Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-07-29
SEEK HARVEST FIELDS
Laboring Men in Large Numbers
Going North to Assist in
the Harvest.
Railroads Finding 1t Difficult to
Keep Men on the Grading
Contracts.
Better Wages and More congen
ial OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES City
the Gateway.

Sioux City, July 29.-Because the
harvest fields of the north offer more
lucrative employment for laborers the
railroad companies are finding it eX-
IRENE difficult to procure men to do the
great amount of work which they have
on hand at this time.
The recent heavy rains in the north-
west have caused washouts and dam
that many extra men besides the reg
ular gangs are necessitatel to repair the
damages. Besides all this many OF the
roads are relaying steel and doing re-
surfacing. and there is a general rush
to have this work completed before fall,
when the heavy movement of grain be-
gins
Good wages are always paid for har-
vesting in the north. This is necessary
to procure the laborerS. The grain all
lipens at once. The farms are much
larger as a rule than Iowa farms. and
the farmers in the north are fewer, so
that they can not depend OH bunch to-
gether in neighborhood and helping
each other in the harvest season, as is
the case further south. /. becomes nee
essary to offer big inducements to out
side labor to come into the north for
the harvest season. For harvesting
$3.50 and SO per day and board is paid
lin the north. The railroad companies
are paying but S1.T5 per day, and the
workman must pay $3.50 and 81 per
week for his board, SO that it is quite to
be expected that harvesting would be
preferred among the laborinS element
I'VE could use 300 laboringmen for
railroad work right now said Fritz
Stavrum, an employment agent, yester-
day. The companies urge us to get
men. but we find it impossible. AT He
ron Lake, Mimi, a big job of relaying
steel is going on and at California
Junction, south of Sioux City, steel is
being relaid and resurfacing done, and
the forces of men are very small. The
roads are anxious to get the work done
before the fail business starts. The
Northwestern needed several hundred
men to repair washouts and damaged
tracks in the central part of the state,
and found it necessary to take $50 men
composing their regular gangs ON this
division to do the work.
Men by the thousands are tlocking
thru Sioux City on their way to the
north. They are going now into the
Dakotas and Minnesota. These men
migrate like the birds. They start in
down in Texas where the grain ripens
first and keep moving north until they
get TO Winnipeg.
I'VE are shipping out men by the
hundred every week. and Omaha and
Minneapolis are sending them by the
tranload into the harvest fields. They
come to us to take advantage of the
harvest rates offered by the roads. The
recent measures adopted by the Mill
waukee railroad to prevent free rid
ing on their trains is causing large
numbers of men to pay their fayes.
They seek a cheap rate. The most of
them have plenty of money in their
pockets, but they say there is no use to
pay for riding when they can ride for
nothing.
The great majority of the men do
not buy tickets because the roads pre-
vent their riding free, but they get to
the harvest fields just the same. Those
who call upon us tell us of u scheme
which has been adopted by the men
who are determined to ride free. They
buy tickets to Elk Point or some other
nearby station and get off there. Then
they wait for the next train and beat
their way from there. They know that
the extra force of police officers en-
ployed by the road in keeping the trains
cleared are stationed in the cities only,
and that it is no trouble to board a
train at small town. There are lots of
bad men among these gangs who would
not stop at any deed to steal their way
on train. This element induces the
more honorable fellows who are
amongst them to become bold and beat
their way, too. Our sale of harvest
hand tickets has greatly increased,
nevertheless, since the roads have I'M
dertaken to stop free riding
The schedule of rates for harvest
hands is much lower than the regular
rate. and harvest hands get the same
class of service as other passengers
but there must be parties of more than
ten to get the low rate.
Some of the men who go north every
year at this time simply go to rob peo-
pie said Mr.. Stavrum. They know
that much money will be changing
hands, and they will work little here
and there just to be with the men and
steal their money. Some are grafters
and gamblers, and so along to swindle
hn nj of hai
cDIinr,Nho ,A,cor .,,nr