Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1908-08-08
MANY FOREIGNERS ARE
WITHOUT FOOD
Many Unemployed Are in Desperate
Circumstances on Account Of Hard
Times and Lack Of Work.

Times and Lack Of Work.
+ A rather serious state Of affairs en-
lists at the camp of Italians along the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad near
4 Vanclevesville. 1t will be recalled
that about a month ago a serious
strike wac threatened at this point.
and the Italians hoisted the Tag OF
Sunny italy IN defiance of the author
| tiles.
The matter was settled at that time
by disdnarging the dissatisfied work
men and putting others on in their
PAGES.
On Monday the appropriation Of the
railroad company for repairs at this
point was exhausted and the laborers
at the camp we're discharged and the
work discontinued.
There is one camp where there are
about 50 foreigners who have received
! no money since they went to work,
the checks for the work done in July
not having arrived yet. When the or
der was issued to discontinue the
work the commissary which had been
established there was closed, and the
laborers were left without any means
OF sustenance. 1t is said that a great
many of them have had nothing to
eat for "a hours and the situation is
hecomirp 1acncrato
A large number of them came to
this city this morning in the expecta-
ton of receiving their checks, but the
amount of clerical work incident to
the making up of the payroll and de-
Quoting the bills of the commissary
has delayed the forwarding of the
checks and the men were compelled
to return to camp without their pay.
They We're sorry looking lot OF men
and hunger and disappointment was
driving them to desperation.
In order to relieve the situation the
railroad company has sent them bread
and other necessary provisions in or
der that they may be fed until they
receive their pay. 1t is said by some
that by the time their bills at the
eommissary are deducted from their
pay they will have very little money
coming to them What these foreign.
ers will do when they do receive their
pay is problem. Most of them win
scarcely have the means to get them
back to New York where they can get
in touch with the large employment
bureaus and be in position to get
work elsewhere. Some of them may
find themselves in more fortunate cir
cumstances but it is thought that q
lot of them will not have the means
to get away at all.
There is probability that some OF
them may find work at the big power
plant at Dam No. 4, but this will not
give them all employment.
Business on the railroad is exceed
ingly slack just now and men are be-
ing laid off all along the line. 1t Is
said that not one carload of wheat has
gone east over the Baltimore and Ohio
this season from the great wheat sec
tons Of the west. One car mas been
shipped from this point Shipments
are all light and there is scarcely
enough work to give the men who are
retained fair wages.
There is great deal of discourage
ment noticeable among the men all
along the line.
Men who have come to town on
the side-door Pullman state that
there is no work to be had in the
west or the south. One man said
that men working in the chicago
yards who had not been without work
for Is years, were begging bread.
Conditions in this city are better
than those to be found in most Sec
tons and as far as local industries
are concerned We have no reason to
complain.