The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-06-03

lOrosnlp is PLEASED with US ne sometimes
allows us a sack Of potatoes
"And the manufacturers, do they treat
you well?"
I'VE can't complain-what would be the
use-but it seems hard that we must lose
a work day every two weeks bringing the
woven material to town and waiting for
hours upon the clerks. Then the bosses
have the habit Of deducting certain
amounts for faulty weaving, etc, and
these deductions sometimes eat UP all the
profit"
While driving towards Allen 1 met on
the road a weaver from Heuraffie, stumb-
ling under the burden of the cloth he
carried. 1 took him into the trap and
accompanied him to his boss, .aanufac-
turer Stoll, who is also burgomaster.
There in the manufacturer's office l
overheard the following conversation be-
tween master and man.
Stoll Cafter measuring the goods and
scrutinizing them through a magnifying
glass;: Lorenz, you seem bound to ruin
me. Two forms 80 in one week (s1l5)!
You want to live on the fat of the land.
do you? Eat meat twice week, or oftener
still? 1 tell you you work too fast. This
fine you % kreutzers 6 cents a piece"
The manufacturers did not deign TO ex-
hibit the alleged flaws. He simply de-
Quoted Is cents from the poor devils
wage, leaving him 81 for the work of him
self, wife. and six children during the
whole week, at the rate of eighteen hours
per day.
Lorenz protested: Herr Stoll must be
pleased TO be mistaken" Besides, he
could not stand the deduction. The 10
cents was needed for direst necessities.
His little ones were nearly dead with
hunger.
"Pshsw," cried the burgomaster and
manufacturer. IF you got no bread let
them eat grass and moss. That's good
enough for weavers."
Being used to starvation they mind it
only in its extremity. 1 asked the land
rath County GOVERNOR whether in misery
Corner the percentage of crime exceeded
that in the more prosperous sections.
I'VE suffer 10 violations of the law to
speak Of" said the official offhand, i
don't remember a single case of poaching
or forest theft even"
The landraths clerk brought the books.
'tAh, yes. there was the case of a weaver
who concealed two quarts of oats on his
person after seeking a whole month for
nothing He was thrown into prison,
where ne waxed fat and happy-never had
eaten so much and so regularly in his
life. And when the judge set him free
he promised to come back. After learn
ing in prison how good it feels to have
belly fuu,' he said, I will do my best to
ol,fT
to do likewise.
And here" said the landrath. I'VE
have quasi-criminal case, suicide. Hans
Knapp of Mureau received only half his
dues from the manufacturer on account
Of flaws his semi-blind wife had worked
in the weaving. He had reckoned on
20 kreutzers Q1 cents for weeks work,
but got only 90 However, to help him
out as he said, the employer gave him
more work loading him for the home
ward trip with a big bundle OF yarn But
as Tans was climbing the mountain side
and thouht of the disappointed faces of
his starving wife and children, his cour-
age gave way. So, after carefully deposit
ing the thread at the foot Of tree, he
climbed up and hanged himself. For this
his bones were thrown into unconsecrat-
Ell ground"
So much for the criminal statistics of
a district that, in any other country,
would reek with crime. AS drove
through the laughing landscape, peopled
with miserable skeletons, hares, rabbits,
and roe in plenty crossed my path; there
were focks of peasants and woodcock.
vet the landrath had Particularly assured
me that the baron never complained of
infringement of the game laws. Among
these starving people his lordship's game
was. as. secure as in olden times when 1t
was death to touch a feather.
Seven grown persons and eleven chill
dren froze to death in Bohmerwald last
winter" said another report of the land
raths Yet the barons woodpiles are as
safe in the largely unprotected forest
as-if stored in his walled courtyard. on
nv drives I saw thousands of cords rot
ting and wasting away, and within gun
shot lay the homes where people had
frozen to death for want Of few sticks
a month or so before.
In Reiterschlag I visited the cabin of
Joseph Baier. a cavern with sort of
wooden vestibule minus windows. one
has TO enter it on all tours, so low is the
door. Baier has four children between
"A and 4 years of age. They have one bed
between them. the loom and chair make
I'D the rest Of the furniture. The smaller
children have never been out of doors ex-
cent in summer nights. as they are COM
pletely naked, never had clothes OF rags
to cover them.
The oldest girl does go out once IN
awhile. her dress consisting of the father s
coat. fastened around the waist by a
string. And this girl is Il and dying from
--,-,-.;o, WERE CAREW.