The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-09-11
At PULLMAN.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCES OF
ONE OF THE BARoN'S DUPES.
a vivid Pen Picture of the Workings of
the Pluck-Me System in the
Model ~ TOWN.

10 the Editor Of the SATURDAY. Critic:
DEAR SIR:-I have read with interest
your recent issues in which you so ABLY
champion the cause of labor, and I am
led to offer you the following which
embraces nay experience as a Pullman
employee:
The fundamental law of humanity is
the Golden Rule 1t is a principle
upon which our philanthropists, who
are giving up their lives to the study
OF our great social problems, work.
There are many ways by which philan-
thropy makes itself known, and there
are numerous master minds to dav
hard at work sacrificing time and per-
sonal interests so as to enable them to
advance the common welfare of man
kind,
To this class of public b~enefactors
has been associated the name of George
M. Pullman.
As you read the name you recognize
it at a glance. His reputation is world
wide. The traveller who must go a long
distance by rail, does not anticipate a
tiresome journey, for has not the I'M
firing efforts of Mr.. Pullman given him
a a to ride and sleep in with accom-
modations equal to those available at
a f~rst-class hotel9
The laborer throughout the country,
undoubtedly has read of the town
founded by Mr.. Pullman, of it's wonder
full advantages to the workingman. It's
homes with all sanitary improvements.
Its schools with the best of instructors.
It's library of selected volumes. It's
parks, drives, terraces, etc., all at the
disposal of a Pullman employee and he
signs as he thinks how much better the
world would be if there were only more
of these public benefactors. These i'm
p~ressions, in so far as they relate to the
workingman have been obtained from
time to time by newspaper accounts of
the Pullman plant and homes. Have
you stopped to consider as to whether
or not these reports are authentic9 Per-
haps the recent labor trouble has set
you to thinking. Perhaps there has
risen a doubt in your mind as to
whether it is the semi-paradise its Off
Gals would have you believe. Would
an actual experience given by a former
employee tend to win over your sym
pathy for a class of d~own-trodden men
and women9 If SO 81 could a tale IN
fold that will cause each individuals
hair to stand on end"
The second day of January, 1890, I
placed my name upon the Pullman
payroll and I joined a body of work
ingmen, representing many trades and
professions, numbering upward of five
thousand. My work lay in the paint
shop on a class of work known as hard
wood finishing, the schedule price for
such work being fixed at 28c. per hour,
a rate uniform with that of other shops.
During my first year under Pullman
administration I did not suffer any
personal inconvenience beyond that
occasioned by the stringent rules upon
which the shops were conducted; rules
which contrasted strongly with those
in vogue at the Chicago & Northwest
ern r. r. shops, which Ihad previously
left. Conversation was strictly for
hidden and the usual five minutes
allotted for washing up were denied us
here, except as it was done on the work
mans time. These of course are trivial
matters and of no import, still it showed
plainly the autocratic principle upon
which the shops were run, and | felt
somewhat disappointed at not finding
nv new home as I had pictured it.
The lawns and terraces did not look SO
attractive as formerly and I began to
| see evidences of dissatisfaction among
many of the employed. Three reduo
tions in wages occurred during my
first year in Pullman, reducing my
wages from % to 24c. But my expert,
ence was only in its infancy. I was
vet to have a more thorough insight
into Mr.. P's somewhat advanced ideas
of philanthropy. Starting in with the
year 1891, I married. I had been pre-
viously informed by fellow-workmen
that a married man would be compelled
to reside in Pullman or acceptthe alter
native. which meant the loss of work.
The lady 1 married was a resident OF
the town opposite, Kensingtonb by name,
and separated from Pullman by the
Illinois Central R r. We had decided
to make Kensington Jul home, partly
to crafty her wish, and also because