The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-09-18
SOME TT ANSWERED.
BILL NYE WRITES ARo1,r nm
PULLMAN AND HIS cARS


Copyright, 1894, by Edgar W. Nye.1
BUCK SHOALS, N. G., Summer of '94.
philharmonic, Fresno, Cal. writes:
1. us it not a great wrong for the
Worklngmen to unite against Mr.. Pull
man because he would not pay the
same wages to his employees that he
did last year. 2. Should one fold the
napkin on leaving tables 8. Is it proper
TO accept a dime from a gentleman
friend at church to put in the platter
l. Sir George Pullman has a right to
reduce his wages to hired help. of
course, as much as he desires, though
he "a hardly expect that the public
will cheerfully go on paying SIS per
wink for sleep in his cars if times get
any worse. He can, of course, reduce
wages in order to keep up his 8 per
cent. dividends, but the patron will hail
with joy the new sleeping car company
or any rival he may have which will
put the price of repose where it will
harmonic with that of other comforts.
AS a matter of fact, we are paying
war prices for slumber, and at the
same time paying the salaries of Mr..
Pullman's porSers. No one can deny
that for one moment. Mr.. Pullman
told us in June that he had been build
ing refrigerator cars and freight cars
at a loss of SIP to $24 per car, and so
could not afford to pay fair wages, but
he forgot to state that he had made
$50, O00, 900 in 80 years out of his sno
ing works, while his whisk brooms
have paid for his rolling stock and
chambermaids' salaries.
We naturally notice first of all how
we are individually affected by any
great move, naturally, as one of the
great multitude, 1 hail with joy the
prospect of better rates to the consum-
ers of sleep.
Sir George has rights which capital
always will have while the world stands,
but those who have paid double prices
for insomnia will not club together to
buy Sir George a gold headed cane as
a mark of esteem or to recoup him for
his agonized hours by the sea shore
this summer.
It may he a small matter-but we
are discussing a small matter when we
refer to Mr.. Pullman-but still there is
no more easo why we should fee a
porter on a Pullman car than that we
should fee the engineer or the bridge
gang. We generally ask nc special
service of the porter. / don't even
care whether my head is toward the
engine or vice versa, and I wear patent
leather shoes, which I wipe off gener-
ally with the linen duster Of some
wealthy passenger. I go to bed when
the porter tells me to do 80 and allow
him to rest the upper berth on my high
hat while he feels around up there for
a gold watch. 1 allow people to die in
in the berth above my own, and in
every way try to make the company as
little trouble as possible, and yet my
shillings have gone for 80 years to help
pay the salary of a man who is just as
much Mr.. P's servant as his gardener
or his butler.
The truth is that you and I, Philhar-
monte, arepaying Sir George Pullman's
coachman every time we ride in his
car. If Mr.. Pullman sees fit to hire
TO- 900 coachuen while you and I only
hire one, is that any more reason why
George should pass the hat to pay off
those ~servants7 Is it any a be-
cause Pullman uses a larger coach than
you or I that We should feed and clothe
that coachman2 THROW not.
Regarding the people who help him
build his caravans at Pullman, Ills,
his conscience no doubt informs him
every night when he retires that while
he is putting liniment on his govt a
great many hard working people are
very hungry at Pullman, Ills. I do
not say that an American may not
make a million dollars during a life
time and do it honestly in the course
of trade, and I believe that it has been
done, but when it is made by reducing
wages in order to hold up the size of
dividends, even through such hard
times as these, the capitalist must not
ask for sympathy from the public. He
will have to buy it when he needs any.
Mr.. Pullman has succeeded during
the last 80 years, no doubt, by a judi
cious use of the whisk broom in knock
ing more dust out Of the public than
most any other business man, but he
hasn't thrown so much of it into the