The Bessemer indicator., 1894-08-25
HUNGRY ATPULLMAN.
GREAT pEsrirurloN REPORTED
Governor AitE~ld. as the Result of an In
v-.tisstion, Appeals to the fabiic Tor
Ada Large Number Said to he On
the Verge of Starvation.


v-.tisation, Appeals to the faoie for
Aida Large Number Said to He on
the Verge of Starvation.
Chicago. Aug. Ex-Governor AltGcld
spent several hours to-day with com
mittee of citizens of Pullman who We're
called upon TO give him Information
regarding the starving strikers.
He was told that .. i3G families have
been helped since the beginning of the
strike and that about 100000 had been
given the relief committee, all Of which
has been used.
The governor tonight issues the fol
lowing proclamation addressed TO the
people of the state of Illinois and espe-
cially those of the city OF Chicago;
There is great distress growing out
of the want of food in aud around the
town Of Pullman. More than a thou
sand families, or in the neighborhood
of 5000 people. are utterly destitute
nearly four-fifths of them are women
and children. The men have endeav'
orcd 10 get work. but We're unable to
do so.
"As n rule, the men are a superior
class OF laborers--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
there still is such an impoverished con
dition that they cannot help their
| neighbors if they would. The relief
| society is unable to get more supplies.
ON last Saturday they gave TO each
| family Two pounds OF oatmeal and two
pounds OF cornmcal. and, having moth
| ing left. 1t suspended operations, leav-
ing the people in an absolutely helpless
condition. The county commissioners
OF Cook county. as oyerseers of the
poor. have rendered some assistance.
| but owing to the limited appropriation
| they can furnish relief but for u short
| time,
We cannot now stop 10 inquire into
| the cause Of this distress. The good
people of this state cannot allow WON.
eu and children by the hundreds Ia
perish Of hunger. l therefore call
upon all humane and charitably dis
| posed citizens tu contribute what they
can toward giving relief to these pco-
pie"
The governor has also called ON the
commissioners Of Cook county TO do all
in their power in the matter.
During the past few days Governor
| Altg"ld has corrcsponded with George
NJ. Pullman on TIE subject Of destitu-
tion at Pullman
After making a personal visit TO
Pullman. Governor Altgeld to-day ad
dressed Il personal letter to Mr., Pull
man, saying;
II examined Tie conditions at Pull
!
ers and bedrooms of many of the pco-
PIE.
II learn from your manager that last
sprin: there Were 500 people on the
pay ron Yesterday there Were DO
at work. but over 800 of these are new
men, so that only about 1,Ggo Of the
old employees have been taken back
thus leaving 1000 Of the old employees
who hive not been taken back. A few
hundred have left III. remainder
have applied for work. but were told
that they were moi needed. These are
utterly destitute The relief committee
has exhausted its resources. 1t seems
10 mo your company cannot afford To
have men appeal to me for charity and
the humanity of the state to save Tho
lives Of your old employees Four
ilfths Of the people are women and
children. No matter what caused this
distress it must be met
He then proposes that the rent Of all
unemployed be rcmittrd until Oct. l.
Mr. Pullman replied AZ length. He
said
while II has not been represented to
the officers of this company by any per
sou- concerned that there was any
such extended distress nj Pullman n
was represented for the first time bS
the extraordinary methods published
IN the kilograms to You in your official
capacity, | do not doubt that there are
many cases of need caused by the re-.
fusal of tn" employees for more than
two and ono-half months 10 earn of
fercd wages of more tllan $500 900. and
that such cases hay" been Increased
and made more severe by the resist.
ancc OF more than $50 Of ouf employees
in refusal 10 npply for their old places
after the strike was practically over
and as they were publicly invited, on
July Is. to resume work. unless by the
gradual coming of new men during the
whole month their places have been
| filled and the full force engaged for al
work In hand.
"SuggestiUn that the work should bt
| divided 50 that sufficient number OF
our present employees should be put OF
half time in order to give at lenst hall
| time for all was tried last winter. Th,
result has been that the gross earnings
| OF various Individual employees were
last winter 50 small as 10 give an erro
| neous impression with reference to til,
sutiicienoy of the rate of wages. Tn,
policy of the company is now To employ
only as many men Ms II is possible tt
| furnish work FOR on full time"
To this the governor replied substan
tally:
II see that your company refuses I,
do anything towards relieving the sit
uation mt Pullman. 1t Is not my busl
ness TO iiN the moral responsibility II
| this case. There are nearly G.OO1 peo
| pie suffering for the want of food
| They We're your employees. | also as
sumed that as the state had just beer
10 n large expense 10 protect your prop
erty you would not want 10 have til,
public shoulder the burden of relieving
distress in your town. As you refused
to do anything to relieve the suffcrin.
in this case, ! am compelled to appea
TO the public to do so"
WOODMEN OF THE WORLD.
Denver Men Eirrte,I Officers Helena