St. Paul daily globe., 1894-05-15
FLOUR CITY UNEMPLOYED
MIKE LIFE MISERABLE FOR HIS
HONOR THE MaYOR.
WANT WORK OR BREAD.

An lnCtpient breau litOt at tue
City HaIl-Hundreds of Men
Clamor for Work and Ask the
Mayor to E'aifill His Promises
MIR. Eustis in IL Ouandery-Says
He Was MisQuoted.
Although John Wilson. commander"
and his army of commonwealers have
left the city, and are now floating down
the placlt surface of the Mississippi,
his honor, Mayor Eustis, is not content.
He has more trouble to contend with
than he cares for. He sat in his big
arm chair in his Office yesterday after
loon wiping the perspiration from his
forehead and grOaning inwardly. Out
side on the stone walks that surround
the city hail were hundreds OF hungry
men,all clamoring for "work or bread"
His honor was peipleXed; in fact. he
was in deuce of 4 hoe, and he wished
most devoutly that he was well out of it.
The nearest thing to a bread riot that
ever occurred IN thus prosperous met
ropolis of the Northwest occurred yes
terday afternoon at the city hall. The
mayor (also his secretary says that GER
tain newspapers misquoted him, and
that this fact caused all the trouble.
When Gen. Wilson and his army asked
permission to speak on the public
square and enlist recruits for the march
10 Washington. Mayor Eustis declared
that not a single man from Minneapolis
should go. He promised them all that
if they would but stay at, home he would
see that if they did not get work they
would receive all they wanted to eat.
Because of this promise. several hun
dred men, who had their minds made
up to follow Gen. Wilson. remained at
home. Yesterday morning they began
to congregate at the city hall, under
the Impression that the mayor would
fulfill his promises. They came in
squads. and lined themselves along side
the gray walls, until by O'clock i'll the
afternoon the number mad SWclled to
about 800.
There is no doubt but many of the
men were actually hungry. They were
lean and gaunt and their general ap-
pearance bore every impress of hard
times. They waited about the city hall
all afternoon, but his honor did not
show up. 1t was intimated that he had
been warned of the presence of the big
crowd and would not come at all. This,
however, was mistake. for he put in
an appearance at O'clock. The crowd
became so great around the hall that it
was impossible for pedestrians to pass
down the street. Patrolmen Fleming
and Mcnamara were called in from
their beats and patroled the walks until
evening. -
MANY was the 'hard luck" story that
passed around in that motley crowd.
At least dozen of them maintained
stoutly that they had had nothing to eat
all day. There were several who SAID
that their families were actually starv-
ing and that they were unable to get
any kind of work to do or earn penny.
The mayor promised US work if we
would not 90 with Wilson," said one
gray-haired old man, land DOW we pro-
pose to see that he keeps his word. If
he hadn't made this promise we would
have gone to Washington. Here we are
without cent of money and nothing to
eat. Let the mayor do as he agreed to-"
The old man acted as spokesman for
group of men that stood at the further
end of the hall, and, when he had con-
Guided his little speech. the others ap-
plauded, and with mods of their heads
showed their appreciation anil approval
of his sentiments. Mr.. Mannix arrived
at the Office a short time before Mayor
EustiS, and he maintained that if the
newspapers had not misquoted the
mayor, the trouble at the city hall
would not have occurred. There were
dozen or more men that agreed to
swear that his honor was not misuuoted.
They affixed their names to list and
said they would have hundred signers
to it before night. There is no doubt
but many of the men who were at the
city hall yesterday did not hear what
the mayor said ON that memorable Sat-
urday. but there is also no doubt but
there were many who did.
The mayor says that he did not prom
ise the men work if they remained in
the city, but that he did say they would
be gi"en food to eat. and that it was
better to stay here than to 20 tramping
about the country in droveS. No sooner
had he reached his office than the hall
way and his reception room were filled
with men. Some of the bolder ones
crowded into his office and insisted
upon conversing with him. One of
these was A. Larson, laborer, who
lives at 6l5 Smith avenue south. He
asked the mayor if he had any work for
him to do. The mayor said:
go out and tell all of those men that
the mayor has no work for you. Go
aud see the aldermen of the ward. The
mayor has nothing to do with it. It's
al i'll the hands of the city council. and
the mayor has no more power TO give
out work than you have YOURSELF"