The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1901-08-22
NJ
60
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SloIco dG Cuo uollnqu0I ana ruU0ly
orders him to chit the grit" which
means get off and walk. The brake
man jumps out after him and sees that
he does not get in again. Daylight
the next morning finds us at the end
of the first freight division. John says
we must go up town and buy some
''chuck," and on side street we find a
butcher shop. Here we purchase a
couple of pounds of steak-at Johns
request the butcher gives us gratis
pinch of salt to season our meat-neXt
we buy five cent loaf of bread, then
to grocery store and purchase five
cents worth of coffee and have the
nerve to ask the clerk to grind it. We
have now the raw material for break
fast. You wonder how we are going to
cook it. John leads the way down an
alley to the rear of hotel and selects
four empty fruit cans from barrel
that sits by the kitchen door, and back
to the railroad track we 60 picking up
bits of sticks along the way. John
says we must go to the camp to cook
our breakfast and points to some trees
down the track. When we get to the
trees we find small creek running
there are score or more of men
grouped around little fires, some cook
ing and some eating, while farther
down the creek one or two are making
their morning toilet.
[ break up the sticks l have brought
while John carried the cans to the
creek, washes them out and cuts up
the meat. John makes a pan to fry
the meat in by putting one Of the cans
on the fire, the heat melts the solder
and the tin unrolls into narrow strip
about fourteen inches long. He turns
up the edges of this and thus has a
receptacle to hold the meat on while it
is cooking. fill two cans with water
and place them upon the fire; it does
not take long before the water is boil
ing. Then they are taken off the blaze
and handful of coffee dumped into
each; Goals are packed around them
and the contents allowed to boil slowly
AS soon as John has the meat cooked
we spread a newspaper ON the ground
and attack the "chuck." This is the
way the average harvest hand gets his
meals. They do not patronize hotels
or restaurants, as their prices are high
and in the wheat country no effort is
made by the citizens of the towns to
! provide for the wants of harvest hands
, There are saloons, where he can get beer
but there are no eating houses withir
/ his means. Down to the creek he mus
, go and cook his own food, and do yor
l wonder why one or two trips to th'
! wheat country disgusts any self-respect
ing laboring manp
After breakfast we 60 up town ant
3 are soon accosted by farmer in searcl
5 of men. We hire out to work for s.
Q day and board and ride out to hi
! farm that afternoon. We are given
r blanket after supper and led out to tn
9 barn to sleep on the hay-the farme
e doesn't want us in the house. In tn
r morning we are awakened before day
! light and brought to the house to eat
Q hastily, badly cooked meal that mus
e keep us in nourishment during seve
d hours Of toll in the hot sun. Atte
d dinner a brief rest, then toll agai
until the stars come out. Such is tn
life the harvest hand endures to max
8 of help at harvest time if the laborer
n were treated better. The remedy is:
Y Better Accommodations on the farm
a cheaper rates on the railroads, an