The St. Johns herald., 1892-06-30

spent some time in the Adirondack; country during the winter and spring, unfolds tale to-day thatis almost past believing, but which in view ot substantial evidence cannot be doubted.
 The work of building the road is sublet to various contractors, who in turn give their contracts to sub contractors. It is the foremen of these subcontractors whD act as the slave drivers. But they do not act act without authority. From what source does this authority come?
 The question will come to every one living in the light of liberty. From the army of unemployed men in this and other large cities are re- cruited patches of men who are in- duced to go up into the forest by promises of fair wages, good treat ment and good food, When they reach the end of the track the faiI promises are reiterated and they are sent "up the line," Then they are in the slave country and under the muzzle of the revolvers and Win chesters. The greatest sufferings of the men, of course, are in the win ter time, although the summer sea- son is bad enough. The men are sent up in patches of fifty, general ly. After travelling for forty-eight hours through q wild and almost impossible country, fed on crackers and cheese en route, they reach the Upper Lake, in Franklin county.
 The Upper Lake bears about the same relation to the slave country of New York as Zanzibar used to bear to the slave regions of Africa. It is the output and headquarters of the great slave traders, who never soil their hands by actual contact with the human merchandise.
 From the Upper Lake the gangs as they arrive are passed on to the camps up the line. The last gang that came from New York was de- tailed to camp No. 4, which is un- der the command of Subcontractor Strang. In the gang were Italians, Poles, Hungarians, Irishmen ard Americans. They were all to re- ceive the same wages-$65 per month and board"
 They were met by Strang, who was very merry from an overdose of tanglefoot whisky. He could not read, so his son read the letter pre- sented by the foreman of the gang The contractor leered at the fore man and asked:
 Are yea Oirlsh?" Assuming that he was from his name he ordered him to take gang four or five miles up into the forest.
 The men tramped through mud and slush ankle-deep. They were buoyed up with the hope of finding warm, cheerful campfire at the close of the march. When they arrived at their destination they found a mess-room but no place to sleep. Those who had blankets curled up on the snow under the trees and the others slept on the floor of the messroom.
 It was at this camp that they met Big Tom Lovett, the walking boss or chief slave driver. A man by the name of Anderson had been sent up from New York as a driver. The morning after reaching the camp he ordered the foreman to get the men out to work. They had gone three nights without sleep and were weak from hunger.
 The men said they could not work and when this was reported to Big Tom Lovett he swore a mighty oath, and, picking up his gun, rushed out, shouting "I'll see if they won't work"
 He flourished his Winchester and swore that he would shoot the first man that Jagged behind. None lapued that day. After the half