The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-02-01
Poor Fare and Bad Treatment
Made Men Quit.
Story Of Men Who Were Employed to
Replace Strikers.
WoriSmen wouldn't Stand the Strain
and Are Now Called Deserters.

The visions OF steady employment, good
wages and short hours fostered by the
men who enlisted to take the places OF the
striking railroad men in Brooklyn, seem
to have vanished like smoke, according
to the story of one of them who arrived
from New York this morning. This man
claims that deception vas practised Dy
the agent who has been at Hotel Perrin
engaging men for some time past ana
that none of the agreements OF the COM
pany was lived up to.
In the first place, he states that the man
who engaged him to go to Brooklyn said
his name was. Howard. In brooklyn,
however, he discovered that the mans
name was Powell. Again, the agent pro-
missed them, 1t Ia stated, that the strike
was practically aettled; that the men need
have no fear OF bodily injury; that they
would have nothing to DO
the first week but to learn
the workings of the system and become
familiar with the city; that their pay
would run on just ths same; that they
would be well fed and lodged at com
Portable hotel or boarding house and that
things generally would be rosy ana
serene. An agreement was signed here
and last Monday night the men, ~ IN
number, went on, some of them giving
up their positions here with the Union
halfway lompauy.
The man who told THE NEWS all this
continues: "we reached New York
Tuesday morning and were met by detec-
tives Who escorted US to Brooklyn. Here
we boarded q car and went to the Office
where we were asked to sign an entirely
different agreement from tnat we signed
in Providence. 1t did no good to COM
plain, as we must have the work, so we
signed. Then another car took us to the
barn,
''Here the accommodations were rilser-
able. Instead OF a comfortable boarding
place, over 100 men had to sleep on lousy
cots In the car house, with only 80 blan-
kets for all. The food was worse than
prison fare. 1t was cold; the coffee, as 1t
was called, was stops; the potatoes hall
cooked, the meat upcooked, and
the bread-well, i should think 1t had
been kicked around the barn floor. We
were told to 60 to work. but nobody told
me how or where. We took cars and went
whittier we pleased and got back as well
as we could
'Istarted on trip down town and the
first thing knew big piece OF iron came
flying into the cur, followed by
bricks and stones. The cop
how got back to the car house, but when
did rendered my resignation.
"rhen came more trouble. The manager
urged US to continue. We told him we
came to work, not to be killed. Then he
told Us II we didn't want to work we
could consider ourselves discharged. We
told him that we didn's re-
quire him to discharge us,
as we wanted to leave. Finally
after GONE difficulty VIC got ctr baggage
and went over 10 the labor union.
"There We were treated royalty, fed and
lodged and they payed our fares home,
and we came over on tho Maine Wednes-
day night. There were Is of US, II Provi-
dence men and ok from Lowell. Yester-
day the union sent 90 men 10 Indian
apolis. In this way all the new men are
leaving, or 'dsserting,' as they call IL.
"Why there in Brooklyn we couldn't
move without guard. Ii we went out, a
solder went with us. II we happened to
step ever the dead line, we received a
bayonet thrust from behind"
The man who told the above story
says the condition of things Is
very critical and fully as bad
as tho newspapers have published. He IL
married and has a young daughter and
has had three and one half years expert
ence as motorman. His only desire now
Is to get his old position back, feeling
that hereafter he will "lct we'll enough
alone"
Agent j. Howard has gone back to
Brooklyn. IL seems, much to the regret of
the oesertingn motormen, who would
like 10 interview him for few minutes.