The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-10-09

fore i lett London, Drought soHic 'Aiiae
which / thought might want, my mino
being made up. but when now hnu
perfectly useless, and from there sent
my thirty pounds TO the Emigration
association. and received in return. an
intermediate ticket from Liyerpool 10
Montreal. on the mail steamer. van
couver," OF the Dominion line, a rail-
way ticket from Montreal 70 WICHITA
via Grand Trunk and Santa Fe, ana on
the 21st of August l arrived IN Liver
pool and there met Mr.. Atkinson OF
the International association, VINO gave
me minute directions OF my journey,
and on the 22nd / embarked on the
Vancouver and babe a sorrowful
goodbye to the United Kingdom l
may pass over my journey, IL IS sum-
Gent TO say that il could hardly nave
been more uncomfortable than II was.
The emigration association informed
me that on the journey would nave 70
spend about thirty shillings (slx dol
lars. I spent nearer thirty dollars,
and arrived in Wichita on the 4th or
September after fortnights travel-
ing, which / would not care 10 repeat.
l had pictured Wichita in my mind as
a small, wild place in the backwoods.
full of NUISANCE, steers, wooden nuts
and peopled by half savage cowboys,
and entirely savage Indians, in fact,
the description OF the emigration as
ISOLATION justified such idea, but my
establishment was great when on
alighting from the train / was met by
a crowd of porters, baggagemen ana
railway officials, and saw a most fam
liar sight, namely, the Salvation Ar
my, and found every place the civlii-
cation which l had always been accus-
toned to. Mr.. II. L. Dedrick met me.
l.; nF7fx
speak in the highest terms OF praise OF
all that he and his partner, Mr.. Keel
ing, have done for me. l must say
that they spared no pains TO meet my
wishes, and TO make me comforta bic.
/ was greatly wearied by my journey,
and so rested for eight days in Wichita
before going on a ranch. On Septem-
Der u / went 10 Mr.. Lanes farm at
Cheney where / worked for three weeks.
My dreams of driving cattle and riding
wild horses and killing game were at
once rudeiy dissipated. l had to keep
some cows and steers from straying into
corn for few days, while L was mount
ed on an old plug fit only to scare birds
from the crops, and my game hunting
consisted of few hours out with a
shot gun on Sundays. until l discovered
that | was infringing the laws Of the
state and had to give IL up. While
with Mr.. Lane | had TO do ordinary
farm work. such as doing chores, shuck-
ing corn and digging potatoes, and
liked the work very much, but at the
end of three weeks I began TO feel
very seedy, and finally fearing l might
again get i'll and 1 had to give it up, and
have now retired from the farming bus
mess. and am looking out for some Of
fee job or any such like employment.
In all my dealings with the associa-
ton, l cannot say that / was told a
deliberate lie, but can claim that there
was very gross Misrepresentation.
was led to believe that everything in
Kansas was quite different TO what 1
know it to be, and had known in time
what the farms here are like, and what
hard times Wichita has been going
through, would never for one moment
nave thought OF leaving dear old Ire
land to make my fortune in a country
where just now existence seems almost
as great problem as it was at home.
The International Emigra ton associa-
llon nave played the confidence trick
very low down on me, and have landed
me three thousand miles from home.
kindred and friends, though / must say
that all the people l have met since I
landed nave been most sympathetic and
KIND, thus making me feel much less
exiled than 1 otherwise would. / do not
1or one moment mean 10 make the
snghtest allegations against Messrs.
Dedrick or Keeling; feel convinced
mat they Imagined that they were
acting Tor a straightforward and yenI1-
ulne company, and that they would not
nave a moments connection with the
International Emigratio association III
they thought ii is the deception and
Take, which now know 1t to be.
Inc young men upon coming IN
america brlng great deal Of clothing
ana other SUPPLIES with them but very
little money; for they have already Sc
cured position according to thier con-
tract, that they can take at once and
oraw pay sufficient to pay incidental
expenses. Hence, in most cases. the
boys are hard UP. Upon arriving they
are taken to a hotel, then TO board
ing house where they pay their own ex-
penses until a job on a farm is hunted
up for them and usually that lob does
not last more than a few DAYS. The re-
suit Is that the young men must go to
a boarding house again and the first
thing they know their clothing is kent
for their board. The whole matter. ac-
cording to Mr.. Birds story. is very
cruel and should not be tolerated. He
says that he has no malice in the mat
ter himself but that he is making this
hSht not only in the Interest Of the la
Dor OF Kansas but of the entire United
states as he hopes this agitation will
stir up labor commissioners all over
the country. He says that Otto Eek
stein has no connection with the emf
grafton association except as it's at
torney at this point.