The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-03-10

the OhlO extension of the Norfolk and
Western railroad, was in Roanoke yes
terday and was interviewed by a reporter
for THE TIMES.
1.-The stories about the ill-treatment
| OF tho Hungarian laborers are without
foundation" said he, land if the publi-
cation of them is continued the contrac-
tors in this section will be seriously
injured, as it is now difficult to secure
labor.
The IIungarians that have raised the
row are in the camps on the contracts
in Logan, w. Va, about sixty-eight
miles from Pocahontas. There are
about five of them and they were car
ried there from New York last Noyem
Der. They were not whipped or driven
on the route from Pocahontas and have
been treated we'll They claimed that
they must have light bread and cooks
were brought along to bake it to suit
them.
My camp is adjoining that OF Pur-
cells, where the cruelties are alleged to
have been pcrpetratcd and to my own
knowledge the IIungarians have been
treated well. Nearly all of them owed
from Sl2 to SIS for transportation, and
of course it is necessary under such cir
cumstances TO keep the laborers until
the transportation is paid for, and to
keep them 1t is necessary to treat them
we'll. They have been allowed to board
themselves or board at the commissary
with the foremen, clerks ard walking
bosses at 81 per month.
"ilels, the bohemian who came down
to investigate the matter for Il Sohem-
ian paper in New York, has gone out to
the camps, and if the natives get after
him he may need the rcvolvers with
which he is said to be armed
This is a pretty wild country" CON
tinued Mr.. Ferguson. eve are in the
midst of the section we'll known as the
scene of the liatiield-NIcCoy vendetta,
and none except those who have spent
some time in this region can fully
realize the situation. A few days be-
fore Bud Mccoy was killed he went to a
camp and offered to sell some corn and
q cows
THE foreman wanted the corn but
not the COW, but was finally prevailed
upon to take both. Mccoy appeared tho
next day with the cow, but saying that
he had sold the corn for better price.
The foreman said the corn was what he
wanted, declining to take the COW. Nc
Coy leveled his rifle and said: Take the
COW or the contents of this gun. lie de-
cidcd to take the COW.
81 have been to tho houses of the
liatfield's and they always treat mo
kindly, If they suspect that a fellow is
a detective he has to get. They live
very rudely, cultivating small patches
of corn and living in rough huts. Their
money is earned by floating timber
down the river
Boats came up the river loaded with
whiskey, and with Il transporta ton
license. Hundreds OF gallons are dis
posed of among the railroad laborers in
the camps in this way, and all efforts
to prevent it have proved failures"
Referring to the work on the road,
Mr.. Ferguson said that it was moving
on smoothly and that all the contracts
for grading will be cleared up by the
fall. "Elkhorn is the present terminus
of the track and it is 1913 miles from
there to lronton, the objective point.
| suppose tracklaying will be pushed
forward as rapidly as possible.
The road strikes n corner of kentucky
and runs the entire distance through
this State under the ground, but it is
only short distance. The competition
of tho road will do much for this sec
ton, opening up the country to class
of immigrants that will make good
citizens. Already the reckless charact-
ers that have achieved notoriety for
this region, arc falling back on the
streams and among the mountains"