The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-06-19

the committeeman.
"Yes he does, was the reply; land he sup
ports family of three. He is now getting IL
cents worth of provisions each for them"
l asked the old man his age repeating the
question when l found he was a little deaf.
His reply was: 'Seventy-four." He did not
look as if he had ever been Incorporate, but
somehow ne had failed in the vigor of youth
to lay up a store against old age.
The instances of privation which [ encount-
cred yesterday were frequent, and confirmed
the impressions | received on Monday that
there was great deal of actual suffering. Here
is one related by DR.. F. 6. Thornton, secretary
of the Clay county board of health who lives
at Knightsville.
Last Saturday night, about midnight, a
colored man living in the south part of town,
and having family OF seven or eight children,
came to my house and wanted TO know II he
could get any cold bread for his baby, which
he said he could not get to sleep because it
was so hungry. He said he had been 10
farmers near town and had offered for himself
and son to work all day for two bushels of
corn. The farmer had refused, and had re-
ferred him to Operator Zeller.
There was suffering" continued the doctor.
"even before the strike began. Owing to the
slack work all winter, people were in needy
circumstances. Even taking the operators
own estimate, the miners have averaged but
S2.25 for a days work under the old prices.
That under the new rate would be reduced TO
$1.70 Now, the men haven't had here for six
months above three days work a week, and
the operators say that If they return to work
under the new wages they can't guarantee
them above three days. Three days work at
$1.70 would be $40 per week, and out of that
must come S1.25 for house rent, and certain
amount each week for oil, car fare and pick
sharpening. After these actual expenses are
taken out you can see what the miner has left
to support his family. This condition of affairs
has been observable for a year. During the
past year my practice has been twice as large,
but my collections have not amounted TO half
as much as the previous year"
The doctor said further: "The Journal is
making a strenuous effort to get politics into
this thing; but there politics in it. THE
SENTINEL is winning favor with the miners by
the stand it is taking in this matter, and is
doing the sensible thing in not bringing poll
tics into it at all ;"
1t is next to impossible to find any of the
strikers who are willing to say they have
personally suffered from hunger. 1t is evident
that those who are really suffering keep quiet
about il, and the discovery is generally made
by neighbors. There are plenty of instances
where the heads of the family do without meals,
but when the children finally begin to complain
the parents are likely to take some action.
William Roberts, a citizen of Knightsville, says
that one of the miners came TO his house the
other night and begged some -four TO make
bread for his children. Mr.. Roberts would
not give the mans name, and all
of those who are really suffering will be found
reluctant to do it. | talked with colored
miner, who said he had gone all day without
anything to eat, and that he knew another col.
ored man who had gone almost two whole
days.
Bill Parker is miner living in the Jackson
block. When the strike began he sent his
child away to his mothers; his wife is now
working out, and Bill is seeking for what he
may devour.
A lady tells the following story: Next door
to me lives a miner and his family, who [
thought we're in a bad fix. Tuesday night [
noticed they were sitting up unusually late,
and ] went over TO their house. Tears were in
the eyes of the old folks, and they confessed to
me that they had had neither dinner nor sup
per; that their children had not had any sup
per, and that there was nothing in the house
for breakfast"
One OF the storekeepers at Knigbtsville-
and 'Pluck-me" at that-was going home the
other night, when he found miner sitting out
on his doorstep crying. MY children have had
no supper" was his story, and the storekeeper
went back and got him something.
Miners homes are scattered along the road,
all the way between knightsville and Brazil
and there is one town called Donaldsville.
Here there are many utterly dependent, al
though there are a few with little laid by ''for
a rainy day" In little hut by the roadside [
found man eating his suppera and it was about
as miserable-looking a repast- as | ever laid
eyes on. But when asked about the condition
leaned back ID his chair, and talked as if he
were fairly king among the unfortunates.
1--WE no one here depending on me" he said,
"and can get along all right for some time yet.
I've got a ham, and plenty of chickens and
eggs; but, where there's one fixed like me,
there's fifty that isn't" and he resumed
his task of disposing OF a piece OF fat
meat, while at the side of his plate lay
broad expanse of corn cake that was about
as hard and uninvitinglOoking as the bot
e = r. - 49,
was black and dingy, and was occupied by
bed, stove and table and l don't know what
else. Strapped TO the ceiling were more articles
of furniture than stood on the floor. And this.
''lords and Iadies"-as Mr.. Dickens would say
was one of the well-to-do miners
Further up the road was a row of yellow
houses occupied by miners. The men had all
gone away to seek work and their families are
depending wholly upon the neighboring
farmers. The farmers, too, are helping many
of those who live at Donaldson, and who, as
one of them expressed it, never know what
they will have for supper when breakfast is
over" A methodist minister named Weaver
is also helping many of the dependents at this
town.
These statements give an idea of the general
condition OF affairs throughout the striking dis
trict. In and about Knie htsville and Cardonia
there is probably as much general privation as
there is anywhere, although did hear a story
last night TO the effect that there is district
in the south part of the county where
they are dealing out bran and water to the
people The information did not come TO me
from a miner. but from the wife of man who
draws $50 a day of royalty on mining lands.
The story is hardly to be credited.
1t Is certain, however, that there will be
still more deplorable state of affairs in short
time, unless the contributions from over the
state are more liberal. The strikers are very
blue over the inaction of Gov. Hovey, whom
they expected confidently to issue proclama-
ton in their behalf They claim they were as
good as promised by Private Secretary Roberts
that such a document would be forthcoming
and spread the word of good cheer all over the
country, which if unfulhlled will lead to double
disappointment E. S. SHERIDAN.