Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-05-17
Railroad Crews Bunk in Box Cars
and Cook Their Own
Meals.
EXoRBITANr RATES ARE CHARGED
Especially Rough on Men Living
Here.-Yard Limit Said to
Be Reached.


his run are cast in the barren lots that
abound in the neighborhood of the
Hawthorn yards his life is bleak and
cherries one indeed.
1t is not so bad for the Illinois
division men or those of the other
divisions who live at the other
end of their runs, for they have COM
Portable homes in which they can
spend portion of their time and to
which their thoughts can revert when
they are camping out in box car and
trying to eat the product of their own
culinary efforts or trying to sleep on
a hard bunk in a sweltering caboose
while hungry convocation of mosqui-
toes are looking for tender places.
But to be faced with the prospect. as
the Rock Islands freight men of this
city are, of having to live there for
all time to come, that's what is caus-
ing a long wall to go up.
Yard Limit Reached.
AS to the yards themselves, they
are apparently well laid out and ample
to accommodate all the business that
comes their way, although it is said
their limits have been reached on one
or two occasions, and the officials of
the road are kicking themselves for
not buying more land before real es-
tate spectators had them hedged in.
But there is nothing there except the
yards, and nothing much seems in
fair way of building. A little, rough,
implanted lunch room was graced
with sign and began business yes
terday, and a nice big barn that has
been moved from some nearby farm is
being fitted up for modern hotel,
but otherwise it appears that no effort
is being made to provide other accom-
modations than the dozen or so of
dilapidated box cars that stand
proPped up here and there on de-
tached sidings with smoky little win
dows looking out across the tracks,
and stovepipes poked through the
roofs.
Do Their Own Cooking.
In some of these cars men who live
at the other ends of the divisions do
their own cooking, while others cook
over open fires outside. 1t reminds
one of military camp. only there is
no policing. Boxes. barrels. tin cans
and broken dishes are rapidly accu-
mulating and the axles and journals
of the cars are used as repositories
for surplus clothing of all sorts. AS
the weather grows warmer the situa-
ton will become more acute. The
yardmaster's office is now in an old
box bar. but a 2-story brick has been
erected for this purpose and will soon
be ready for occupancy.
Those of the employees who live in
this city and have telephones can live
at home, although if they arrive from
their runs late at night or leave early
in the morning they have to sleep in
their cabooses. Many of the single
men have engaged rooms in the east
ern part of Moline, but rent is said to
be eXorbitant.
The Moline Dispatch periodically
appeals to the people who have money
to spare in that city to erect suita BILE
tenement houses, and at the same time
sensibly urges those already having
houses not to be too exorb itant in the
rental Just because opportunity now
offers to do so. But the Spectator is
not apt to be moved by considerations
that the cold blooded business view
nc 10
to make all that is possible while the
occasion offers, and in this respect
the city on the east that has
been favored with such a good thing
is not different from many other
communities. The most unfortu-
nate part of the situation is that the
railroad men who come in worn
out from long and tiresome runs must
put up with rude habitation and
extortion, whereas they have so
near comfortable homes, the comforts
of which only chance permits their
enjoying.
Houses Vacated.
One point that is noticeable is the
fact that in the part of this city from
which the men have been taken the
houses and rooms are placarded "for
rent" In the east part of Moline
they are placarded "for SALE" having
been taken up on speculation. There
are few habitations there, however,
that appear to suit prosperous rail-
road men.
There are two switching crews en-
ployed at the yards night and day.
The transfer engine makes about
four trips daily to this city. The
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