davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1906-08-03
CONVICT LABOR.
Some Interesting Facts for the People
to Ponder Upon.

With the contracts for convict labor
in penal institutions monopolized by a
few companies, the bureau of labor of
the department of commerce and labor,
which has just completed a thorough
investigation of convict labor, finds
that the competition of this class of
goods with the product of free labor
has assumed a serious aspect. The
bureau finds well taken the complaint
OF the manufacturers employing free
labor that such competition is demor-
alizing to markets and business sta
bllity, compelling the reduction of
prices below a fair margin of profit
and often even below the cost of pro-
duction.
Wages are forced to the lowest
limit" reads the report, '.in a vain
effort to lower the cost of production
to that of the prison contractor In
some cases deterioration of quality
of material used, and in others an en-
tire abandonment to the prisons of the
manufacture of certain grades of goods
has become necessary"
Prison made furniture for instance,
1t is pointed out, has compelled the
abandonment to the prisons of certain
lines. One contractor controls the
output of seven prisons in five states,
and he is able to greatly undersell his
competitors making the same line of
goods.
Manufacturers of the same grade of
brushes as are made in prisons, it was
found, must sell at cost, and rely for
their profit on better grades. The con-
sumner who buys the better brush is
thus compelled TO pay a profit, which
the consumer of the poorer brush
should have paid. Similar conditions
were found in the manufacture of
brooms.
1t was discovered that the stockyard |
market in Chicago for wood bound |
cooperage has been practically aban-
doned to the prisons. The same is |
true, it is said, of the manufacture of
saddle trees and blacksnake whips.
Much attention was spent during the |
investigation to the competition in the |
sale of clothing. 1t was found that
one clothing contractor controls the
product OF eight prisons in six states. |
Manufacturers declare that the max
ing of working shirts, trousers, and
overalls by the prisons affect the
prices and sales of the entire products
of their MISUNDERSTANDING Cor
respondence Nebraska State oJurnal.
The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1906-08-03

l well remember two lathesmen in
the old machine shop in which 1 work
ed for eight years. Miller had charge
of the speed lathe gang. He was al
most as big as an elephant, and to look
at him one would suppose that his
movements must be slow and ponder
Gus. But the swift little machine that
he had been operating for years had
so Influenced him that it set the pace
for his every movement. Thompson
ran six foot lathe down in the base
ment, where the heavy machinery was
installed. He was a typical American,
tall, muscular, alert. But young
Thompson had also come under the
control of his machine. His lathe made
only one revolution to that of hundreds
of the "Dutchmans,'' and he moved
about with all the deliberateness of
his slow moving iron monitor. Both
men were unconscious victims of their
environments. Every mechanic can
recall how the rythmic sounding of d
hammers blows seems to set the pace
for the movements of the entire shop.
Whether that young fellow whistles a
merry tune or one that is heard most
frequently at funerals means either
profit or loss to the employer.
Every man carries about with him
a tremendous influence. Sometimes
he is conscious of it, but most fire.
quently he sways others lives, un-
mindful that he is moulding destinies.
Scientists speak of the magnetic cir
Gle. Artists express the same idea by
the halo of light which they paint
about the heads of the saints. Busi-
ness men sometimes seek to create an
atmosphere that will unconsciously in
fiuence prospective customers. The
fakir arranges the furniture of his "of-
fice," and endeavors by Suggestion"
to so captivate the mind of his dupe,
that he falls into his snare an easy vic
tim.
History reminds us of conspicuous
illustrations of the possession of this
magic power. When King Saul sent
officers to arrest young David, his hat
ed rival they came inta the presence
of Samuel the prophet, and forgot
their commission. second company
sent by the king remained to praise.
Finally Saul himself, full of rage, be-
came subdued and confessed his wick
edness.
The soldiers sent to take Jesus
Christ captive returned to their supe
riors without Him, humbly declaring:
Never man spake like this man.
PLATE, who had legion of soldiers
to protect him, and boasted of it, trem-
bled before his silent prisoner, when
Christ was finally betrayed into the
hands of his enemies.
julius Caesar, captive on a pirate
ship, won the heart of the captain. The
The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1906-08-03
ADOPT A sTlckER.
Plumbers and steamftters Now Have

Plumbers and Steamfitters Now Have
Union Label of Their Own.
Lincoln Local No. 8S, Plumbers and
Steamfitters, have adopted a sticker
of their own, and it will be attached to
every job of plumbing or steamfitting
that is done by union mechanics. 1t
will certify that the job was done by a
union mechanic in good standing, and
will be signed by the man doing the
work The idea is good one
The Plumbers and Steamfitters are
not making much of stir, but they
are making good progress. The union
shops are getting the cream of the
work, and lot of former union men
who were seduced into becoming un-
fair by the promise of "jim crow" part
nerships are wondering where they get
off at.
The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1906-08-03
That Proposed Traction Settlement

The plan proposed by the city coun-
ell for settlement of pending traction
problems will not do.
The people of Lincoln are thor
oughly disgusted with the shily-shally
methods of the council in its dealings
with the Traction company, and they
are thoroughly disgusted with the
treatment accorded to them by the
company.
The proposition to accept from the
Traction company per cent on it's
gross earnings in lieu of all taxes will
not meet with the approval of thought
full people who have investigated. In
the first place the percentage is not
enough. In the second place. it would
be tacit admission that the city re-
linquishes all claims upon authority to
fix rates.
The proposed per cent is not
enough, because it does not give the
city a proportionate share of the
profits. The Traction company claims
that it's total value is $1,5OO,OOO, and
that it's replacement value is $1,000
900. II that means anything at all it
means that the owners of the street
railway estimate the value of the fran
chise at $500,O0G. Certainly that is a
conservative estimate of the value of
that franchise. Five per cent of $780,
600 is $4,000, and that is the sum that
ly in lump sum for .he privilege OF
profiting much more by reason of pos
sessing that franchise. In addition
The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1906-08-03
1T WILL BE A "sEAUT."
Lincoln Souvenir Booklet Will Be a
Great Advertisement for Lincoln.

Lincoln souvenir Booklet VIII BE
Great Advertisement for Lincoln.
The souvenir of Lincoln, soon to be
issued by the Lincoln Gas and Electric
Light Co., and ready for distribution
on the day of the Bryan reception, will
be one of the handsomest things of the
kind ever offered. 1t will contain no
advertising matter and will be devoted
to illustrations of the city, together
with interesting statistics of the city's
growth and business. The company
wants the best pictures obtainable. 1t
especially desires to have the photos
of cottages owned by workingmen.
Every citizen should cooperate with
the company in an effort to make this
souvenir something that will be treas
ured by every one fortunate enough
to secure copy.
The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1906-08-03

the city should have an equal dividend
with the stockholders in the profits of
the company, based upon its dividends
upon its stocks. The proposed settle
ment would give the city about $1,000
additional to what the company now
pays in taxes, but would bar the city
from demanding a six-for-a-quarter
fare.
The suggestion that the Traction
company will pay a forfeit of 10 per
cent in case it does not pay regularly
is a joke. Lincoln had an experience
with that sort of thing some time ago.
The Traction company owed some
thing like 100000 on this forfeit bus
mess, and the city council compromis-
ed for less than 25 per cent of it. All
talk about fortifying the proposed set
tlement with forfeit proviso is to
laugh.
1t is high time for Lincoln to put
some starch into it's backbone when it
deals with the Traction company.
The Evening News, so vehement in
its declarations of interest in the peo-
pies welfare, sings low on the pro-
posed settlement, and in a double
column and bordered splurge performs
the remarkable feat of carrying water
on both shoulders. 1t hints that it
would be well, perhaps, to accept this
settlement rather than fight the COM
pany in the courts. That is the cow
ards plea. Every time the people of
Lincoln demand fair treatment from
the Traction company it threatens to
go into court, and then every coward
The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1906-08-03
THE LEE CONTRACT.
How Clinton Lee Wakes Rich While
Honest WorI<men Go Hungry.

ssO'Sos WI NHiCu w t1QuATys
Warden A. D. Beemer of the state
penitentiary last Monday turned ST.
728.70 into the state treasury, that
being the receipts for the month Of
April from the labor of convicts under
the contract with the Lee Broom and
Duster company. The receipts for
June and July will be much larger.
The money goes into the state treas
ury and can not be used until the leg
islature SO orders. The warden re-
ports thatt here are 361 convicts in
the prison and thatt he contractor is
employing about 230, all that the war
den can spare. The state gets so
cents a day for the labor of each con-
vict if the man does task and
boards the prisoners.
Convict labor beats free labor down
to the starvation point, but does not
help the consumer much. And while
Clinton R. Lee is dashing around in his
$4,000 automobile and flashing his big
diamonds in the dazzled eyes of the
passersby, scores of honest and law
abiding broom makers are going hum
cry looking for work. Why let this
man Lee make an undue profit from
convict labor? If the state must pro-
vide work for the convicts; let them
be put TO work making articles used
in the state institutions. If they must
be put ito competition with free labor
let the stae run the broom shop and
secure all the profits. Why let Lee
wax rich at the expense of honest
workers and at the expense of the
state treasury? If organized labor
does nits whole duty to itself it will
either put the Lee contract on the
blink" or it will shelve a lot of cheap
politicians who succumb to the bland
ishments of Lee banquets, Lee cigars
and Lee wines. The convict labor
contract system must be put out Of
existence.
The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1906-08-03

and trimmer shivers in his shoes and
backs down! If Lincoln is peopled by
towards and trimmers, let us admit it
cheerfully and let the Traction COM
pany crack it's whip whenever it is
pleased to do so. If Lincoln is peopled
by men and women with sand
enough to assert their rights let us
have that fact known.
The News argument that the $1,000
additional taxes secured by agreeing
to this settlement will lower the taxes
OF the people to that extent is peurile.
1t will not lower taxes on iota. 1t will
merely be a handful of dust thrown
into the peoples eyes to blind them to
the fact that the Traction company
has got better cinch on them 1t
offers no relief whatever to the me-
chanics, the artisans and the laborers
of Lincoln whose toll and sweat have
made Lincoln great 1t merely binds
the Traction companys fetters little
tighter on the wrists of the toilers
The councilman who votes to accept
the proposition outlined in the council
last Monday evening will betray his
constituents. The plan is right to a
degree. The percentage on gross earn
ings plan is doubtless the best way to
tax public franchised corporations, but
the amount of the percentage must be
equitable, and in fixing it the other
rights of the public must be respected
the right to control fares, to compel
decent service
The proposed settlement, gentlemen
of the city council, will not do.
The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1906-08-03
WARMLY WELCOMED.

The Wageworker welcomes to it's
desk the Central Union Times of Jack
sonville, Fla. 1t is one of the hand
soonest labor papers we have seen,
and in addition to being handsome it
is snappy and newsy. 1t contains a
lot of mighty good reading.
The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1906-08-03
A NEW ARRIVAL.

Mr.. and Mrs. Fred H. E. Kind are
rejoicing over the safe arrival of their
first born, handsome little miss who
made her appearance on July 81. Mr..
Kind is cashier of the Armstrong
Clothing Co.
The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1906-08-03
HOME AGAIN.

Miss Clara King is at home again,
after several months in Kalamazoo,
Mich, in the employ of the Duplex
Phonograph company's manufacturing
plant She likes Kalamazoo all right,
but prefers to live in Lincoln, and will
hereafter be in the Lincoln Office of
the company. Her many friends well
come her home.
The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1906-08-03
A GOOD ONE.

The Labor oJurnal of Sherman,
Texas, is one of the recent arrivals at
The Wageworker Office, and most vel
come it is. The Labor oJurnal is
mighty good paper, full of good stuff
and evidently fighter in the cause of
labor We wish it an abundance of
prosperity.
The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1906-08-03
BUILDING TRADES COUNCIL.
Organized and Now Issuing Working
Cards of Its Own.

Cards of Its Own.
The Building Trades Council is per-
manently organized, and despite the
fact that several building trades are
holding aloof is making good progress
and doing an excellent work in the
cause of unionism. The council has
adopted a working card of its own,
and members of affiliated organiza-
tions are provided with them.
The plan of the council is self-evi-
dent 1t will endeavor to get all build
ing tradesmen into closer alliance for
mutual help and protection, and clear
ly should have the support of all men
in the building trades.
The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1906-07-27
Snreing Lines OF the Fac.

Facial massage, even the very best
kind. will not remove the sagGing
lines of the face under the cyes-that
TOOL, Of fatigue which We Otter see in
girls Of IS as well as In women Of
SO This tired look is often due to
nervous exhaustion or weakness of
the muscles OF the abdomen and back.
The woman with the tired eyes had
much better spend all her spare mo-
mcnts in loose clothing. going through
course Of physical culture exercises
fyr the special purpose Of strengthen
ing or resting and rclaxins the mus
clos than toying with massage creams.
which can have only superficial and
momentary effect The cause of these
haggard lines lies too deep to be
reached even by the most skillful op-
orators fingers. Constitutional rem
edies and bodily care and exercise will
remove these lines in the face.
The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1906-07-27
The Things We Eat.

Too much meat Is absolutely hurt
full to the body Sailors on board Of
ships get scuryy when their supply Of
vegetable food is exhausted The di-
gestiye organs Of the human body de-
mand vegetable food, and If we don't
eat enough vegetables we pay for 1t
dearly.
Nature gave rs wheat and in every
kernel Of wheat nature has distrib-
uted iron, starch phosphorus, lime,
sugar, salt and other elements neces-
sary TO make bone, blood and muscle
EGG-O.SEE is wheat scientifically
prepared. Cooked, and made into
crisp fakes, EGG-O-SEE goes into the
stomach ready for the digestive or
Eans to convert II into e-Eiying sub
stances with but little effort
EGG-O.SEE eaters are a clcan-eyed,
strong and happy lot The proof OF n
pudding and the proof Of EGG-O-SEE
is in the eating. EGG-O-SEE besides
being solid nourishmcnt is most pal
atable. Every mouthful is a joy 10
the taste and direct benefit to your
health. A 10-cent package Of EGG.O-
SEE contains ten liberal breakfasts
Our friends advertise us. They eat
EGG -O-SEE for a while They grow
strong. They are well and happy AMI
thrv pass the good word along.
Next time you send to the grorer3
tn YOUR boy or girl to bring home a
lacbeFe Of EGG-O-SEE. Have your
CHILDREN eat EGG-O-SEE. 1t is their
friend. They'll eat EGG.O-SEE whrn
Loihinc else will taste good
You try EGG-O-SEE and you can
deduct the cost from your DOCTORS
bis.
We send our book. Back 10 Nature"
free. It's good bookful OF plain,
good, common sense. II you want Il
copy. address EGG-O-SEE Company,
10 First St. Quincy, III.
The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1906-07-27
Two Glasses of Atoms.

Are there two sorts of atoms?
Prof J. ]. Thomson begs the world
to be SLOW about coming to the con-
Cmsiun that all matter must be cleo
tGical. There may he one tyne Of
muleculc, says he, wherein the atoms
arc held together because they are
charged with electricity and another
in which the forces were due to cleo
trostatiC induction. On the whole he
thinks the evidence is in favor OF
there being two classes of atoms. Ono
fundamental Point to be considered II
atoms are built up Of corpusces Is.
how many Corpusclcs there are in
any particular atom. There are
three lines Of argument that lead TO
an answer of this query. Each may
be criticised, but they lead to tho
same result, and so he thinks they arc
entitled to credit in the aggregate.
The number of corpuscles is about %
times the number of atoms in 4 MOLE
Guile of air, and the number of corpus
cles in an atom Of another element
is not any great multiple Of the
atomic weight. All the lines Of argu'
ment lead to this same conclusion.
The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1906-07-27
Supreme Court in a Middle.

The rate bill passed the senate May
IS, and on May 81 the supreme court
got into a tangle on the rate question
which may serve to illustrate the wis
dom of Bailey ana the absurdity of the
Allison amendment. In case arls-
ing under the interstate commerce
law the court was equally divided;
four justices on one side and four on
the other. and one disqualified by his
personal interest in the result. In
that case certain railroads had, about
six years ago, made an advance in the
rate on hay The interstate commerce
commission decided that the new rate
was unreasonable and undertook to
establish another. The railroad COM
panies refused TO obey the order of the
commission, and the commission APP
piled to Judge Wing. of the United
States circuit court, for a mandamus.
Judge Wing decided that the commits
sion has no power to make rates, and
dismissed the bill. An appeal was
taken TO the supreme court, and the
order dismissing the bill stands af-
firmed by a divided court--that is,
because il was not set aside by ma
jorlty of the court. II has taken six
years for the supreme court to deter
mine that the commission had no
right to make a rate Under the Hep
burn bill. as Il passed the senate, the
orders of the commission are likely to
expire by limitation before there Is
q final hearing in the courts. In any
case the situation may have sc
changed that the orders viii bring TO
advantage to the shipper. Freight
rates are fluid and shifting. What Is
fair rate to-day may he an unfair
rate tomorrow
The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1906-07-27
PURELY FEMININE
ON THE CARE OF THE HAIR
An Expert on the Subject Prenchcs n
Little Sermon 1t Were Well
to Heed

The hair Is like the complexion Il
Is apt to fld" It needs lots Of care
To make II nice Hair rrow. old boo
fore it should, and /, Is the fault Of .s
owner. generally
"Th" woman who goes to bed at
night with her hair done mn ms She
wore It during the day invites head
ache. gray hair. JaI mess and an sorts
The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1906-07-27
A balloon incline Railroad.

Consul william Bardel writes from
Bambery that Engineer Balderauer.
Of Salzberg has invented q balloon
railroad; experiments with which ara
now being made in the mountains In
tho neighborhood OF that German city.
II consists of a stationary balloon,
which is fastened to a slide running
along a single steel rail The rail is
fastened 10 the side OF steep noun
tain. which ordinary railroads could
not climb, except through deep cuts
and tunnels. The balloon Is to float
about So feet over the ground, and
heavy steel cable connects IL with
the rail. The conductor can. at will,
make the balloon slide up and down
the side OF the mountain For going
up the motive power is furnished by
hydrogen gas, while the descent Is
caused by pressure Of water, which
is poured into a large tank at the up
per end OF the road, and which serves
as ballast Suspended from the bal
loon is circular car with room for
ten passengers. The cable goes from
the bottom of the balloon through the
center OF the car to a regulator OF
speed. which is controlled by the con-
ductor. The inventor Of this railroad
claims that his patent will force all
incline cable roads out Of existence.
The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1906-07-27
COW LORE

A poor, slow mixer viii spoil COWS,
however good,
Never churn fresh unrlpcned cream
with ripcnod cream.
Butter is better when 1t is fresh
than It will ever be again.
When cows are fed any kind OF
purifying food the milk is unwhole.
some.
The operation of milking should
never be hurried, but tho mill, drawn
steadily.
Life Is too short and time too precl.
Gus to fool with cows that have any
especially undesirable traits.
Milk with the largest globucs con.
talns the most butter, but the smaller
globules are more suitable for cheese
making.
Cows will not make good butter
when running on short. weedy pas.
lures during the heat of summer. Be
prepared to avoid this.
The total which in milk are largely
dependent on the quality of the food
given. while the ratio of the ingredi.
ents depends on the breed.
No one knows exactly what Ger.
tain COW will do until she is tested.
Even cows which give large guam.
tity of yellow milk are not always the
best COWS.
The better care and feed given the
cows together with the introduction
Of new and improved machinery and
methods, has greatly raised the av.
erage quality Of butter in all parts OF
the country.
The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1906-07-27
CRADLES OF MANY LANDS
HoT the Various Mothers Of the Many
Races of Earth Care for
Their Offspring.

When q baby In born in Guinea an
sorts OF funny thing happen TO it, It's
mother burIrs it In the sand M %
It's waist. 50 that II cannot get mo
mischief. and this Is the only cradle
it knows anything about says the Sew
York Times.
TIE little Lapp infant Is Graded in
a shoe his mothers. This Is big AZ
fair covered with skin ana stuffed
with soft moss. This can be huDr on
a tree or covered mp with snow while
mamma goes to church or any r.I"e
where babies are not invited.
The baby Of india rides in Il basket
which hangs on It's mothers head, or
from her hips. or In a hammock. In
some parts the baby's nose is adorned
with noscrinE ana in others its face
Is wrapped in veil like its mother.
Tho Chinese baby g. tied 10 the back
Of all old T. child
The Moncolian infants travel about
in bags slun- on ccmnlH hac.
In some countries the mothers lay
their babies where q stream of water
falls on their heads This is to make
them tough. which il docs unless tho
babies die MS a result oil this treat
mcnL Another mother covers her
baby's head with paste. whi'o thu Tar
tar baby Is covered with butter
The TuIl.ish baby IS sailed perhaps
to keep it swcet-whilc tho worst fate
Of NIL falls 10 the lot OF the rav.Iy- bDrn