El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-11-05
T I IT., IT., (.
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s&fS III
American Railroad Laborers.
John B. Saunders, of this city. re-
ceived word Sunday from Eugene Mil
Ter, of the T. p, to send ten men at
)nce tn do grading work on that line
near Toyan, Texas. Mr.. Saunders was
illing the order from our Mexican pop
ula'ion when approached by HERALD
reporter.
MY action in this matter is
from necessity, rather than choice"
i Knight MI of s1 LaSer and believe
IN giving the Americans the advant-
.ge every time it ia possible for me to
10 SO. That duty l feel called upon to
perform without the advice OF anyone,
leans so much that l really feel that 1
cannot take the chances Of employing
them any more. The company pays
from 81 rs to $3.50 per day and that
orice is far above the avers9e paid for
common labor on railroads In this
country
Il have for months past employed
Americans at every call made by the
various companies for which l have
worked and out of, say. fifty men, if
teen ia q good average to say that
vent to work. The rest of them would
keep on going when the point WAS
reached where they were supposed TO
90 to work. have started out Of Ell
Paso with Is men who were supposed
TO go to work for the company, but
rhen I arrived at my destination
cropped off along the line
before that point was reached. Az I
have said before, I am in favor Of en-
ploying Americans, but the way have
cen treated by them, I cannot Say
that hold them in any great respect
for this particular kind Of labor. I
nave made this assertion and will
only ask you to call on the railroad
officials of FL Paso to have my state
ment substsptiated. They know this
clement by hard experience - we'll -
myself.
here have been men that to my own
knowledge have received ell the way
from $l10 to $3.50 per month
10 the. railway, service, but quit
their jobs simply because they
we're too lazy 10 work. These came
men 1 have seen begging their friends
or something to eat. and would become
greatly offended if they were refused.
[ have sent come of this class out along
the ine, feeling that they would not
work, but 1 felt it my duty to give
them chance and every time offered
hem the chance they betrayed me, and
I have become sick of it. When you
get hold of q Mexican who has . fam
lily aud get him to take his family along
the line to where he is working, the
chances are that he will remain for
some time.
snow, just to give you an illustra-
tion,'' continued Mr.. Saunders. VI
wishsto state that at one time left
here with sixteen Americans for Van
Armon, over the S. p. we arrived there
at night and beds we're provided for
that number. At four o'clock in the
morning the first call was sounded and
all in camp arose and dressed them
selves for breakfas A good meal vas
-pread and all ate heartily. Little
attention was paid to the men after
breakfast but when the call sounded to
begin work not q man was 10 sight.
Not one out of the sixteen. They
oeat the railroad company out of
transportation and w. J. Harris out
of breakfast and skipped on to Mo-
renci, Arizona, to work in the min
such experience as this is what has
forced me to take the stand I have
against employing Americans to do
track work on railroads in this portion
Of the country"