The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-04-05

The following communication was
handed in to this department yester-
day by a man who went up the CAN
yon with the crowd of men from the
south, but who, unlike many of that
crowd, seems satisfied with the work:
Ogden Canyon, April 4, 1S96.-There
are 200 men employed at pres
ent on the work of the Pioneer Electric
Power company in the mouth of Og-
den canyon. These men are located at
two camps about one mile apart, camp
No. being at the old saw mill, prob
ably five miles from the postoffice and
camp No. l one mile nearer town.
Work is being pushed on the largest
of three tunnels, and the others will
be commenced as soon as possible. The
tunnel which is now being run is being
done by sub-contract.
Ground was striped from the rock
work for about a mile between the two
| camps, but nothing further is being
done at present awaiting the result of
a new survey being made which if
found practical will reduce the length
of pipe used several hundred feet, saw
ing probably $4,000 to the company.
All is life and hustle about the two
camps and the men seem to be cheer
full now that the hundred or more
grumblers have vacated the camp.
Those men, who were principally from
Utah county and Salt Lake city, had
no just cause for complaint, as they
found conditions just as they were
told they would find them before they
left home. After leaving camp these
agitators told a great many falsehoods
in Ogden and have no doubt done the
same in Salt Lake and Provo and I
hope you will, in justice to the men
who are moving this great enterprise,
which is calculated to greatly benefit
the state and also the bishops of the
various wards of Salt Lake, who en-
dorse this work, that you will permit
me, one of the workmen, to state facts
as they really exist
The boys complained about a re-
ported assessment of 40 cents a month
for accident insurance, which was
their principal complaint. and without
waiting to ask whether this was true
or not, they rolled up their blankets
and left, reminding me very much of
the saying that men are walking the
| streets of our cities asking for work
and all the time praying God that they
will not find it, The men are ex-
pected to do fair days work, and not
one of the foremen, so far as 1 am
aware of, has shown a disposition to
drive" the men. Superintendent Har-
kins informed the men, myself includ-
ed, that the insurance was paid in full
by the company, and no requirements
made of the men for this fee Another
runor without foundation was that the
men were 20 be charged so cents a
week for tent-hire
The statement that the food furnish
ed the men was not good or of suffi-
Gent quantity to satisfy the men is
false. Yesterday morning the men had
eggs for bresakfast besides the usual
beef steak, coffee, hot rolls, oatmeal
and other substantials, not two eggs
for each man as is usually served in a
restaurant, but all they desired to eat,
and some of the men, "kickers,' who
have since then left the work, ate as
| many as six and still they could have
had more by calling for them, yet
these men will say they did not have
enough to eat
The cook. Mr.. John Bennett, was
formerly in the employ of the Knuts-
ford. Salt Lake, which should be suffi-
Gent recommend that in his position
he is first class
The work on the power dam will con-
tlnue until completed and I, as a man
who has to work for livelihood. sim
cerely trust that Utah men will come
10 the front and do the work before
strangers are imported from elsewhere
to flood our state with still cheaper la
borers than we already have as soon
as this work is completed The wages
are not very high, but they are better
than no work at all and there goes with
this the advantage of the work being
long job for them.
Trusting you will give my commune
cation space in the paper [ sign my
self ONE OF THE BOYS.