Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1893-11-09
APPEALING TO GOV. PECK.
Families of GogebiC Range Miners Actually
In Want OF Bread.

ASHLAND, Wis, Nov. 3.-The situation
growing more alarming every day.
Actual suffering from lack of food is re-
ported, and threats of looting the stores
there are heard on every side The
idle men were formerly miners, but
| have not had days work in the mines
| they claim since last April. They have
been employed at odd jobs by township
authorities but the orders then received
IN payment for their services have
| been discounted to such an ex-
tert, they claim, that they have
been almost worthless Even these
town orders have now been cut off, and
! the town authorities have refused to
issue any more. In their desperation
the men met and chose one of their
number to appeal to Gov. Peck for ad
vice and assistance, If possible. w. G.
Rodda penned the following, which was
| sent to the Governor:
HURLEY, Wis, Oct. 27.-To the Governor of
tile State-SIR: We, the undersigned are
poor workingmen, the majority of us
miners, depending upon the mines for
| living for our wives and families.
| Sir, we have been out OF work since the
last of April the majority of us except
little work. We have been working for the
time when it was fit weather for us to work,
and our town orders we have had to cash,
| or rather gave to the storekeepers for food.
| They have taken out Of the orders,
before they would give us any
1000 from n % to 10 per cent
for the provisions, than when we were
working in the mines, with cash instead of
(! these orders And now we cannot even get
orders for what we have worked, neither
food for our families, and our families are
in want of bread. We have seen the board,
and some of our wives have been to the
chairman of the board, Mr.. Mcclellan, and
he told us he would not give us our orders
to get food, neither will he help us, and
Mr.. Mcclellan being poormaster, told our
wives that we men would have to get out of
this place and leave our families for them to
care for
Sir, we want to know from you by return
of post if you can assist us or do anything
for us. If not, we shall be obliged to make
rush on the stores for provisions. We
thought we would ask your advice before
making a riot, as we being American citi-
Zens would not like to disgrace ourselves;
but hunger is sharp and to see our chill
dren crying for food and not having any
thing to give them is more thar we, as a
body of honest workingmen, can stand
nor neither will we. Sir, we SHALL
all and every one OF us, feel
greatly obliged if you will answer by
return OF post, as we cannot stand out any
longer, from hunger. Some Of us have
worked for three days without any dinner
and very little supper, as we have not had
anything to eat nor will the storekeepers
give us any without town orders or cash:
Hoping to hear from you sir, by return OF
AMERICAN CITIZENS.
P. S.-SIR: Having been picked out by the
men to write you, will you please answer to
this address: William Charles Rodda, Hur-
ley, Wis.
Gov. Peck sent out two letters from
his executive chamber in Madison, as
result of the receipt of the above letter.
One he addressed to Mr.. Rodda, telling
him the matter would be fully investi
men should do nothing unlawful. His
letter to J. J. Defer, chairman of the
Iron County board, is as follows:
CHAIRMAN BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IRON
County, HURLEY WIs.-Dedr Sir: | am in
receipt of a letter from man named Rodda,
Of Hurley, laying before me the situation OF
affairs as far as he and his companions are
concerned, which | enclose to you; with
request that you investigate the matter and
do what seems proper in the prem
ises | note in this letter sort
of threat that if something is not
done at once these men will make
rush on the stores. That [ have advised
l presume they will do so: Men who are
hungry are liable to do things that they
would regret at another time. l trust that
you will look into the matter as soon
Situation. + & of course / know
that your county is new one and not as
we'll prepared tor such an emergency as
some of the older counties, but l
should feel badly to have serious trouble
occur in this new county that it has been
liza, %<,a 10 nd nff inn
believe that the officers of your county
are as good as those of any county in the
state and l am satisfied that they will do
everything that is possible to assist deserv-
ing people who may be temporarily en-
barrassed and poor, and keep the peace I'M
very truly. GEORGE w. PECK.
To-day Chairman Defer answered
Gov. Peck's letter. He said:
To HIS ExCELLENCY, Gov. PECK: Your
letter of the 10Th ult., concerning poor per
sons in Iron County, reached me i'll due sea-
son, and l availed myself of the first
opportunity to take legal advice on the sub
Jet. TO that end | consulted Lamoreux,
Gleason, Shea and Wright, of Ashland, and
they told me that the county OF
Iron cannot legally relieve any poor
persons residing and of settlement in the
people referred to me, do reside and are
of legal settlement in that town. If any of
them are properly chargeable to the county,
| will endeavor to make provision for them
with all practicable despatch:
j.. DEFER,
Chairman of Iron County Board.
The cold weather of to-day and the
thought of what the next few weeks
will bring forth. has added new horror
to the situation of the idle men, whose
lot has been a hard one even during
the mild summer months. How to
help them is question which calls for