The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-12-31
HARD WORK, NO PAY
Terrible Treatment Received by ia
borers at the Hands of Rail Il,
road Contractors.
Nothing Received in Return for Weeks
of the Hardest Kind of
Work.

WATERFOWL, N. Y, Dec. %. Charles
Renner, Stephen Broes and Otto Keys ar
rived at Carthage Saturday ni.ht and were
glad to get shelter in the village lookup.
They were not tramps. and the story they
told was SO similar to others that have been
heard in this section lately there is little
reason to doubt that there is some truth in
it. Renner is all intelligent German, whose
story is as follows:
Three months ago I left New York City to
work on the railroad near 'ruppers Lake. Our
fares were paid to our destination with the I'M
Outstanding that it was to be taken out of the
first months pay. We were promised Sl.25 a
day and good board aud lodging at SO cents Il
day. Arriving there found that the con-
tractors owned the store and boarding no uses.
The latter were cold and cheereSS. There vera
no stoves. The only means OF heating was by
a fire place cut i'll the wall. 1t was simply Il
large hall circle cut in the wall and stones were
Laid in the floor to prevent burning There
no chimney. When the wind was In the right
direction there was a draught which carried the
smoke away. but when it blew toward that
hole in the wall the smoke staid in the room,
making 1t sntfocating. The building was SO
loosely put together that often COM
PEELED to get up three or four times in the night
and warm ourselves at the fire. .s-.
The beds were hunks, OF which there were three
tiers, one above the other In each OF them
there was IL quantity OF loose hay and one
blanket. Pay day was on Sunday always. On
the first pay day | went with Others to draw
my pay, and when my name was called
stepped up. ! was informed that was III debt
to tue company for 50. There were explana-
lions given and we We're compelled to submit.
i had SIP or 81 with me when went into the
camp. Such biz prices were charged at the com
panys store that l walked toiTupper's Lake.
where there store, and purchased what l
needed.
On the second pay day l thought I surely
would receive some money, but my name be-
ing called found that | had been charged $40
Tor the use OF the company's rinware and that
every other man i'll the camp had been used the
same way. There were seventy OF us. which
made 500 for the use OF the tinWare, and there
was not a hundred dollars worth in the whole
camp.
We were all in debt to the company. The
next month no bet ter. We told that
there WAS nothing coming to us.
worked until last Monday and quit. These
men with me did the same. We asked for our
time and were told that unless returned to
work we would get nothing. AS we had not had
anything so far and the prospects did not seem
to improve, We thought that we should be just
as well Off to quit ana start away as to work
and be forever in debt to the company. rhe
CONT acSors out here are all southern men and
all the boarders. There arc a great
many negroes and Il large number OF Italians.
The latter have had much trouble. A number
OF them have been killed.
The men say that when they arrive at
New York they will employ an attorney to
obtain redress for them.