The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-08-22
ompany Finds Plan Sue. cessful and is Completing Arrangements for Perma- nent Winter Quarters and Restaurant that Provides Meals at Cost as an In ducement to Transient : Labor.

been successful It was early in the spring that business became such that much additional help was needed { With the labor market unable to SUD- ply any men, the company sent its superintendent. former Mayor John F. Wade, to Boston. where he secured some ffty-f1ve men.
 His experience in getting these men to Bristol was very interesting. Il was at. a time when all large man. and not . few had agents in Boston Supt. Wade got his men to the South terminal railroad station and within the gates. ready to board the special car that had been attached to the New York express for their ride to the city. but he was not to get out of Boston 70 easily. Other agents ap- Ipeared even at the railroad station trying to urge the men to other jobs. Indr. Wade offered the men of the city the unusual privilege of living in tents at the company's expense, with meals furnished at actual cost or less. Thin outdoor life appealed to many men any they accepted.
 Just previously the company had made arrangements to erect the twen- ty-one tents that formed the nucleus for what was to become known as the Tented City, at East Bristol. The city authorities could not offer the objection that the Bridgeport ,au- thortties successfully advanced-that of great Ire risk. as the site of the Tented City ia just outside of the first taxing district and the ire district. So the tents came on platforms of wood were placed on stretch of level ground that the company bought and which adjoins the fac tory sites and in short order twenty tents were put up. These were placed SO as to make street effect. Outhouses wore erected, and running water was piped to the grounds. Tn each tent were placed to iron frame cots and steel locker. Electric lights were installed and other lights were placed about the grounds. A large central tent was at first erected to the west of the living tents and from here the frst allotment of men had their meals as the company had not finish ed the construction Of the fine eating house that is now called the restau- rant. A Bristol restauranteur helped to feed the early arrivals at fhe grounds within this big eating tent.
 Owing to the Character of the men from Boston it was natural that all did not stick. They would get their fares paid to this city. get a nights lodging and have their meals for a day or 1.-two. and then some would leave satisfieA t& have gotten thus far into the countfy for continued pill grimages. The company expected just such tactics and. being satisfied if it could keep from fifty to seventy per cent. of those they imported, found that --about that percentage stayed. Since then several consignments of laboreSs have come from Boston em- ployment bureaus
 Now there are thirty-one tents, each fourteepHeet square. and the old din- ing tent has been turned into a sleep ing tent and sixteen steel cots fac- commodate as many men. A night watchman is Kept at the grounds. Nearly 100 men that are sleeping in tents and enjoying all the fresh air that they desire.
 The. tents can be seen from the main line tracks of the railroad com= pany and have attracted much atten- tton.
 Realizing that the tents would not be feasible in winter time, the Bris- ,tol Brass Co. Set about. some time ago, to provide roomingA quarters for the men during this fall and winter. The old Pierce homestead, Bristors oldest house, was purchased and the large house has been transformed in- to sleeping house and nearly fifty men are accommodated here.
 In addition to all of these arrange ments Dunk houses have been erect ed near the tented city and here many men sleep. durinf the rest periods of work in the brass mills These bunk houses gre shacks very similar to what construction companies use when big jobs are being tackled in the cities.
 The biggest single construction work yet done in connection with keeping men satisfied at the brass erection ofNthe restaurant This is a 1erge building that faces Broad street 1t is substantially constructed and is . very large airy eating place, capa- ble Of feeding double the number of men now eating there. Walter Slo- cum, former clerk at the Gridley house and the Elm Tree Inn of Pennington. was engaged to have charge of this place and he has evolv- ed a line system that gives good strength-building food to the brass workers and at. price that they can afford to pay. The restaurant is provided with a large kitchen that has gas range and two large hotel coal ranges. Other conveniences make the place ideal for the purpose for which 1t was intended.
 In addition to all these plans for proper housing and feeding of the large numbers of men the company needs. it has had plans cousidered of . largo rooming house that will take care of the men during the winter time. This has been designed to be one-story high and to contain about eighty rooms, each of which will be provided with sanitary toilet accom- modatfons. The company has plan ned to give these rooms free to the men. and to charge less than what 1t costs to operate the restaurant for their meals. The idea is to keep rood men with the company and to get the best that Is offered of the transient labor throughout the east.
 The company has had wonderful increase in business, has not been able to i'll its orders. and is making addi- tions to tho plants that will increase x1n~ <,s.fr.,1ff <sxar- fnur-fo1d The pras