Iron County register., 1894-08-23
PAuPERs AT PULLMAN.


The Investigation by the Labor Commis.
ssna-LiEht Thrown on Company Meth
ods-Aen Who Cried When They Re-
refyed Their Wages-Robbed as Renters
=9ad Starved Workmen-Ihe Testi-
snoay Adduced.
CHICAGO, Aug. 1.-THE inner history
OF the Pullman company, as seen from
the Pullman strikers standpoint, was
told to the national labor commission
yesterday by Thomas Heathcole. chair
zaan of the Pullman strike committee.
The narrative proved the most inter
esting piece of testimony yet submit
ted, and was heard by large number
of persons, more than any so far seen
at this session. The day was almost
entirely devoted to the Pullman end
Of The big strike.
Mr.. Heathcole Takes the Stand.
ht the opening of the afternoon ses-
sion Mr.. Heathcole took the stand.
He has been instrumental, more than
;laay other man. in keeping the Pullman
strikers from returning to work. 1t is
acknowledged that the strikers would
zons ago have gone back at the COM
gany's terms had it not been for Mr..
5iesthcoIe's efforts. He testified that
~ks,e wages varied from S4s to six dol
lars for two weeks work. He was en-
-o;eyed by the piece. He declared that
Sbc Pullman employees did not strike
until they were forced to do so by the
conditions imposed by the COM
E'any. Many were unable to keep
their families provided with food
on the wages received. Just before
the strike some of the men got nine
hnnr 20
hours a dav. Out of this they were
obliged to pay rent. taxes, water rates,
gas and buy food. The prices on piece
work were SO low that even the best
szaea were unable to make more than
). day. The witness said he paid
Sf7-1i a month for a five-room cottage,
which could be got at Kensington or
Hyde Park for 81 to 80. This included
che Charge for water in Pullman. Mr.
zieathcole could not afford to pay for
gas for which he understood the COM
k,any charged So. so thousand.
The Pullman Rlacklists.
The witness then created mild sem
ssatiof by producing piece of paper,
which he said was one of the Pullman
Checklists" His own name headed
The list He claimed that this was the
aoriginal list, copies of which had been
sent TO all the railroads. He explained
that the list was given to him by d
clerk in the offices of the company,
whose name he refused to give. Sew
&aras men, Mr.. Heathcole said, had
been dropped for belonging to labor
unions Old men returning to work
at Pullman now were obliged to surren-
der their American Railway union
cards and sign an agreement not to
Join any labor organization for five
years If they refused to abide by
these conditions they were not given a
position He said that Supt. Middle
ton ~as not car-builder but a me-
ciazlic, and that if a more experienced
man had been in charge the men would
have made more money and business
would have been better with the COM
5pany-
A Community of Paupers.
When asked if the men in the differ
cnt departments of the car-building
works were willing to testify before
the commission and why more of them
were not present, Mr.. Heathcole an
Svvcred:
Some of them have not got money
enough to come down town. Some of
ulmeS."
Mr.. Heathcole considered it a Curl
Gus circumstance that the Pullman
company could declare big dividend
and still be losing money. ''When we
left the Pullman service" said the wit
ness, 1--WE owed the company $4,000
for rent. which we were unable to pay.
L have seen men at work who were so
L fr0r, lac nf food tho fbo,- oo,lJ
scarcely go on with their work, to such
a destitute state were the men re-
duced."
Cried When They Received Their Wages.
The witness said that if workman
cefused to live in the Pullman houses
ne was discharged. Il would like to
have the job of building those houses
at 5000 each," added the witness. Il
have seen men cry at the bank window
when they received the money for their
checks, after drawing thirty-fve or
forty cents, the rent having first been
deducted. This was all they had to
keep their families on for the next two
weeks"
Chairman Heathcole's views as to
preventing strikes were government
ownership of railroads and arbitration
WHICH IL SOuIu Dc justly dppileu
Miss Jennie Curtis,
President of the Woman's union at
Pullman, was the next witness. She
testified that the women, by work
ing just as hard as they could,
were able to make only ninety cents
day at the most and some of them only
forty cents. Her father worked for the
company thirteen years when he died.
During the six months he was ill he
got into debt to the company for rent
TO the amount of $50. This sum-
said Miss Curtis, with tears in her
eyes, ''they made me pay out of my
small wages. and have been insulted
Oy the clerk at the bank because pro-
tested against paying part of it,
Theodore Rhode.
A former workman in the Pullman
shops, testified that in addition to hav-
sng their wages cut the men were often
abused by the foremen.
Mr.. Heathcole was recalled to give
The commission some information in
regard to saloons. He said there was
only one in Pullman. but 100 in Ken
sington, a stones throw away.
a MURDERER AT LARGE.
sEscnpe OF John Eisminger. Who Killed