The Florence tribune., 1898-03-26
workInaman,s rrIaIs In eualemaIa.
From the s. E. Call.l

From the s. F. Call.l
 George E. Lloyd has just returned from Guatemala after peculiar expe- rience there in quest of chance to better his fortune. Some months ago contractors started to build railroad there and Mir. Lloyd was one of scores of young Americans who accepted the contractors offers under 8 firm belief that Guatemala offered golden chances to ambitious young fellows eager to better their fortunes:
 "On December IT, 1S96," he said, "T shipped from New Orleans under agree ment to do railroad work in Guatemala. The understanding was that 1 should. pay for my passage down out of moneys earned after getting there. There were over hundred other men who sailed at the same time on the battered old steamer Saltwater. Forty-four of us were put into one cabin that was scarcely large enough to hold ten. Most of the time we were not allowed on deck and the foetid atmosphere of our close quarters was poisonous to several of the men.
 Numbers of the men were almost physical wrecks after the seven days at. sea, but nevertheless they were com pelied to go right to work as soon as we reached our destination, a deserted spot on the sea coast about 150 miles. from Guatemala.
 Ut was there that we learned for the first time that under tho laws of the country we were peons and had no rights of any lsind until we had paid back what we owed the contractors for passage 10 this awful place. We were. constantly kepsunder guard and fed only ou the poorest kind of beans and coffee.
 sThe treatment we received here was. simply awful. We were worked from daylight to dark. and many poor fel- low unused to the hardships dropped dead from exhaustion.
 
 "The nature of the country at this point was low and marshy, and fever spread among us. Scores died and were buried in the mire without any mark raised above them to tell who they were.
 Attempts at escape were frequent, but as far as I know none ever suc- ceeded. A Spanish commandant and file of soldiers were constantly on guard and quickly stopped and brought back any man who attempted to leave.
 "Those who attempted to escape and were captured were made to forfeit all they had earned, and also to pay double. for their passage. The guard who made this capture was paid $l0.
 'Thomas Judge, an Odd Fellow of Chicago, William Strickland, printer of Houston, Texas, and Frank Story, an artist, of Coburg, Ontario, were. never again heard of. They signed the labor contract, in Laminitas office, New Orleans, agreeing to work out tue price of their passage and advances. as working men on their arrival in the Spanish Republic. For there Spanish laws prevail, and man must work out his debts as B speon' to get a passport to travel through the country
 and show he is free citizen.
 "This was one of the conditions of the concession granted Sylvanus Miller for building the road The contractors were autocrats. Their will was law.
 "One night 8 sub-contractor named M. H. Guthrie of San Antonio, who boasted he had killed his twenty-eight men, caused one of our boys to be stripped and placed in the stocks so that the mosquitoes would torture him till he was again put to work in the
 morning. The man's offence was drop-
 ping over from sheer exhaustion and want of proper food while working in the gravel pit in the hot, burning sun at 110 degrees temperature.
 "At last paid up my passage to Pan- EOS, Guatemala, and received my pass port, at cost of s20 for tke horrible passage there and $l03 for supplies furnished me"
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