The Van Buren press., 1897-03-06
WORKERS IN MfpWIaTEa.
Eow Hos-Wsathsr EaboreFs Dispose
Themselves During the Cold season

Thousands of men are thrown out OF
employment annually BY the coming OF
the cold weather. Chicago, through
the Cook county poorhouse, cares Tor
over ]. 300 every winter; as many more
are looked after By private and organ
led charity. The remainder dispose
Of themselves in various ways.
The fruit men who look after the
loading and unloading of the fruit car
eoes. the lake sailors, the pleasure boat
men. the ffshermen and all the ilk OF
workers who depend. directly or inai-
recflv. upon the lake for living are
the chief recruits Of the cold weather
sufferers. To them are added the men
Who do odd jobs around the parks, the
shipping yards and the teamsfers. VI
these men the fruit handlers are re-
ported as frequently spending the VIII
Ter months in the bridewell; the poor
house they regard as too aristocratie
for them. All summer they live, eat
sleep. spend their entire time on the
narrow strip of platform lying between
the river and the sheds, and with the
apenfng Of the fruit season they 90
lack TO their old haunts. The sailors
and boatmen belong for the most paFt
TO a different grade. The more shift
less among them seek the places where
a sailor man may be boarded rom the
closing until the opening Of the navlga-
ton season for the small sum OF S25.
The careful men, who manage to worz
steadily all the year round, keep an
-zeve open for a winters job, and either
follow the fruit trade south or eentriye
tc leave the boat in the vicinity Of a
mining or logging camp. Many Of them
are employed at the same place year
after year. In some cases their train
fare is paid for them; in others they
are advanced sufficient money to enao'e
them to reach the camps. Duluth, Is
canada. all the boat towns, in fact, re-
lieye Chicago Of hundreds Of men every
year. With the opening of spring they
are back at the boats.
TeamsteTs, and the men who work
with them. stay in Chicago and wait
for the snow. The city and the large
firms gladly pay for the shoyeling and
aartiug away of "the beautiful and
hundreds Of men support themselves in
| this manner. Countless Others do the
same By cleaning the steps and
uavements Of private houses. The ice
| companies also furnish employment for
many of the summer workmen. Strong,
able-bodied, willing men frequently
find an opportunity 10 reach the scene
ef the ice cutting free of charge; the
various charitable societies help quar
titles Of them every winter. the as
sistance rendered ranging all the way
from a pair of warm nittcns 10 railroad
| fare.
Other men. the elder sailors especial
| ", find work as window cleaners; the
large buildings with their armies of
assistant janitors, cleaners and the like,
employ a large number of extra men in
winter, as do also the cheap lodging
houses.
4 large percentage of the men still
unaccouuted for subsist from day to
Gay on odd jobs, living at the eharita-
bic lodging houses, and for the rest
quien sabe?
The problem of what becomes Of the
hundreds Of Chicago workmen whom
the winter throws out of employment
is a problem which nobody can answer
| Tor nobody knows.-Chicago Tribune