El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-11-01
American Railroad Laborers.

Ooo s~eD0s
loan Il. Saunders, OF this city, re-
ceivei word Sunday from Eugene Mil
Ter. of the Il. p, To send ten men At
once u do grading WORK on that hne
near Tovan, Texas. Mr.. Saunders WAS
6liog .he order from our Mexican pop
ulation when approached by HERALD
5Ny action ia this matter is
from necessity, rather than choice,
said MIR. Saunders. 81 am
knight Of Labor and believe
In giving the Americans the adssnt-
age every time il is possible for me TO
40 ~ Thas duty feel called upon to
perform without the advice OF anyone,
but | have been deceived in the Amer
leans 80 much that really feel that L
cannot take the chances of employ ing
them aay more. The company pays
from 81 p 10 $3.50 per day aud that
price l.. fac above the AVERAGE paid Tor
commoa labor on railroads IN this
country .
Il have Tor months past employed
Americans 40 every call made by tue
variou. cOnpauies for which l have
k.d lad out of, say, tiity men, hf-
teen =, n good average to say that
went u work. The rest OF them would
keen on going when the point was
reached where they were supposed 10
90 To- work | have started out OF III
Pas1 " TN % mea who were supposed
10 20 20 work for the company, but
when 1 arrived at my destination
only had nine. The rest
droppej of along the line
heforo Tint mint WAS reached. As |
have said before, | sm In favor OF en-
blowing Americans, but the way have
rem treated by them, l cannot cay
that mold them 10 any great respect
for THE particular KIDD OF labor.
have made this assertion aud viii
only ask You TO call on the railroad
officials Of FL Psso 10 have my state
ment -ubstsntiated. They know thi:
element 10y hard experience a well O.
myself.
here have been men that TO my owl
Knowledge have received all the way
from $40 20 $3.50 per month
in the railway service, but qui
their Jobs simply because they
we're tou lazy 20 work. These same
men | have seen begging their friends
for something 10 eat, ana would becom'
greatly offended IL they were refused
have sert some of this class out alonl
the liae, feeling that they would no
work, but / felt IL my duty to giv'
them q chance ard every time L Offered
them the chance they Setrayed ne, ant
have become SICK OF IL. When yo'
get hold OF Mexican who has fam
Nv aud get him to take his family alonI
the liue 20 where he Is working, tn
chances ere that he will remain 70
some time.
''Now, just To give you an illustrs
tiou," continued Mr.. Saunders.
wishstO state that at one time L lei
here with sixtsen Americans for Va
Armou, over the 5. Z. we arrived the r
at night and beds we're provided 10
That number. At four o clock in tn
morning the irst call was sounded an
sll in camp arose and dressed then
selves for breakfast. A good meal wa
spread and all ate heartily. Littl
attention was paid 10 the men ate
breakfast but when the call sounded {
bsgin work not q man was 10 slgnt
Not one out of the sixteen. The
beat the railroad company out
transportation and w. j. Harris on
of breakfast aud skipped on to Nc
renci, Arizona, to work in the mines
Such experience "a this is what ha
forced me TO take the stand l hav
sgains, employing Americans to d
track work on railroads in this porto
Of the country