The San Francisco call., 1896-02-27
Small Pay, Long Hours and
Hard Work Under Exact.
ing Bosses.
MARCHED ABOUT LIKE FEL0Ns.
It Is Said Cinnamon and Italians Will
Be Employed at Dollar
Day.

MILL VALLEY, CAL, Feb. 26.-It is
reported that the laborers employed by
the California Construction Company in
the building of the Mill Valley and Mount
Tamalpais Scenic Railroad have gone on
a strike. At this hour it is too late to get
communication with the upper camp,
which is situated far up on the mountain,
and in which the men eat and sleep.
This morning six men came down from
the mountain and told terrible tales of the
way in which they were treated. They
stated that the others intended to leave
their jobs this afternoon.
Last Saturday seventeen men left the
employ OF the construction company and
went to San Francisco, disgusted. One of
the men related his experience on the
mountain, and when he had half finished
his story he was seized with tit and car
ried on at terrible rate. 1t was stated
that overwoIk and poor food brought on
the attack.
There are $50 men at work grading the
route of the road, and every day number
leave. The men are working at starva-
tion figure, and the people are entirely in
sympathy with them. They are paid
81 rs day. Out OF this sum they are
compelled to pay S. 25 a week for board
and 25 cents extra for every meal on Sun
days.
They are not allowed to purchase any
articles except from the store established
by the company. At the end of the week
the men have on hand usually about 80
cents or 81, seldom more.
One man who left the employ of the
ct,,,a %oIl
his story to CALL correspondent on CON
dition that his name be withheld, as he
feared he might be unable to obtain
another position if it became known that
he exposed the doings of the company.
Said he
''The food furnished the men is some
thing awful-even g dog might turn UP
his nose at it. | have been working at the
upper camp and the hours are terrible. In
order to get breakfast and walk up to the
! trail of the road the men must get up al
o'clock in the morning. At noon one
hour is allowed for dinner and the men
are marched back to camp, some two
miles distant, in the broiling sun, where
they are fed stuff that is vile. Then the
tramp back to the road is begun up the
mountain, and all this must be accom-
plished within one hour. The men then
work until in the evening, when back to
camp they march for supper.
''The reception at camp is most un-
pleasant on account of the food. The men
growl and are told that there are plenty
ready and willing to take their places.
The place provided in which to sleep is
crowded. and a man could hardly live a
more wretched life."
At the headquarters of the teamsters in
Mill Valley a scene took place that
illustrates how the men accept the situa
ton. A number of the men were seated
at dinner when the Chinese cook brought
in lot of potatoes which were haro. The
men asked for better ones and the cook
said there were no others. With this the
men each grabbed a potato and com
menced to throw them at the Chinaman
The poor fellow made his escape rather
the worse for the treatment, while the
room was literally covered with smashed
| potatoes.
! The commissery started to demonstrate
and he also was treated to similar expert
ence.
The feeling in Mill Valley is strong
among those who have come in contac
with the men. Every one agrees that tn,
pay is outrageous, and the men are uni
in denouncing the food.
1t is now stated that the construction
company having the work of building tn,
road in charge intends to hire Italian
and Chinese at 81 day and put them t
work at once.
The railroad people say that many me1
have gone back to San Francisco during
the last few days with their blankets ane
traps.