Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-15

.sCh. YES. Some foreigners are
brought to America under contract to
work three years, They get sixty-five
cents a day, and their boss or agent
gets ~seyenty-tive cents. He makes ten
cents a head. It is white slavery.
See?"
"Were you under contract"
"Only to pay my passage money:
"Do many Huns go back with
money!"
II know about seventy-ive. More
will 60 back next year if they live"
''Where do they work?"
s'In the mines, on new railroads, IN
the coke regions and on farms. Many
get killed in the mines. Their money
sent home goes to their relatives. Not
many have wives or children at home.
Strong young men come to America,
make their fortunes if they have good
luck in a few years, and then go back
home and get married. But it is a
great lottery ,
"What is your native language?"
"Magyar.n
"What is the population of Hun
gary?"
"About l6, 100000"
.Can you read or write:?"
"Oh. no. Few can who come to
America to work hard"
"What is the principal occupation OF
your people at home?"
Farming, making rum, flour, sugar
and some mining"
''You know considerable about Hun
gary?"
81 listen good to my boss who read
much in a Hungarian paper. 1 got
good ears. One is a little deaf, bad
What l hear don't go in one ear and
out the other"
elbow do Hungarians compare with
Polesp"
"Polcs come to America to stay gen.
orally. They come to America to es.
cape army service. Huns do not.
Poles are smart. Nearly all are young
men who come to America. Nearly
all can read and write something.
Some oldPoles can't read. They never
learn. They first live like pigs, but
soon get on better and improve. They
settle in America, build churches and
become good citizens, miners, laborers,
SAOU411C1c, S1OSClS, SllCCll1ttNC1S CilN SMs
loon keepers. Four to one come from
Lithuania, a grand duchy of Poland.
Many women and children come 10
America. They settle in small places?"
"Do they save money!"
"Much. Here in Shenandoah they
own $780, 600 worth of property. So il
is all over the coal regions"
"What were the Poles able to caIx.
in Poland at farming?"
"Half "a rouble a day, they say
about 26 cents in American money.
But that 26 cents could buy as much in
Poland as 81 can here. They come to
America to escape military duty, to get
into a free country"
"What do expert laborers earn in
Poland?n
ga good workman earns one rouble
a day; buy as much as 1925 will in
America"
"What can you say of Italians?"
every many come to America under
contract, like slaves. There is one
woman to a hundred men, same as
Hungarian; Poles, one woman to thirty
men. Italians are lazy; come mostly
from Naples. Work very cheap and
spend all they earn. Have no object IL
life. Don't do America any good; only
cut down wages Of American working
men, like we all do"
"Do you know any reforms that the
foreigners in America should begin?"
eyes. Stop drinking, stop stealing
and stop going to law"
"Then the best class of foreigners ara
Polanders??"
Certainly. They come to stay. They
make good citizens. They soon learn
to strike for higher wages, just as much
as Americans get"
"With all your knowledge, couldn's
you do better with 5000 in the saloon
business herc:?"
"No, no, no! Igo back to Hungary
a rich a There I live like a Baron.
| get married and enjoy myself for all
my trials here."-N. Y. San.