The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-10-28
JOHN KUACA's MENIN WANT.


JOHN KUACA's MENIN WANT.
Suffering Caused By aIr. whitnsy-skiIle
Mechanics Unable to Obtain Work and 1
Great DiItresS. .
SaV York Tribune.
What the indirect results OF the perse
cution OF John Roach by the Administra
ton and his enforced suspension hav
been upon the mechanical industries, tn
shipping, iron, coal, lumber and othe
trades, can be estimated only inferentialIy
bu: that they have been serious can b
seen by single glance at the fact that hi
gross business annually was from $, 500.
OOO 10 81, 100000, which sum is now with
drawing from circulation, and that he ha
turned out every year from four to 81!
iron ships. But it is not necessary to re
sort 70 conjecture for a picture OF the havoc
that has been wrought by the persecution
which ended in his downfall. That car
be seen withpainful clearness>by auy one
who choosPsto spend la day in the Eleventh
Ward of New York City, or in Chester
where his great enterprises were centered
The little trade failures, the disappoiEt
nent, destituuon, siCknesg aud deep ami
mostly which can be followed up in thou
sands OF homes are the direct and visible
results OF this political crime.
In the making Of an iron ship from the
ore and the hewn timber, as John Roach
made them, many trades are employed
There are the pattern.makers, the carpen.
tsrs, the ship-carpenters, the beatyard
men, the blacEsmiths, the machinis's, the
moulders, the brass founders, the copper.
smiths, the boilermakgrs, the ship-iuIners
the Caulkers, the laborers, the hange-tur-
ners, the teamssers, the rivet-boys and
many others. All OF these, to the number
of $500 or 5000 we're employed in the
Morgan Iron Works and the Delaware
River Ship Building Works. In addition
to these, Mr.. Roach gave employment to
nearly 500 men in the Chester Rolling
Mills, and to 200 more in the Combination
steel anu Iron Works. So that during the
last ten years from 3 500 TO 90 men have
been steadily employed every week by
John Roach. They earned from s. week
up to $50, fair average being $l3 His
weekly pAy.roll seldom wentbelowS SIC, coo,
and often IS high a. $4,000. OF this sum
from St9iC00 to $4,000 was paid out every
saturday night in the Morgan Iron Works
at the foot OF East Ninth street.
When John Roach suspended, fourteen
weeks ago, this army OF men was thrown
upon the street. Tines were dull, and
labor was not greatly in demand. At first
it was hoped that work might be resumed
soon, and the men gathered in front OF the
old shops morning after morning. But as
time went on they beganto seek employ
ment elsewhere. 1t was not to bs had.
The machine shops were full TO overflow
ing already. They tramped YEARLY every
day all over the city, only to be turned
away. There was no work among the
trades. Even the horse car lines were
more than supplied with drivers. A few
OF them secured such Jobs, and few more
got temporary places cleaning the streets.
Secretary Whitney, on his visits to this
city, may probably have seen few OF
John Roach's skilllul mechanics welding
d sCraper or broom in the streets as he
went By in his carriage. But even these
temporary jobs were limited, and out OF
the thnnsand men, many OF whom had
been working lifetime for John Roach,
who were tnrned out by the failure, not
more than 2O0 were able to seclre en-
ployment OF any kind. .
Every morning for over three months
the men have come down to the shops at
Z o'clock, and they stand around awaiting
for the old bell to ring. They don't seem
TO understand that John Roach is great
rascal in the eyes OF Democratic Admin
istation who built Migratory boat. They
don't seem to catch the idea that high.
sounding Boards Of Inventory and Ap-
praisal and Inspection must spend weeks
and months figuring and writing and re-
porting so that Secretary Whitaey, who
says he is not an expert, may understand
how many rivets and spikes are on hand
with which to finish the cruisers. All
they can think OF is that they and their
families are in want, and likely to be
turned out OF their homes.
This 10 tho exact situation with hun
dreds OF these workmen. Henry McCol-
Tough is foreman OF the machine shop.
He has been with John Roach for twenty
three years. He said on Saturday II had
about 900 men under me who earned from
g to 50 day. Not more than twenty Of
them have had days work since the
shop shut down. They tell pltiful stories
Of their suferings. Many Of them owe
two or three months rent. They have been
holding of their landlords on the plea
that work would soon be resumed, but
that story is getting old now. They live
in mortal terror OF going home at might
and fading their wives and children, with
whatever OF furniture they may have left
on the sidewalk. Not a few Of them have
really had that experience. They hayg
pawned almost everything they had in the
world. Some Of them who lived pretty
nicely in little but respectable flats nov
huddle their families together in single
room"
How do they get iood?h
"Well, honestly, 1t is 80 humillating
that hardly like to say. They borrow
and beg it. myself have lent my mer
80 much money that | am beginning to
teel a trids pressed myself. All the
Reaches have given out dollar after dol
lar. II is all well enough to say hut
things about there being no need for ar
uOutaL Luhu W DSkg uuh ~ tuty beA hG'
work, what can can they do? Theil
credit is exhausted ut the storeJ, and they
simply exist on the meanest kind OF fare
waiting on Mr.. Whitney TO let US go tC
work. They all understand the situation
They all know who Is to blame, and the
way they stand on those corners by the
hundred every morning and denounce
Whitney would make his blood run cold
II he could hear it."
at seems strange that they cannot gel
work at anything"
'Oh, no. Most OF these men have beer
here from ten to forty years. That mar
there worked here with John Reach wher
they were both jourreymen together
What sort Of a job could he get out Of hi
own line? They know their business, bu
nothing else. They will take work at any
thing. Why, they stand around her,
every day for hours Just TO pick up q LITTLE
Job cleaning up the yard. When that shiE
there, the Saratoga, came in for repairs
as many as a thousand men came dow
Itba neTt n,Drnin0 IN get work that WoulC