The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-21
STARVING AT PULLMAN.
Terrible Condition Of the Families Of
Unemployed Strikers.

Gov. Altgeld Leaves the Capital to
Invs stiEate the Situation and Ex-
tend Aid-His Visit to the Homes of
the Sufferers and What He Saw-The
Strikers Have Lived for Ten Months
on Outside Aid Relief Associations
Funds Well Nigh Exhausted.
Chicago, Aug. 20.-Gov Altgeld, in his
official capacity, came from the state cap
ital to-day to personally investigate the
condition of 1,6OO destitute ex-employes
of the Pullman Palace Car Company,
their wives and children.
Chairman Heathcote of the striking
committee and his colleagues had written
a letter to the governor. telling him the
former employees of the company who were
out of work were in a starving condition,
ana that their families were also suffer-
ing for want of the necessities of life.
After thorough investigation. the gov
ernor found Unat this statement of the
condition of the people in Pullman and its
vicinity who went out on a strike several
months ago was not exaggerated. He
also found that there was no longer any
strike at Pullman; that all the old men
had been applying daily for work for the
last ten days. All not employed are now
suffering, men and women instead Of
strikers.
The governor learned in a short time
that the great strike was Off, and that
starvation was on to a distressing extent
and he proposes to relieve the unfortunate
people as quickly as he can get the city
and county authorities to act
He said to a reporter after his visit to
the suffering community: al was met by
several of the Pullman officials, and also
by the chairman of the strike committee
and other men who had written to me
about the condition of their people there
/ asked them to take me to the homes Of
those in want. | visited a great many
houses. I went into the kitchens and
bedrooms. There is no question
about the conditions which exist in Pull
man among those who are not at work.
All the strikers have been liking for the
last two and a half months on what has
been given them by the labor Organila-
tions and charity. ! spent half day
among them and, although | confined my
visit TO Pullman, | extended my inqui-
ries to Kensington and Roseland, where
many of the people in distress live. ] had
| a consultation with the Pullman officials
and / found no difference of opinions
| as to the conditions nor as to
| the extent of the distress The officials
agreed that nearly all the strikers had to
| subsist on what had been given them by
charity and the relief association for the
last ten weeks. The relief committee
finds that its support is exhausted, and it
is not able to furnish much more When
the works closed, 1880 were on the pay
rolls. There are 2,200 employed in the
shops of that number over 600 are new
men, and the remaining 1900 are from
the original employees So there are 600
former employees not at work OF
these 800 or 600 live in Pullman and have
families. The distress is great among all.
All have offered to return to work for the
last ten days. All have been applying
daily for work and cannot get it. The
company tells them it has no work to give
them, but would give them work if posi-
Bile. expect to see more people in refer
ence to some course to pursue in the mat
ter tomorrow The relief committee s
supply has become 50 reduced that it was
able to give out last Saturday to each
family only two pounds of corn meal and
two pounds of oat meal"