The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-11
HANDS FROM GOTHAM.
Forty New York Men to Work
as Harvesters.

At midnight tonight, a special car will
arrive in Topeka via the Santa F'e route
carrying 40 men direct from New York
city who want to work in the harvest
fields.
The men paid $3.50 apiece for their
transportation from New York to To-
peka, and most of them are dead
broke" Many of them bought thelr
tickets in New York under the impress
SION that when they got to Topeka, they
would be right in the midst of the har-
vest fields Others We're laborng under
the delusion that the state of Kansas
would provide transportation for them
from Topeka to wherever they would be
most needed.
This mornings train brought in five
men direct from New York city who
want to work in the harvest. Their
names are o. P. Schmidt. ]. SBacheler
H. Kellie, w. j. LANCE and James Nor
rlS. This crowd, too, was almost strap
ped, financially. They had paid So
apiece for their transportation, because
they were in such hurry to get out
here they did not wait for the car load
excursion.
The five men who arrived this morn
ing brought information about the rest
who are coming, and the Santa Fe
railway also received adviceS by wire
confirming the report. The advance
guard" of the harvest hand immigra-
ton are nice looking fellows; well dress
ed, and showing by every word and act
that they are city bred men, and know
how to take care of themselves. Three
of them were clerks in New York
stores, earning $50 and $40 a month
One was a machinist, and the other an
ex-policeman. They all had plenty of
sand even if their dough" was short.
They were determined to go west, and
were equally determined to go so as to
be ready to go to work Monday morn
ing.
State TTraa E.y,orIovn1ent eent II r
Gerow directed them to go to Walker,
Ellis county, where there is a demand
for 200 men at wages of from $3.50 TO
$500 per day. The fare to Walker is
1925. This is the harvest hand rate
of cent a mile.
The men took an inventory of their
wealth. One had $110, another $1.25, and
in the crowd they managed to scrape TO-
gether about So. They were still 50 shy
and determined to pawn their surplus
clothing and jewelry. One man put his
watch into the collection, another con-
tributed ring, a third turned over
valise full of clothes. Just how the
transaction turned out is not known,
but it is a certainty that those five men
will leave town tonight, and will be at
work Monday morning. They will be
good help for whoever gets them.
One of them said to reporter for the
State Journal: There is a surplus OF
labor in New York city. There are 500
men who would jump at the chance to
come out here and work, The trouble IS
that they can't raise the price of a
ticket.
I'VE had assurances from John ]. Bealin,
free employment agent of New York, that
if we got to Topeka the officers here would
find "A way to get US to the wheat fields, so
we are all just about broke. We are go
ing to jump into this harvest and follow II
to Dakota if conditions are right. We are
going to get some of this s. day wage
which is going around out here.
State Agent Gerow will meet the special
car when it comes in tonight with the 40
laborers. Acting upon the Information
given by the five men here today, he has
wired TO the agent at Hays, Ellis county,
asking if the people out there viii ADVANCE
enough money TO pay the fare OF the ~
men from Topeka to Ellis county.