The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-10-23
Laborers Are Being Imported
From Old Mexico.
They Come Under Contract and Get
Paid in Groceries.
The Great Kentucky Corporation APP
pears In ~ Nav Kole-Ic IL Max
ing Tramps by the
Wholesale.

the land. The ease and grace with
which this great Kentucky concern can
outrage justice and hover. year after
year. just outside the reach OF the law.
is not excelled By any individual, COM
psny or corporation in existence.
This fact is just now being very well
illustrated by the manner in which it is
evading the contract labor law. The
Southern Pacific company has at the
Mexicans employed on its lines between
Yuma and Bakersfield. including the
branch to Santa Barbara, who were all
brought from Mexico under contract to
work for the said law-desplsing corpora
ton, and who are now being treated in
q manner truly characteristic of South
ern Pacific methods.
Ever aince the recent big railroad
strike the Southern Pacific has been Sc
lecting men to work ON lite lines with
view to their inability to 90 On sue
cessful strike. Guarding against strikes
has been one of its chief studies. 1t
requires about 600 men to handle the
coal and do the section work on its lines
from Yumaito Bakersfield and to Santa
Barbara. Some genius, high up in
Southern Pacific circles, conceived the
idea Of importing Mcxicans for this
work, and he did not stop with that,
but has worked his genius to such an
extent that no has conceived and put in
successful operation schemes to avoid
paying these ignorant. laborers the pit
lance their contracts call for.
The Southern Pacific company has
opened an employ mert agency at Ell
Paso, Texas.
This office Ia in charge OF a man who
has a wide acquaintance in Mexico.
Agents are cent down into that country
who represent to the laDorerH that by
crossing the river to Ell Paso they will
be able to get all the work they want in
the United States at $l.25 per day.
This is very glittering proposition to
the average Mexican laborer and he
strikes out for Ell Paso. Texas, with
great alacrity. There he is steered very
carefully to the Southern Pacific's Texas
employ ment agency and he gets q Job
at once. lie is to get SLIPS per day and
his passage to the scene of operations
and ct the expiration of his contract o
pass back to FL Paso.
There are few little peculiarities
about the contract which. to the mind
OF the Mexican laborer, do not signify
much, but which the Southern Pacific
Railroad company OF Kentucky, con-
siders master strokes of financial acu.-
men.
The contract extends over period of
six months. Unless the laborsr fulfills
the contract to the very letter he gets
only 81 per day. Very few. If any, OF
the men thue imported will ever work
out the six months. The Southern Pa
ciiic attends to that in several different
| ways.
| For instance. the man does not get
his pay in money. He geta an order on
Norton, Drake q Co. TIE firm of Nor
ton, Drake & Co. conducts large gen.
eral store ON the corner OF San Fernando
and Sotello streets in this city. The or
ders will be paid in dry goods, notions,
boots and ehoes, groceries, tobacco and
sundries. but not in money. There is a
rumor that the profits of the firm of
Norton, Drake & Co. eventually find
their way into the Golfers OF the South
ern Pacific company OF Kentucky. Be
this as it may, there is certainly close
relationship between the two, and the
profits which Norton. Drake & Co. make
come out of the men who work for the
Southern Pacific company under con-
| tract.
Down under the lee of the hill which
RIGGS up between the roundhousea and
car shops OF the Southern Pacific com
pany, on San Fernando street, and the
old graveyard on Buena Vista street are
pitched some tents. Outside the tents
are roughly constructed fire places and
benches and tabloe. Some people are
ccmping there. They are Mexicans.
/. l. Al Il
Southern Pacific company. They worked
for many long, weary weeks shoveling
coal or ballasting ties at 81 per day and
took their pay in ordera on Norton,
Drake & Go. They quit before their
contractn had expired, and thus were
refused their passage back TO Ell Paso.
| They walked from various places along
the Southern Pacific railroad, all the
way from Yuma and Bakersfield to this
city, in order TO get their orders cashed,
and were told when they at last reached
the store of Norton, Drake & Co., that
their orders were payable in goods only.
A reporter OF the HERALD interviewed
these men in the little camp last night.
They speak not a word OF the language
of the land OF the Southern Pacific, but
by the aid OF an interpreter, they told
of their trials.
Just now they have no immediate fear
Of starvation, for their orders on Norton,
Drake & Co. still hold out and new re-
cruits arrive slmost every day, who
have orders to throw into the general
pot, but the orders will give out eventu-
ally and these wretched people, penni-
less in g strange land. will join the great
and growing army of tramps, and the
Southern Pacific Railroad company will
be responsible for it.
Yesterday there arrived in the city q
Mexican woman who had walked oil the
way from Bakers6eld on the track OF
the Southern Pacific railroad. She had
eaten along the route just what che
could beg from the people. who are over
run with tramps. She was unable to
speak a word of English. Weary,
hungry, sick and dishesrtened, she stag
gered into tie store OF Norton, Drake &
Co., and laid down an order
for $l3, which represented all
the wages her husband had coming
from the Southern Pacific Railroad COM
pany after several months Of hard work.
She received the cheering intelligence
that che could get $l3 worth of any kind
! of goods che desired. Late last night
cha waa mill etandin0 in 'front.' ~ the