The Forrest City times., 1894-08-24
ALTGELD'S APPEAL

the Idle City-Caustic Letters to George
 M. PuIlman-Thc Latter's Defense.
 CmcAeo, Aug. 22.-After making a thorough investigation of the condi- tions existing among the ex-employes of the Pullman company who partici- pated in the strike Gov. Altgeld last night issued the following relief app peal
 10 khe People of Me State of Illinois, and
 EspeciaHy 7Aosecf the Cay ef Chicago:
 There IS great distress growing out of the want of food in and around the town of Pullman. More than 1000 families, or in the neighborhood of 5000 people, are utterly destitute. Nearly four-fifths of them are women and children. The men have endeav- ored to get work, but were unable to do so. have made personal exami- nation of the case, and learn from the officers of the Pullman company that prior to the strike they had 3,260 names an the pay roll. Tester day they had 2,2eo men at work, but more than 600 of these are new men, so that they have only
 
 at work, leaving about 1,66O that have not been taken back. Several hundred of these have left, but the re- mainder are unable to go and have nothing to eat. I find that immedi- ately after the beginning of the strike . relief association was formed to pro- vide for the needy, and the books of this association show that 2,463 appli- cations were made by the Pullman em- ployes, mostly heads of families, to this association for aid. In fact, nearly all the employees, except the few hun- dred who left, have been supported by charity for nearly three months.
 As rule they are superior class of laboring people, industrious, capable and steady, and some of them have worked for the Pullman company for more than ten years. Those who have been given work can get food, but they are still in such an impoverished condition that they cannot help their neighbors if they would. The Relief society is unable to get more supplies. On last Saturday it gave to each fam fly two pounds of oatmeal and two pounds of cornmeal and having nothing left it suspended operations, leaving the people in an absolutely helpless condition. The county commissioners of Cook county, as overseers of the poor, have rendered some assistance, but owing to limited appropriations they can furnish relief for short time only.
 We cannot now stop to inquire the cause of this distress. The good peo- pie of this state can not allow women and children by the hundred to perish by hunger.
 I therefore call upon all humane and charitably disposed citizens to con- tribute what they can towards giving relief to these people. I am satisfied that any contributions sent to the Pull man relief committee at Kensington, H., will be judiciously distributed. find their treasurer has given bond to properly account for all moneys re- ceived. JOHN F. ALTGELD,
 Governor.
 The governor also sent a communi- cation to the commissioners of Cook county, appealing to them, as the off, cers upon whom devolved the duty of providing for cases of this kind, to do the uttermost in their power to furnish immediate assistance to the people in distress.
 The correspondence between Gov. Altgeld and George NJ. Pullman in re- lation to the destitution in the town was given to the press by the governor. 1t began last Sunday, when the gov ernor sent telegram to Mir. Pullman from Springfield in response to num- Der of appeals made to him by strik- CTS for assistance. In this dispatch the governor tells Mir. Pullman that although the state of Illinois has not the least desire to med dle in the affairs of the company, 1t cannot allow whole community within it's borders to perish of hunger, and informs the president of the com pany that unless relief comes he would either have to call special session of the legislature to make an appropria- tion or else issue an appeal to the hu mane people of the state to give bread to the company's employees. He adds: ''lt seems to me you would prefer to relieve the situation yourself, espe- cially as it has just cost the state up wards of S50,o0O to protect your prop erty." In a letter written yesterday to Presi- dent Pullman, the governor makes a statement of the condition of the starving people, based on his tour of investigation made the day before at Pullman. He tells Mir. Pullman that
 T. adds: