The morning call., 1893-08-24
BOILERS OF SOUP.
Feeding the Unemployed
at Fresno.
GRINDING THOSE WHO WANT.
Heinous Conduct of the Managers of
Vineyard Near Fresno-Locked
the Coats Up.

FRESNO. Aug. 23.-More than the usual
activity was manifested in the labor world
to-day, though nothing of disordery
nature occurred. This forenoon a num-
ber of prominent business men met to take
immediate steps toward getting some
thing TO feed the men who were hungry.
Mr.. Parsons. who has been in charge of
the Free Labor Bureau. said that
the vineyardists will not begin picking
for some days, and that the men are alb
solutely hungry. Without money and
without food. he thought some steps
should be taken at once to get them some
thing to eat. The fact that they mad maiu-
tanned good order, although many of them
had not had square meal for week. was
pretty good evidence that the men we're
law-abiding.
In a short time 500 was raised and a
committee appointed to go 10 the City
Trustees ana tell them to provide 100
shOveIs at once and three or four overseers
for the men. Then another committee
was appointed to proceed at once to rent
or buy a large stove and boilers. dishes
and cooking utensils and set the cooking
utensils up at the Free Labor Bureau in a
room which was furnished rent free. then
TO buy beef. cabbage. potatoes, onions and
bread enough to make seventy-fve gallons
of rich SOUP and take it down TO the Free
Labor Bureau. The same committee FUR
nished tables and benches.
All of this was accomplish ed within an
hour after the meeting adjourned. The
fire was soon raging in the stove. and from
the ranks OF laboring men a corps of cooks
were obtained. and they were told to so
into the kitchen and make enough soup to
fill every man.
They went to work chopping cabbage,
slicing onions. cutting meat and peeling
potatoes, and soon several large boilers
were bubbling with soup. The throDg Of
hungry men on the outside understood
what was going on and viewed it with
lively satisfaction, and many of them had
not tasted food since the soup dinner yes
terday and some since before that time.
About the time the boilers began TO send
up their columns OF steam, and beef.
onions and cabbage scented the air. wagons
loaded with sh0yels appeared, and it was
plain to be seen that eating and working
were going hand in hand. Citizens are
going to furnish soup meals. and the City
Trustests sh0vels and overseers. and all
men who get tickets for meals Will be re-
Quired TO help at cleaning the alleys and
streets.
There Will be no such thing as free-meal
tickets. Every man will be required TO
work four hours day and for his work he
will get three meal tickets. By this means
he can pay for what he gets and will not
feel that he is begging.
There was good deal of Indignation
expressed amona men around the Labor
Bureau this morning against the manager
OF the Barton vineyard.
Twenty men went out there last even
ing from the labor bureau, with the under
standing that they were 10 work around
the place until grape picking began for 80
cents a day ard board. When the time
came to pick grapes they were to receive
current wages. This morning six of the
twenty came back 10 town, and said that
the manager of the vineyard had locked
up the mems coats and then tried TO get
them TO sign a contract to the effect that
they would stay during the grape-plcking
season an1 work for 30 cents a day and
board.
The contract further stated. these men
claim. that one-fourth Of tho 30 cents per
QdJ NOulQ DC ll0au OdNh8 anu III Cuoc dHg
man became drunk and disorderly he was
to forfeit this amount. The men say that,
instead OF doing odd jobs until grape
picking had begun, there are now 130
acres Of malagas ready TO be gathered
and that they were to have gone to work
on them this morning.
The six men that returned state that the
others remained out there trying 10 get
their coats. which were locked up. They
came in later in the day and verified the
statements.
Another meeting of growers was held
yesterday. and a rate of 81 a day and
board agreed to.