The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1906-09-15

btinlng neat, Wn0n the 0tnBy klllnB-
beds OF Durham's became a. very pur-
gatory; one time. In q single day,
three men fell dead from sunstroke.
ALI day long the rivers of hot blood
poured forth, until, with the sun beat
ing down and the air motiOnless, the
stencil was enough to knock man
over; all the old smells of q genera
ton would be drawn out by this heat
--fOr there was never any washing OF
the walls and rafters and pillars, and
they we're caked with the filth of q
lifetime. The men who worked on the
killing beds would come to reek with
foulness, so that you could smell one
OF them fifty feet away; there was
simply no such thing az keeping de-
cent, the most careful man gave IL up
In the end. and wallowed In Gaclean-
ness. There was not even place
where q man could wash his hands,
and the men ate as mucn raw blood
as food at dinner time. When they
were at work they could not even
wipe OF their faces---they were as
helpless as newly born babes In that
respect: and II may seem like small
matter, but when the sweat began to
run down their necks and tickle them,
or q fly to bother them, It was q tor.
ture like being burned alive. Wheth.
or 1t was the slaughter houses or the
dumps that were responsible, one
could not say, but with the hot wealth
or there descended upon Packingtown
veritable Egyptian plague OF flies;
there could be no describing them.
There was no escaping; you might
provide all your doors and windows
with screens, but their buzzing out
side would be like the swarming of
bees, and whenever you opened the
. door they would rush in as II q storm
of wind were driving them.
Perhaps the summer time suggests
to you thoughts OF the country, Wis.
ions OF green fields and mountains
and sparkling lakes II had no such
suggestion for the people In the yards.
The great packing machine ground on
remorselessly, without thinking OF
green fields: and the men and women
and children who were part of It new.
or saw any green thing, not even a
flower. Four or Ave miles to the east
Of thea lay the blue waters of Lake
Michigan; but for all the good It did
them 1t might have been as far away
as the Pacific Ocean. They had only
sundays, and then they were too
tired To walk. They were tied to the
great packing machine, and tied to Il
for life. The managers and superin.
tendents and clerks of Packingtown
were all recruited rom another class,
and never from the workers: they
scorned the workers, the very mean
est OF them, A poor devil Of a book
keeper who had been working In
Durham's for twenty years at a salary
OF six dollars week, and might work
there FOR twenty more and do no bet
ter. would yet consider himself a gen.
tleman. as far removed as the poles
from the most skilled worker on the
killing.beds; he would dress differ
emily, and live In another part of the
town, and come to work at q different
hour OF the day. and in every way
make sure that he never rubbed
elbows with laboring man. Perhaps
this was due to the responsiveness of
the work; at any rate the people who
worked with their hands were class
apart; and were made to feel It.
II was long story. Maria insist.
ed that II was because of her activity
In the union. The packers, OF course.
had spies In all the union, and In addi- !,
ton they made practice OF buying
up q certain number of the union
ohicials. as many as they thought they
needed. So every week they received ,
reports as to what was going on, and |
often they knew things before the
members OF the union knew them.
Any one who was considered to be
dangerous by them would find that he (
was not favOrite with his boss: and !
Maria mad been great hand for 60.
ing after the foreign people and 3
preaching to them. However that I