The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-16

The Italian u the pick and shovel man
Of America to-day" said an engineer who
he's had to do with construction work for
many years. 1T II only within few years
that that has been true.
when / was on the Chicago drainage
anal from 'o3 10 'ss the digging was
done by farmers boys, Scandinavian
and soms French Canadians. But to-day
tbe Italian IA the pick and shovel mau par
excellence east OF the Alloghanies, and
sven 10 q large extent In tho Far West
The Ereat influx every spring from the
1--we halt Of the boot Of Italy h not q real
INN ration. Thousands come each spring
IN ditches and reservoirs and railroad
through the season and then 60 back
fall.
years ago was building reservoir
o Newark water works at Cedar
M. During the previous winter
ole Of south Italy had been placarded
reat posters announcing that 'ons
aborers' would bs needed on the
orf subway the following season.
can't bring IN contract labor. but
9 nothing 10 prevent transportation
from publlahinE such well known
nd thus giving useful hlip to the
a record You may be sure that II
Ia building anywhere in America
4 Il known In south Italy.
l. even the subway couldn't take
laboreTs. and we got a good many
out our way. We paid them from
81 day from May to October.
{ made from $50 to $40 for the
., work. Now, the average savings
~ men amounted 20 $50 for the
- - -.
' with that amount in their jeans.
atis the difference between the Italian
Y and the American Of the class that
10 tho sarue work. The American
works beside the Italian commonly
nothing and he generally leaves the
hen he gets his first ray check and
a back wien he Is broke again. There
Usually two streams OF Americans
he Job, one coming and one going.
,eItaliau. on the contrary, comes here
for the express purpose Of working through
the season and saving every cent. The
,ruedjenta 10 which no will resort to ac-
oonplish this lsudable purpose are often
INT sting.
ThTuse Americans on the Job at Cedar
- 10 boarded at the farmers houses
ABOUT LOT - u NtEA OuN VI "pphAy
Wor u SO or STA But think s. week
loIn cover the living expenses Of the
In
loWI Knocked up all sorts Of little shacks
In n.out Of sOds, barrel slaves, scanthng.
Hopt or, cement bags out open, and so on.
value 4 them squatted In sections Of the
an water pipe, and two Of them even
"a, an q tree dwelling like th7se OF some
tribes. They built a platform be-
Swo trees, nailed up bits Of scsntliLg
., nsad, out open oSmsnt bags and sewed
them up for tent oIoths and roasted up
tbsre nights
icy had their own bread baker in camp.
and not Ghalr bread cheap on the COOpera-
two plan. The first year an Italian Is in
America hs lives on bread. and mAcaroni.
iThs second be eats some meat, and the
ithiK be eats - much msat e. anybody.
Z b ths most temperate Of all labOrers.
"A ne drinking habits depend q good
ideal a what be has been brought up TO
tdripl At homo the Italian has drunk
- HvO wines al his life, when he had
= "a, 10 buy them at four cents q quart.
NO. lsrS be can't drink vine any more
. count Of the expense, and be takes
,ohM The next mildest and cheapest
men italian very rarely touches whiskey.
ov., Slovala, who rank near the Italian
Ior,ers In some ways, will drink q de-
syJn Of almost pure alcohol with red
,,Icl r In livery intoxicating.
ss,di got q good many Hungarians that
otIa who had drifted back from the
p.,l ylvania coal region on account Of
va, ike. They are men Of better physique
srd the Italians, but extremely intern
nayt, The Italians very seldom lose
Grd rom incompetence.