The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-25
HOME LIFEIN HOMESTEAD
ANARCHY's UNHAPPY CHOICE FOR
A HORRIBLE EXAMPLE

Ar, These the Homes OF the Slaves OF
"a soulless OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
If the Mil Workers Knew They
were Better OF Than Most Laboring
Men Elsewhere.
From the NeV York Tribune.
Homestead was appropriately named. II
g community Of homes. When the Car
Dogte company assumed control of the
homestead works it decided to give perma-
nent character to employment by assisting
the men 90 own their own homes and avoid
the drain of rent. To this end 1t offered to
become a bank of deposit; to receive such
aims as the men were disposed to lay aside
from their earnings, and to allow per cent.
interest on all such deposits from the day OF
dsposit to the day Of withdrawal. includ-
inc fractions Of months. When a
man had saved enough money to
purchase a lot. the company agreed
20 furnish the amount required to build a
house, taking a mortgage on the house TO
cover the loan, the mortgage drawing In
terest at the rate OF per cent. The amount
Of Individual deposits was limited to 1900,
the company not caring to pay so high a
rate of interest upon larger sums to any one
person.
Since this system was adopted 267 men
have built houses, and, having paid off the
mortgages, own them outright. These
houses cost from 81, 600 to $4,000 each, and
are as pretty a lot Of cottages as one would
care to see. The smallest of them contains
five rooms, aud is two stories in hight
The largest has twelve rooms, and is three
stories high, with mansard roof and wide
Verandas
The company has built for the accommo-
dstion of its laborers large number of
small tenementS. There are long rows of
these houses on the bluff above the mills
Each house contains five rooms. They are
occupied chiefly by the Hungarians and
other day laborers, who earn from 81 40 to
81 day, the rents ranging from IS to Sl2 q
month. The Hungarians are about the only
class among the Homestead workmen which
buy the cheapest grades of goods. They all
save money, and appear to have enough
spare cash with which to buy cheap whis-
key. They are seldom disorderly, and if
they do any fighting it is generally among
themselves. Few of them are naturalized
citizens, and fewer still are qualified by in
telligence TO exercise franchise. They
have no intention of making permanent
home in America. Many OF them work
steadily until they have saved a few hun
dred dollars. when they return to their
native land to enjoy the fruits Of their
labor. Some of them, no doubt, buy small
tracts Of land and become small farmers,
being regarded as landed proprietors by
their less fortunate neighbors who have
remained at home.
These men club together in the cottages
at Homestead, just as the same classes OF
foreigners do ia the east side tenements OF
New York several families at times congre.
eating in single apartments. The company
tries to prevent this grouping as far as pos
sible, but the hungarians pay little atten-
ton to the regulations made for the benefit
OF the health of them ali. They buy the
cheapest meats and vegetables, and their
houses are equipped with no more furnish
ings than are absolutely required. Fifty
cents day, exclusive Of rent, will cover the
expenses Of an entire Hungarian family
and when two or more families are grouped
together in one cottage, the average of
living expense is even smaller. Cured
meats, potatoes and bread are the staples of
diet The Hungarians are desperate fight
ers when they have the odds OF numbers in
their fovor, as was shown by the treatment
Of the Pinkerton guards after the surrender.
The women are fully as desperate as the
men, and are as dangerous with knife or
club as their husbands. The Hungarians
constitute a dangerous element, because
they are easily led TO any disorder that
promises successful issue. They are not
strikers, and have no interest in the trouble
at Homestead other than that they are
bound TO obey the association that controls
the iron and steol workers at the mills.
There is a very pronounced condition re-
sembing caste between the higher and
lower classes of workmen. The men who
can earn from So to $40, and even Sl4 a
day, live in what is, for Homestead, lux
urious style. They own their own and
other houses, and buy the best of every
thing. When inquiry as to prevailing
prices was made at the store of the leading
shoe dealer, he quoted from sales of shoes of
grade specified, aud remarked: 1--WE can
sell those only to the Hungarians. The
other workmen buy the best qualities we
have.n
had the pleasure of visiting some Of the
nne cottages owned by rollers, heaters aud
ScreWmen. One of twelve rooms, built and
owned by roller, and occupied bY his
FAMILY, will serve as fair illustration of
tne class OF houses owned and occupied by the
higher priced workmen. This house cost
So,HOO and was paid for within three
years. The owner said that his earn
lngs had averaged about SITS a
month year Ia andAyear out and including
tne periods when he was forced to remain
o-Story, Mansard roof house, with wide
Eeranda on two Sides Large double doors
open INTO the main hall, from which stair
way winds to the upper rooms On the left
~ Vue entrance is the parlor, which occupies
ene whole OF the main front. Tapestry
carpet WHICH cost 81 Is yard covers the
paTIor floor and the hail. The parlor is
t1rnlshed with furniture upholstered in
plush and silk, with oak or black walnut
lanes A grand piano occupies one corner
VI tne room, about which are tastefully
psaCeu number OF easy and ornamental
oualIS Near the marble mantel stands an
Tp'oI on which Is an unframed oil painting
nnere are half dozen medium-sized
r moILs III OIL on the walls, and as many more
ray my good etchings and engravings.
aus rear OF the house forms a double L.,
:. oue end OF which is the kitchen and
SSSHuTy and in the other the dining room.
Z, " 70 Kitchen floor is of pine, scrubbed until
- 10 white as the holy stoned deck of a
st; The room contains range, set-tubs
-, sne usual paraphernal1a of a well-or-
80 80 culinary apartment. The dining
80 80 Is very large and is library as we'll
So uihing room. On one end is a goodly
- ~ lAanogany sideboRrd and on the other
use use well filled with standard books. An
co,selson table in the center Of the room is
R.nsIeeq with heavy cloth. The carpet is of
drools, and under the table is heavy
bishEst' The master Of the house has for
tba o"h use large escritoire standing by
La. o'ue OF his bookcase. The bedrooms are
tnro well lighted and airy. The furni-
rooT,t 1t Vi maple, antique oak and ash. The
hall