The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-05-10
PINKERTON'S MEN.
A Little Army that is Always
Ready for Private Hire.
The Uses to Which They are
Put, and Their Armament.

Put, and Their Armament.
There Is in America a private busi-
ness concern capable of suddenly bring
ing into action anywhere in the land, at
the bidding of individuals or CORPORA
tions rich enough to pay for their ser
vices, large bodies of men armed,
equipped, aud drilled for effective mill
tary service. Thus far nothing has oc-
cured that has seemed to require the
development of such force in greater
numbers, at any one point, than 500
men, but the system by which they are
put into the field is perfected to such an
extent that there is hardly question of
the ability to muster 5000 with almost
equal promptitude. The concern con-
trolling this military strength is
Pinkerton's National Detective
Agency, the headquarters of which
are in Chicago, with branches in New
York, Boston, Philadelphia, St. Paul,
and Denver. While there is nominal
dividing line between the detective SER
vice and the field of duty of the "pre-
ventive patrol" or military branch, in
point of fact they work together, and are
10 far interchangeable that the latter is
oficered from the former, when called
into requisition, and that men demon
,trating peculiar talent therefor may be
promoted from the patrol, which is an
emergency employment to the perma-
nency of the regular detective force.
AS to the system of organization and
direction of the Pinkcrton army, AIr.
II. G. Julian, who is one of Mr.. Robert
Pinkertou's principal aids In this city,
says:
"Telling you how we can here bring
into almost immediate service a body
Of say $50 men, or more if required,
will give you sufficiently comprehen-
sive idea of our arrangements in the five
other cities in which our branches are
now established, the system in all being
about the same. In the first place, we
have as our regular detective force a
body Of thoroughly trained men, many
Of them brought up from youth in this
employment, men whom we know to be
cool, resolute, courageous, faithful, and
resourceful. From these, when the
occasion arises, we officer our compan-
les of men enlisted for special duty.
But we have also among those men a
good many who are employed by us
pretty much all the time, atleast during
the spring, summer, and autumn, and
who, consequently, are well trained
and known to US as IN every way per-
tectly trustworthy. For instance, we
supply by contract every summer from
twenty-five to thirty men for the pro-
lection of the public and the preserva-
ton of order at Glen Island, and as
many more at Manhattan Beach; for the
spring, summer, and fall racing seasons
we supply sixty or seventy men to the
Coney Island Jockey club and about 6
like number to the Brooklyn Jockey
club, and then we have smaller detach.
ments on special services, such as the
guarding OF Vanderbilt's tomb, or tenn.
porary protection of stores of heavy i'm
porters of silks when they have
unusually large stocks of valuable
goods on hand. Taken all in all
there arc probably 200 men thus en-
ployed by us-in work apart from thu
detective service-.pretty much all tn
year, and of these we can command tn
services of at least $50 at a very few
hours notice, even out of their ordinar,
seasons of employ ment, since we keel
all their addresses and they understand
that they are liable to be called upon fo
duty at any moment. Those men vii
serve as the nucleus of as large forc'
as may be demanded. Then we hav,
on record list of several hundred
picked men from among the thousand
who have applied to us for employ yment
all OF whom have come to US we'll recon-
mended, and whose character, record
and associations we have had thoroughly
Investigated by our own detectives
They are also supposed to be read.
to serve upon call at any moment
and, in point of fact, at least three o
four hundred of them would respont
Immediately. In summer we, of course
could not spare so many Of our regula
men for an extraordinary service, bu
we would still have enough to serve a
nucleus, especially since we are S
careful in our selection of the liste,
volunteers, among whom we always, b
the way, givo the preference to me
who have honorable discharges fror
the army, equal qualification otherwis
being understood.
s'The largest number the Pinkerto
agencies have ever had to furnish fo
emergency service at any one point wa
500. That was on the occasion of tn
stock yards strike in Chicago in 1886
In 1887, from January until March, W
had to keep 600 men on duty at the Coz
yards of Hoboken and B.rgen Point
1t costs something to employ larg
force of Pinkertou men, the charge fo
them being S. a day each in addition t
food and quarters. The pay of regu
lar detective is s. day.
1.-THE armament of our men consist
of Winchester repeating rifles and nav,
revolvers. aud We employ no men VIII