The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1889-06-27
STARVING MihERs.

STARVING MINERS.
Thousands Of Idle col,i,rs ana Their |
Families ut BratLwood, H., Face to
FACE with Famlne-Prompt Assistance /
Necessary. 0
BRADwooD, nj, June e3-The condition
OF BrAdw00d Is one to call forth the COM
misseration and the immediate practical |
help Of the people of the United States The
normal population of the town is about |
5000, all directly dependent upon
the Goa IN ming industry for their daily
bread. AT this time not one ounce of coal
is being mined, and the inhabitants are at
the point OF starvation. Men, women and
children alike share in the blight |
which has overcast this section. The
causes Of the stagnation are two-the
continued depression in the coal in
dustry here and the eliminating strike |
or lockout which has placed 500 bread.
winners beyond the possibility Of utilizing
their labor, and these two combined have
reduced whole community to something
more than lndigence. It is not possible to |
overstate the condition of the people |
of this city aud neighborhood. Two
months ago the miners of Braidwood
went on strike, the occasion being pro
posed reduction in the price paid for get
ting coal They had made little prepara-
ton for a prolonged siege, and they are TO-
day starving The actual facts as to the
condition of these men and their families
have been investigated
An extended trip through the CITY and
suburbs showed that the stories as to the
needs OF the people had by no means been
overdrawn. The downtown stores are de-
serted and many are vacant On every cor
ner can be seen empty houses, and the only
thriving industry In the place is that of the
express-wagon men, who are busily en-
gagged IN conveying to the depot the bag
gage OF those OF the younger men who
have enough left to get away The
married men, especially those who
have acquired homes here, are rooted
to the soil They must stay and starve
During the spring they made little
money, and what little they did make has
been used for immediate necessities. Scores
OF the houses, and particularly the bust
ness buildings, are being moved away to
Coal City and other points. The town lone
OF the prettiest in the entire coal distr1ct)
seems as II stricken with blight
Three weeks ago committee consisting
of two representatives of each nationality,
was appointed to take care of the distressed.
This committee has had its hands
more than full over since its appoint
ment The population of Braidwood is
heterogeneous one, comprising persons
fam lilies employed in the mines there are
some 500 English, Scotch, Irish and Ameri-
cans, the last-named being few in proper
ton. There are about 100 colored men, 80
Italians, $50 BOhemians and Poles. As is the
case In most industrial communities the
families are large. OF thirty applicants for
hid Friday the average number in the
family was six. The single men have
pulled up stakes and quit and the town is
face to face with an economic problem far
beyond its power to grapple with.
In one house there was a family of ten
absolutely without food of any kind This
was the home of a Scotchman, q steady,
Woodworking man. There wa. not in the
little cottage scrap OF stuff upon which
dollar could be realized
At anotho home (if the name be not
| satire, was found a German woman with
seven children. Her husband left two
| weeks ago to find work and she has not
heard from him since. She had not a NOR
sci OF food OF any kind in the house and the
barefooted children were crying with
hunger.
| cottage near the Eureka mines There
| resides an Englishman named Case.
| who has three children, and
wife who is dying of con-
sumption. Possibly before this is printed
she may be dead, but in any event
her decease is but u question of days or
hours. The husband is steady, hard-work-
ing man, and tirst-clsss MINER He said
| that his average earnings from January to
| May had not been more than $17 per month.
He bought his little hone for $50, on pay
ments of five dollars per month. and he
still owes sos on this account. Besides that
| he owes $l4 for medicine, and he has not
| bite of food in the house.
The measures for the relief Of these dis
tressed people which have been taken up to
date are ,niscrably inadequate. Local trades
men have sent in flour and few groceries.
Some money has been obtained from 10 let
and $500 from trades organizations in Chi
cago. Friday forty sacks Of flour arrived
and this was distributed in lots of twelve
| pounds each to those who could live no
| longer without it. But twelve pounds of
| flour for family Ut ten hungry children
| counts for little
There is a pressing and immediate neces-
sity tor relief for these poor people. Not
less than 300 women and children are in
:bsolute want Of food. and relief can not
20 too quickly sent them. As to the
causes which have led up to this de-
plorable result it is unnecessary to
say any thing The fact exists that a
wide field for the display of timely benev-
olencc is opened Clothing, and especial
~ boots and Shoes are needed particularly
Tor the children, but above all the Gull is
for the necessary food to sustain life. It is
the cry of the children that is going up to-
day-the cry OF the innocent sufferers
which can not be ignored.