The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-05-16

that freight rates are so arranged that
the railroads can haul their coal from
their mines in southeastern Kansas and
mt it on the market in Topeka at less
figure than we can market our coal
mined here. in Topeka.
HIf we had fair freight rates with hon
est competition, we could drive the
southeastern coal out of the Topeka
market, and make work for our miners
by supplying that trade"
The county commissioners of Usage
county have been appealed to in behalf
of the miners of Scranton, but they are
afraid to begin furnishing aid because of
the demand which is sure to be made on
them by the miners of Usage City and
PetertOn.
Few Pounds of Flour.
The commissioners however last week
authorized township trustee John Allen
to purchase and distribute 1000 pounds
of -four among the most destitute fami-
lies. This flour is now all gone.
The JOURNAL reporter visited the
homes of some of the people who had
received some of this flour.
At the home of Isaac Jones there is
indeed a most lamentable case.
There are eleven members of the fam
lily at home. while the father and son
had gone away in search of work. The
young girl who came to the door said
her father and brother had gone to From
tenac to look for work, and they had
nothing to live on except what was given
them.
Mrs. Jones told a member of the relief
committee that she did not even have a
bar of soap to wash her children.
The reporter understood the truth
of her statement when six or seven
dirty, barefooted children swarmed
around the open door. A plain table
stood at one side Of the kitchen and an
old cook stove and broken chair was
all the furniture in the room. On the
ia BILE was a part of loaf of bread from
which one of the children had just cut
two inches thick. The Oldest girl said:
"My father and brother went away
two weeks ago"
''Where did they go?"
"They went to Frontenac to look for
work.
Have you heard from them since they
went away?"
mo; we haven't but one woman got q
card from her man and he said Pa was
working. Pa knew he would get work
when he went away"
"Do you expect your father to send
you enough money to live On?"
"Yes"
"How much rent do you have to pay
for this house?"
''$4 a month"
Could Only Earn Enough for Themselves.
A member of the relief committee ex-
planned that the father and son would be
able to earn scarcely enough to keep
themselves at Frontenac let alone send
ing anything to their family.
The next place visited was the home
of James Bickerdyke. The Bickerdyke
live in their own home, and it is a pretty
little cottage with a flower garden in
front, where roses were blooming, and a
garden patch with vegetables growing
in the rear of the house.
The reporter was met at the door by
motherly looking woman with silvery
hair, who greeted the reporter pleasantly
and in reply to a question said: "Yes,
James Bickerdyke lives here, and an
honest Christian man he is. too. But
these are hard times we are having sure
We are old people now; he is IS and
am almost as old, and we have never
seen such times as these"
us Mr.. Byckerdyke at home today?"
-''No, he is at work on No 12 today and
it is the first work he has had for some
time. l am sick E1ost of the time. I
don't know what we are going to do.
w . ndNO Jul du0 Vi COuES0 W0
don't have to pay rent like some of the
people, but with US old people it isn't
like 1t is with the young folks"
Mrs. Byckerdyke seemed pleased to
get the sack of -four which was left at
the door. and as the reporter bid her good
bye, said: "GOd bless you, am glad you
came to see me and cheer me up a bit"
Two Dollars in Two Weeks.
At the home of jack Larney, where
there are seven in the family dependent
for support on the earnings of one man,
there was no one at home. The house
was scantily furnished and the floors
were bare. The yard about the house
was in good order and the garden was
we'll kept.
The next door neighbor, Mrs. Will
liam Rowe, was at home. When asked
about her neighbors, the Larneys, Mrs.
Rowe said to the reporter: "They are
solely in need, but it is not the
first time they have been in want
We are in better condition than most
of the miners; my husband has the pick
sharpening at the shaft and he gets So a
day when he works, although he don't
get to work often. He went to the shaft
this morning and this is the first work
he has had in two weeks He did not
take any dinner with him, but he hasn't
come home and [ guess he is working
all day."
Everything was clean as could be
about Mrs. Rowe's back door, and al
though she said they were in better con-
! dition than most of their neighb bors, the
reporter felt sure from the looks of the
woman's face that she had not had prop
er food for some time.
Yesterday Was Pay Day.
The miners are paid every two weeks,
and yesterday was pay day. That the
miners are honest and intend to pay their
debts and keep their living expenses
within their earnings was shown by the
way they turned their pay checks over
: to the merchants.
One stout young Scotch miner turned
his check over to the man who had fur
nished his groceries and got fifteen cents
back, and his grocery bill was not large
either, being only $296 for himself and
xxzifo for txyo