independence of action and are
frequently victims of evils and abuses. "
Mr.. Hadley's investigations showed that
the ordinary estimates of wages, even when
most carefully made, almost always were
too high. Employers could not be relied on
for truthful answers, and employees who did
answer the bureaus circulars cannot prop
erly be considered as representing the aver
age wages earned. 1t is almost impossible
| that trades unions should be judged on their
merits squarely by the public. They are
apt to be made an instrument of agitation,
which is an evil, and leads to bad and jnef-
fcient work. Another thing, the law re-
CARDS them with disfavor. A fair investl-
CATION of trades unions is impossible, be-
he is unable to obtain anything beyond
| . es VOLUNTARY INFORMATION.
| he disapproves of the employment of the
unskilled labor of children and the labor of
married women. which breaks up the home.
| Foreign cheap labor should not be encour.
aged. French Canadians have standard
of living which it would be misfortune to
American workmen to adopt. In this di.
rection Mr.. Hadley thinks that matters
| are slightly improving, still he predicts that
| if Italian immigration increases in Connecti-
cut for the next five years as it has in the
| past five years, very perplexing social
problem will result The Italians expenses
| are at minimum, he bears infinite crowd
| ing by employers, and he has simple diet.
| The piece-work system cannot be abolished.
| Growing out of it is the contract system in
| factories by which owners let out the privi-
| lege of getting work out of men by fore
man who makes their wages and supervises
| their work. There is every danger that its
effect upon the vast majority of workmen,
who are not contractors and have no hope
of becoming contractors. will be bad. Con-
tractors are likely to economic by crowding
down wages to the lowest possible limit.
The demand for weekly payments is exten-
sively made and in many respects is well
founded. Holding back part of work.
mans pay is deplorable and the necessity
not so great as represented. 1t is done tc
keep hold on the employees. The report
| adds: ''Distrust man and you will do
much to make him untrustworthy."
St. Paul daily globe., 1885-12-27

and tooth for TOOTH The law is laid
down by Moses. The employers may say
we will blacklist you,' whereupon ths
men reply, We viii boycott you That is
the whole stcry." 1t is found that the num-
ber of boycotts throughout the United States
reported to Bradstreet's since January l,
1884, shows an increase of nearly 700 per
cent. during the current year. The purpose
of the exhibit made is merely 70 place be-
fore the puolic, as fully as possible. the
facts as to the growth and efficiency of this
weapor. in The hands of large and organized
bodies. The following specially prepared
table contains classified list of boyccttS
within two years, showing the grand totals
of claimed successes, admitted failures and
others:
St. Paul daily globe., 1885-12-27
Driyers ON a Strike.

DUNQUoIN, Ill. Dec. 26.-The drivers
employed in the ST. Johns coal mines here
are out Oh a strike for shorter hours. The
men are working eleven and a half hours
for days work, and ask that the hours of
labor be Iessened. In consequence the
mines are idle. The company has no coal
of consequence on hand. and the strike
places them in tight place. The strikers
action is not sanctioned by the local assem-
bly, of the Knights Of Labor. as there is but
one of the number among the strikers that
belongs to the order. 1t is generally sup
posed that the company will either at once
shorten the drivers hours or put in new
men, as they cannot afford to allow the
works to remain idle.
St. Paul daily globe., 1885-12-27
St. Paul Notes.

A grocery store on a somewhat limited
scale has been in operation on the cooper
ative plan for about three months.
G. A. Lafayette will speak at Hudson,
Wis. next Tuesday evening on The Inter-
ests of the Farmer and Laborer.
Rodger & Davis report that the places
of the striking steamftters have all been
filled at the regular wages.
The K. of L. assemblies are all booming.
No. 1898 received over fifty new members
at it's last meeting.
A new K. of l.. assembly will be organ
lied tomorrow evening near the Omaha
shops.
The regular meeting of the Trades and
Labor assembly last week was not held.
Eight union bricklayers are at present
employed on the Northern Pacific shops.
A K. of L. assembly will be organized at
Post Siding in the near future.
C. w. Stevenson is state organizer for
the Knights of Labor.
St. Paul daily globe., 1885-12-27
Off for San Francisco.

New YORK, Dec. 26.-Nearly 100 cigar
makers and packers started Tor San Fran
cisco tonight on the o'clock New York
Central limited express. They go to work
in factories where Chinese labor has been
employed at SIS per thousand as against 81
and IS to be paid to the men who start to-
night. The New Workers are in charge of
President Wolff of the San Francisco union
and their expenses are paid by the Inter
national Cigarmakers' Union. Along the
route beteen here and Omaha about loo
others will join the party. Many of the
New Workers are taking their wives and
families