The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-08-20
GIRL STRIKE BREAKER
FLEEs FOR FREEDOM
ASK POLICE TO PROTECT HER
FROM STOCK YARDS EN-
PLOYERS.
Awful Story About Congestion In
Stock Yards. 100 Girls Sleep In One
Room. One Girls Says That Dirty
and Coarse Food Drove Women
From Work. Sixteen Year Old Girl
Seeks Aid to return Home.

Chicago, ILL.,, August, 1S.-Induced to
leave her home in Cincinnati by the
promise Of good position as a strike
breaker at the stock yards, May Hol-
lday fourteen-year-o GIRL is now a.
voluntary prisoner at the Harrison
Street Police Annex.
She prefers this detention until her
parents come for her, rather than suf-
fer or tolerate the means of existence
provided by the packers for their wo-
mems employees.
The young girl worked two days in
the canning plant of Libby, Mcneil &
Libby.
According to her story. she was un-
able to eat the coarse food, which was
cooked in immense quantities in dirty
pans. Over one hundred women were
bunked together in one room, where
they were deprived Of all privacy. The
foul odors and unsanitary surround
ings quickly told on the young girl and
she applied to the police for shelter un-
til her father could come for her.
Miss Holiday, together with fifteen
other young girls, came to Chiacgo
from Cincinnati to work at the stock
yards.
They were engaged by Mrs. Jane Ed
wards, who runs an employment agency
on Ninth and Race streets, Cincinnati
They were promised good positions
canning fruit and came to Chicago with
the understanding that they were to be
fed in restaurants and given nice clean
rooms in which to sleep.
Instead, they found life in the stock
yards so unfit for human beings that
nine of the young girls quit their posi-
tlons within two days, severely de-
nouncing the packers for the gross
misrepresentation of the employment
agents.
FIVE of these young girl, no one Of
whom is over eighteen years Of age
are now seeking other employment
without friends Or money
I'VE were grossly deceived" said
Miss Holiday at the station yesterday
why, we could not even undress when
we went to bed, as the watchmen
would walk alorg the side of our cots
all through the night. We were denied
all privacy. The food was something
terrible. None of the girls could eat
1t. The meat, milk and potatoes were
eithersssouE- or. deeayed sssand ii. .f.tsskor
people to eat left my home with the
object Of improving my position, but in
stead find that I am compelled to ask
for assistance, as I could not eat any
thing they gave me at the stock yards
Many Of the girls have tried to per-
suade me to go with them instead Of
going to the police station. Alma Wind
horst, one of the girls, did not have
enough to keer self alive a week,
and I fear that y of them will fare
much worse than l.
II tried to persuade them to go to
the police station with me, but they
said they would rather starve.'
The parents Of Miss Holiday have
threatened to prosecute the owner Of
the employment agency for the decep-
tion practiced On their daughter, She
and many others left Cincinnati with
out their parents consent
The young woman who tells this re-
markable story of the conditions which
the women employees at the Stock Yards
are compelled to tolerate is a bright
and pretty girl. She possesses the in
nocence of a child and is deeply affect
ed by her unfortunate position. She
is we'll dressed and has every indication
of good breeding and strong character
''This is nothing less than an out
rageous affair." said Mrs. Mary Butler
the matron in charge of the girl. Here
number of girls are brought to Chi
eago under false promises. Five OF
these girls are without money OF
friends. Miss Holiday showed herself
true woman by seeking the police un-
til she Is able to go home. I hope
that her companions will fare WELL"