Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-16
ONLY THIRTY-EiGHT TO-DAY
The Number Of Men Actually at Work
on the Post Office.
4 Brief Strike Account OF Wages
Putting the Big stones
In Place.

There was another strike on the post
office building yesterday, and for about an
hour things lC oked serious indeed. The men
labOrlng on this some-dayto- massive
pile are the aristocrats of the market that
deals in Drawn and endurance. They are
liable to receive the munificent sum of 81,
or perhaps Sl.20 for each day they chance
to work. Some Of them who are particu-
larly high priced-the members of the 400,
so to speak-get 81 10 day. 1t is altogether
a wealthy community. Well. six seven
Of the men who are handling the iron on
the top Of the first story, and who get 81 y,
and Sl.40 day, according to their eleva-
tiOnS above the ground. put their heads to-
Sether yesterday morning, and when the
noon whistles We're blowing the invitation
10 rest these cOnspiratOr went in body
TO Foreman COnnOr, the agent here of the
iron contractors, and asked him for an in
crease to S1,jO day, The foreman was not
looking through 81 80 spec tacles just then
murmured something about quitting work
if they did not get the raise.
QUIT If you want to-" was the answer.
II kin git any amount of buffers in this
town fer $50 day"
They Quit for Lunch.
So they quit for an hour. While they
were eating their lunches they discussed
was not a paying business. There were
signs of activity about the foreman that
made them think maybe he was after the
buffers to whom he had SO meaningly re-
ferred. So when the hour of l o'clock came
they went again to him and said that they
had decided to go back ON the work at the
old figures. The strike was over.
But under this there is a great deal of
feeling on the part of the men, who do not
think they are getting their share OF the
contract price. Most of them know that If
they say word about pay they are liable
to be laid off, and one Of them said this
morning to a Star reporter: Il have a wife
and two children to take care Of and my
rent to pay, and l can't afford to lose a
day, even though 1 think these wages. are
rotten bad"
The laborers, who Were unwilling to work
in the ditch yesterday morning because
they had not been paid off on Saturday
mght, were paid this morning by the con-
tractor for the brick work, Mr. Cousel
They we're hired by the contractor for the
excavation, and now the accounts Of this lob
are somewhat complicated. The work is
done at last, having taken fourteen DAYS
TO complete This accounts for the falling
on in the totals today. there being but
thirty eight men at work. If these men are
not hampered by useless delays, and are
urged to use their best efforts, and kept
Constantly at 1t, ard are not scared nv a
little rain or snow o: ice or freezing wealth
er' thty may get the building ready for oc-
cupancy on the fourth day of the new GEN.
tUry-that is, on January 1, 1900
Raising the Big Stones.
Today there is a great deal OF both
bra"n and brain being expended over the
enormous stones that are about to be lifted
into place on the caps of the low portico
columns. These stones weigh from thirteen
10 hfteen tons, and are hard to handle 1t
was thought inadviSable to use the ordinary
bIue derricks for this work, and so the great
gan that was spoken of yesterday was
bullt Nhen these stones have been placed
II Is said at the site. the brick work can be-
Sln again, and the superintendent is quite
eager TO See the trOwels flash in the air
once more, SO he is urging great speed on
the large caps that are being hoisted today
me blue derrick on the northeast corner
IS sun out of place, and does not seem a
pIt AMBITIOUS about getting up in the
world This Is the fifth day since the GEN
eral work on the frame was finished and
since then the painters and one or two iron
nan. H5 itr5 nave been pUttering around doing
d niue WORK, while the main force has been
shifted to the second frame to the south.