The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1891-11-14
communication.
@7kSS7S

peared very much like plea made by
an alto -rey for said company: and M it
was 80 clearly an avoidance Of facts bear
Jog on the conduct and good faith Of
the gentlemen said to bc ii.corporated(?)
into railroad company we. up here.
who have been so deceived aad out
rageously treated by the company Gf IT
Is one) caunot permit any suppressed
ficts, duplicating in their nature, to re-
main covered mp so as to exhonerate
the guilty ones from just condemnation.
This one-sid. d account never intimat-
ed that the advertised agent Of this
company, the chief ell gineer and super.
intendent OF construction. appeared as
the sole manager and issued 20. k
orders for supplies for the company MS
we'll as for the contractor, and guaran-
teed the payment of the same by this
company, and, as is well known, with
the knowledge OF his principals in De-.
troit. Through such means O large
amount of supplies was furnished by
the business men OF this region TO the
boarding camps along the line OF the
road, without which not stroke OF
labor on the road could have been done;
yet these philanthropic gentlemen make
fine distinction between that whioh
enables men to labor and the labor
itself, and propose to avoid payment,
for that which constituted the basis Of
every days labor performed on their
road. There may he legal distinction
but no honorable MN would hesitate
before q court of conscience as to the.
payment OF such claims. :
They attempt to shelter themselves
behind an assumed contractor a. an
excuse for the refusal to pay these
claims. But what kind OF contract
do they confess this man Of straw to I've
when they assume to hire his men and
bosses, and discharge them at will, and
without consultation with their so-call-'
ed contractor, even going so far as to'
discharge his own book keeper aud en-
ploy another in his place? No one
pretended to credit this contractor, or
in any way look to him for their pay
and the company knew this, and, recog-
nizing his irresponsibility and inabili-
ty to do the work, assumed all respon-
sibiliiy and gave guarantees by their
agents, on which alone the work was
carried on-and could not have been
done without it.
II is admitted by their own agents
that the company debated whether this
man of straw should be permitted t. go
under at particular date or later on;
the latter date being more advantageous
because Of large amount of construc-
ton being done by the confiding peo-
pie of Barags, Michigamme and
Champion, and for which the railroad
company propose now to dodge pay
ment.
These things on the face Of them are
cruel enough, but the long and dubious
deferrment of the payment Of labor un-
til men became weary, starving and
sick, and in some cases dying, shelter
less, with only the dishonored time
checks Of the company in their pockets,
reaches degree Of cruelty that Ian
guage cannot properly characterize.
This latter default filed the poorhouse
of Ba,aga and Marquette counties with
penniless railroad paupers who cost the
thousands Of dolla<r.~ 4
As apparent proof Of the design Of
this company to saddle the country with
q part of the construction Of this road
we have the suggestion coming to us at
this late day that we may be permitted
to consider an offer in the future, Of .
compromise and partial payment. This
to men who have already nearly suffe,-
ed bankruptcy il not very hopeful
prospect, when they have clung to the
faith that hohorsble men would ultim-
ately zee the wrong Of their position
and pay their honorable dnes. While
on tins point IL Il but fair to say that
many Of our citizens have known Chris
tian H. Bull we'll, andsbeIieved he had
not lived 10 four score years Of Ago to
now, make . record OF this kind for the
first time. They insist that some ma
lign influence has controlled him, and
led him 70 OCCUPY position he would
not have done had he seen al thee
things with his own eyes and clearly
undcrstood Them - the. ARE.
Mr.. Editor. You are on the ground
with us and know Of these facts, and We
trust you win not let any pettyfogging
disguise the record these men have
made.
t Yours,
L'Anse, Nov. IL. 1891.