The record-union., 1895-01-30
The INDUSTRIAL PROBLEM SOLVED.
How Sacramento Looks After the Un-
employed.
Noble Work of the Federation of Re-
ligious Beneficence-An Interview
With President Baugh,

housed keeper Is not ignorant OF this fact,
since there have been few intimidating
calls upon her for something to eat since
the Federation of Religious Benefcence
established a work-yard for the begging
unemployed.
On the other hand but few persons,
perhaps have any definite knowledge as
TO how the details of the rock-pile are
conducted, This fact led a RECORD
UNION reporter to call upon Rev. Mr.
Baugh, Chairman of the Board of Fedora
ton of Religious Beneficence, and 10 in
Quire as 10 detailed account OF the work.
,as First, we have a competent manager
in the person of Bert Entrican," said MIR.
Baugh, "who reports at our rock pile,
which is located between Ninth and
Tenth, B and G streets, at o'clock every
morning unlocks the chest of tools,
which means about fifty four-Dound ham
mers with three-fooE hickory handles.
The long handles are preferred in break
lug cobbles and short ones in reducing
granite.
The name assumed or reaD and occu-
patton OF each man is placed upon book
kept by Mr.. Entrican, as he begins work.
The workman at once selects his place,
likewise his cobbles, and proceeds to earn
his bread by the sweat of his brow.
MANY ingenious ways are hit upon to
secure speed ana ease in securing the re-
guired amount OF broken CObbles for q
meal or lodging. one man Will work out
hole III the earth six or eight inches
deep, with a foundation of broken cob
= bles at the bottom, or q large cobble with
a flat surface. Another heaps up guam
tity Of cOhDleS and stands over the pile,
and, with Nulcan-llke power, strikes the
cObDles indiScriminately. Still another
has learned that a cobble has grain, as
well as wood and iron, and this man
makes his brain help his muscle. Again,
one believes in the use of all his limbs in
the business, and holds the cobble be-
tween his feet while he sits on rock
ottoman and uses short-handled ham,
mer.
However, when the breaking is accom-
plished, redwood boxes of cubic foot
measurement are furnished, and the men
are required TO measure out two cubic
feet OF broken cobbles for ticket, which
is good for either one meal or lodging at
our Shelter on Front street.
ut requires an average cobble- breaker
about one hour, or little over, to earn
ticket"
How many tickets have you issued?"
was asked.
up to last Friday night there had
been 1916 applications for work, but this
number does not mean SO many different
men, since one man may represent sew
eral applications. There had been, up to
the date mentioned, 5,605 meal and 500
clothing tickets issued"
"W nat is the daily average number of
men at work at the rock-pile?"
For three or four weeks past" replied
Mr.. Baugh, about sixty per day, but
the men are beginning to move on now
that the weather seems to be settling.
Yesterday fifteen men lett the city for
other parts, some of them exchanging
al
bread and meat to eat on the way. Five
men went TO work at street cleaning,
under the Lindley management; a few
went to work for the Southern Pacific
Company clearing rOadways, and one
found permanent employment as rail-
road section man."
Nv hence do these men come, and of
what class of wage-earnerS are they?"
asked the reporter
AS TO the first part Of your question, l
answer from all quarters. Not a few
come from the mining and lum beriDg
camps, quite number come down from
Oregon and Northern California, while
several claim to have come from the East
within the last lew months. Some of the
men have been living in Sacramento for
several years, and have had good jobs
until the hard times came upon US.
"As to the service classification of these
wage-earners, they represent every seq
ment OF the arc of labor, from the clerk
and chemist to the hodcarrier. The real
occupation of all these men will be more
surely obtained now that our board has
established an employment Office al the
Shelter, l225-27 Front street. where is
kept register detailing the age, nativity
occupation lor prOiessiOn), date of Cali
foTnia residence-in fine, almost every
Thing personal outside OF politics and
maLrimOny.
Under this plan it will be to the best
int of tn
count of himself and his ability, if he de-
sircs TO be held in worthy citizenship
permanently in Sacramento. II he has
no such aspirations we shall find it out
sooner or later, and to the unworthy
ones great disadvantage, at that"
Has there ever been any contention
or trouble at the rock-pile since your
work began|'
None worthy of mention. The men
have been orderly and quiet, most of
them working IN silence. apparently
thinking more about something to 90
into their mouth rather than out They
were made very indignant one day when
one Kelly and certain of the so-called
Industrial Army went down and made
fun of their breaking rock, denounced
the enterprise, condemned the promoters
OF It, and tried to dissuade the men from
working. The men said that they were
the IudustriaIs,' while Kelly and his
crowd were the non-industral
The men at the rock-plle are not only
quiet and peaceable, but are kind and
oDlging 10 one another. If one man has
left over from his measurement a portion
Ofbroken cobbles at the close OF his days
work. he is certain to donate the surplus
10 some one not so rapid as himself.
There was one consumptive there
for awhile, until he was recommended to
and received at the County Hospital
whom they all most thoughtfully as
sisted in his endeavors to earn tickets
1t was beautiful example of the needy
helping the almost helpless.D
Reporter-W hat kind of rock are Won
using, and where do you get it?
"We are using cobbles, and have been
using them for more than two weeks.
They are brought down from near Fol-
som, and delivered to US in train-loads at
our grounds, and we are thus enabled to
keep an abundant supply on,hand ali the
time"
Reporter-Do you find sale for your
broken material?
''Yes, in part. The County Supervisors
generously took $500 worth, the CITY
Trustees S99 worth, the Electric Railway
Company has bought of US for repairs,
and so have many business firms anu
private individuals, all of which we ap-
preciate, rs these parties could have pur-
chased elsewhere, had they chosen so to
do. But we have much broken cobble on
our hands, and must find market for it.
very clearly how the enterprise may be
made self-supporting.
Besides, with these two conditions-a
market and selt-support-we Will be able
TO broaden out, and take into our work
ing forces unemployed husbands and
fathers OF Sacramento (and Sacramento
only, and give them an opportunity to
IL . a,