The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-06-15
FARM HAND. GAME
CATCHES: VICTIMS
M ~
indianapolis Agency unIoads ~ at
keokuk on Promise Of Work
to be Found in
fts!!dsss' -
MOST OF CROWD BROKE
Appeal Is Made to Industrial Asso-
citation and Matter Will be
Taken up With the Right
Parties.

4
game. were stranded in Keokuk today.
They were lured here, they said. by
advertisements and an agency in In
i dianapolis. They were surprised when
they got OF tho train to find no one
at the station to NEE. them. They
were stranded here, many of them,
without any funds. Some of the party
made their way to the Industrial as
sociation. and Manager Towne after
hearing their story, will take the mat
ter up with the Indianapolis Chamber
OF Commerce.
An advertisement inserted in one
of the Indianapolis papers, calling at
tention to the fact that farm hands
were needed in some Of the western
states, first attracted their attention
They went to an employment. agency
near the station there, and were told
of the golden opportunities awaiting
them, the young man who acted as
spokesman for the party, said this
morning.
Men Make Deposit.
The agency asked for deposi. of
$7.20, ne said, which was made by
each man, and a receipt given. Then
on Saturday night they were lined up
and given round trip Sunday excurs-
ion ticket from indianapolis to De-
catur. The men had the stubs OF
these return tickets to show that
they were telling the truth. These
Sunday excursions are made at cut
rates it was discovered. At Decatur
they we're told they would be met by
officials OF the railroad company and
shipped to Keokuk and Kansas City,
where all the work was awaiting them.
On the arrival at Decatur, the men
said the train was late and they were
met by the official of the company and
taken to train. Here they found a
young man who said he was COM
pany official, and who showed party
ticket At Hannibal this man, whom
che spokesman said had been resorting
to a bottle, left them and they were
told that they would have to take
the Burlington road to get to Keokuk.
This meant buying tickets and by this
time they had little or no money. but
remembering Nthe promise of the
agency that they would be met. they
shelled out their fare between here
and HannibaL and came north this
morning.
Not Met on Arrival
To their surprise no one met them,
and their inquiries as to the work
awaiting them in the fields, was met
with blank stares usually Then the
boys told their stories. Some of
the party are skilled workmen, there
were some cabinet makers in the
crowd and some automobile repair
men.
The men were carried to Decatur |
from indianapolis over the G. H. & D.
and from Decatur to Hannibal over
the Wabash. Part Of the party went
20 Kansas City. They were asked at
the employment bureau whether they
would 60 to Iowa or Missouri. The
bunch that went to Kansas City had
to make a larger deposit, SO this
crowd stated.
To Investigate.
Manager Towne of the Industrial
association will take the matter up at
once with the Indianapolis chamber OF
commerce. Keokuk does not want a
lot of idle men shipped in here when
there is no work for them to do. For
two years, when there was work avail |
able on the dam, i. was different
proposition, but the city cannot afford !
to have employment agencies unload !
ing idle men here now.
Mr.. Towne has letter from another
employment agency, asking about
work prospects here. He expects to
reply in no mincing way to This let