New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-03-06
MANDY ON IMMIGRATION.
A WARM HEARTED wOMAN'S VIEW.


been regularly brought up before every meeting
Of tie township committee for over year to be
ne reoularlv laid over until the next meeting. AT
last at q meeting short time since the matter was
finally disposed of 10 every ones relief, and the
company were granted permission to begin work
| was very much pleased when the subject was set
tied as was heartily in favor Of the Improvement
and so | hurried home TO tell Mandy the good
news that we were to have water brought to our
door at last.
That's splendid Zeb," said she. when l had
told her Now we can have water in the house,
and IL will make lot Of work for the poor labor
ing men OF the village this fall The extra
money they will thus earn will be god-send TO
their families before the winter is over
That's just what | was thinking, Mandy.
I net poor Jimmie Sullivan down the street as
was coming home and he was telling me that no
was out of work His wife has been sick 30 long
YOU know and he says he don't know how he Will
Get through the winter with his large family.
He's been 10 so much expense with doctors bills
for his wife he has not cent saved up, and L
promiscd 10 90 and the water company To-
morrow evening and try to get some work for him.
Il hope you will, Ieb. | feel sorry for his
family. / WIS in to see his wife to-day. She
is very poorly indeed, and | think the worry She
i in about his being ont Of work keeps her from
getting better. II he could only get something
10 do IL would do her more good than medicine,
| feel sure"
The next evening went down town TO sec the
president Of tho company about poor Sullivan.
but on stating my errand he said he was sorry he
could do nothing for him a. the contractor had
all the men he wanted. | tried TO find the con-
tractor. but he was not at home, so | went home
quite discouraged but thinking perhaps | could
iii ,,ifh tho " hen
him. Tho next day they began TO unload the
iron pipes along the street. and when / went
home at night they had them strung along nearly
the whole distance. | said 10 Mandy Mt the tea
table that they seemed TO be rushing the work
along pretty lively
Yes" says Mandy, they have good many men
nt work, and didn't see a single one | knew.
They are all some sort OF foreigners, and are the
dirtiest, poorest-dressed lot Of men yOl ever set
eyes on. | was so afraid Of them kept the doors
locked and had tho dog in the house all day.
After supper Mandy and l went to call q
neighbours family, and on our way home We saw
in the vacant lot beside our house what we at
first took to he a bonfire with BIZ crowd of men
hanging around IT, We went near it 10 see what
was going on and found they had some kind of
n stove with fire in it. and they were all busy
eating
Gracious goodness, says Mandy, thems the
men who were at work drawing the waterpipes
to-day Who under the sun are they, and why
are they eating out here at this time OF night for
bnyway|
why. Mandy, they're Italians. I see now
why | couldn't get Jimmie Sullivan a job. That
COMPOUNDED contractor has brought an Italian
gang to do the work because they will work So
much cheaper, and the reason they can work 80
ia, &c ia A
they are taking the work away from the labor
ing men in the village. who should have it. It's
a downright shame, and I'll tell those water COM
pany people what | think of them when | see
them"
DO. Zcb: give it TO EN- good aud strong
Tell them Mandy Brown says She won't have
their water put in her house. she had in
tended but will get along with the well, as she
always has. Well water Is the best after ALL ac-
cording to my way of thinking. Why don't the
men go home and ca; their suppcrs? What are
they hanging around here like a lot of trainps
for anyhow
They must be waiting for some one, Mandy
Come, let's 20 home; it's chilly standing here,
and you'll catch cold
After we got in the house Mandy kept going
10 the window and looking out every few minutes
70 see il the Italians were still there She was
they went away, and the sparks might do some
mischief At last she says:
We'll, | declare, if | don't believe they are
going to sleep there all night. see some of them
lying on the ground. DO go, Zcb, and see what
they up 10. won't y0u?'
Putting on my hat | went over where they
were and sure enough the most of them had
gone TO bed; some right on the bare ground |
some of them had an old mattress under them and
others had n thin blanket or coat wrapped |
around them. and they were all sound asleep
Two or three sat around the stove keeping the |
fire going and smoking villainous looking pipes
| felt sorry TO the poor creatures lying there
on the cold ground, and going in the house | |
told Mandy | afraid they would freeze he |
fore morning if they stayed out there and had !
a good notion TO let them sleep in the barn until
they found better place.
Il wouldn't do any such thing Zeb Like as not |
they would set it afre with their old pipes and
burn US out of house and home before morning
Let them go and get boarding-place like decent
men should, and not be living like lot OF cattle |
They are taking the work away from our own |
workmen who need 1t, and won't spend a cent to |
live like Christian should try 10 live so I |
don't think it is required of us to help them |
any,
We'll, don't know but you're right. MANDY |
Well et them stay where they are to-ncht any
way; perhaps they will get place TO sleep by 70 |
morrow night"
The next morning met Sullivan on the strcet !
and told him | had not been able 10 get him |
job, as had hoped and thought il shame
to get all those Italians to do the work thar be
and Others like him needed SO much.o
Right You are. Mr.. Brown" said Sullivan
They get those Italians for rs cents dav whom
we used to get 81 80 for the same kind of work
until they began 10 come to this country in droves
They 20 to the city every Saturday night and buy
80 cents worth of stale bread and bring II out IN