The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-02-09
State Of Montana.

TO Gualan, and from there went to the
seat of operations on the road, which
connects the east with the west. They
soon found that they had erred in
leaving the United States for the
South. and that the Turing s. a day
did not amount to much when prices
were considered and the value of the
money ascertained. The Contrac tors
were eXacting with the men and de-
manded pay for their transportation,
which was furnished, but not free. All
employees were compelled TO purchase
their supplies from the contractors
general store or go without. Board
was furnished them at from s10.50 to
$40 per week. and IL was of an inferior
quality. The poor stonecutters also
learned that IT took s2.14 in Guatema-
Ian money to make 81 of the United
States.
Many of them were sick of their bar
gain at the end of the first week and
wanted to return to their homes. but
they found that they were heavily in
debt and could not leave till it was
paid off. In fact. they became nothing
more nor less than poems and were
treated as slaves, the laws of the
country protecting the contractors.
The following letter was received
some time ago by James +. McHugh.
the general secretary treasurer of the
Stonecutters Of America. 1t tells its
own story:
Noticing an advertisement in the ST.
Louis Globe-Democrat for stonecutters
to come to this country to work for 81
per day, ] wish to give you a few facts
about this locality which have come
under my observation during a resi-
dence here of seven months. In the
first place. it takes $214 of Guatemalan
money to buy one American silver dol
lar; in other words, 81 of Guatemalan
money is only worth AZ cents i'm United
States money. Further on in this let
ter l will give you a schedule Of the
prices paid for board and clothing. A
newcomer to this country must go
through siege of sickness before he
becomes acclimated; his first dose will
be fever; he may get over it in a
month, or it may take three months;
at least 1T took that long with me. a
stonecutter will pay the following
rates for food and clothing: board,
$1,000 per week in a railroad camp: SIG
per week in hotel in any of the small
towns. Here is the difference in prices
here and in the United States:
L. 5. Guatemala.
Brogan shoes. -. 80 81 so
Cotton shirts. go. 80 90
Plug chew'g tobacco 10 so
MasOns' overalls.. 81 90 90
Common overalls..... so 90
Common hats. so to 75 "a to 90
SO you can see that s. per day does
not last long I'm this country. The
names of the stonecutters here are as
follows: John SkahiT. Dave McKen-
zie, Bill Lewis, Jim Mckay, and the
rest are Italians, and they are here by
the score; they have a dead cinch on
this country. John SkahiIl,
Gualan, Guatemala. Central America.
The condition of affairs must have
grown worse I'm the last few weeks.
for Mr. McHugh has received the fol-
lowing from Charles l.. Myers. who
has just returned from Gualan. 1t
reads:
I wish you would try and get this
published in the local papers in Wash
ington, as | want the workingmen to
know how men are used in Central
America. In the first place, after you
arrive there you become a slave and
lose all right Of freedom. for you are
consigned 10 "A contractor, and after
you are consigned to him you lose all
liberty, for you owe him for your
transportation, which was supposed to
be free. Then you must buy your own
cot, the common ones. and they cost
$40. Then there are blankets. SIG each
And you are lucky II he puts you to
work right away, for they try to hold
You till you get way in debt. No
workman in debt can leave or go any
" ll'lt ulllNSS the contractor Is NlIllnC,
and If you go without his permission.
soldiers will come after you and take
you back, all the expense being charg-
cd to the man. No one is a free man
till he can show a receipt in full from
the contractor. In inclose you mine.
Seven and eight dollars a day seem
big wages. but they are less than i'm
the United states, and we pay more
for the necessaries of life.
The first sickness comes about four
weeks after reaching here. and if you
survive you will be sick right along.
IF you make complaint TO the Amer
lean consul, he tells you that you be-
long TO a free country. and If you do
not like IT there, what makes you stay
there. They kill American niggers
with pick handles and bury them right
in The dump. and they do not say a
word aobut it."