Year: 1876

T7ee W0rktngnten's He citing.
The meeting convened in the City Hall
last night, under suggestion which ap-
peared in the late editions of the Com
nsereial and Every Erening, requires some
explanation otherwise the people in
other cities and States may be led. from
reading the resolutions published else
whore, to wrong conclusion.
The working men and Mechanics of
Wilmington have not been so improvi-
dent as the resolutions would lead one
tojnfer nor are they so poor and desti-
tute as represented. We venture the
assertion that Wilmington sends out
fewer "bummers" than any city in the
country of its size. Our workingmen
are generally intelligent. sober, INDUS
trious and eminently moral and religious.
As an evidence of this they have built
and maintained the most elegant and
commodious churches in the country
having just completed a German Catholic
edifce costing about 100000.


Our mechanics are among the most
skillful in the country; and there is not
large establishment IN the city that
was not founded and pushed up by the
skill and energy of the workingmen, who
are its owners,


The men who work in the shops are in
telGgent and prudent, and are in ne
wise anxious to be considered as desti.
tute as the resolutions would make them
The times are very trying upon all
classes but there is always class in
every city upon whom such times as the
present bear unpleasanuly hard. They
deserve the sympathy of all kind hearted
PEOPLE. But how they can be relieved
cannot easily be determined.


The immense amount of money which
the industrious class have in the loans
and savings banks Of this city, is an ev,-
dence of their frugality.


Oar working men and mechanics dc
not ask for charity; nor do they ask the
people of the State outside of the city
to tar themselves for theirbeneft. And
this would certainly be the result Of
calling the General Assembly to meetin
extra sessionIf we understand the reso.
lutions, they distinctly say that all men
shall be prohibited from working OF
the reservoir unless they are residents ot
this city


We were also led to believe that tn,
basin was so far completed as only to re
qure pudding with clay and layer .
bricks, and that from S35, 900 to S40,O
would complete it. Now this work is t
De done in very careful manner l.,
men who understand it, and therefore
we are told that probably not more thai
twenty-five men could work at puidlin
itatonce; the bricklaying of course woul
be done by contract, consequently yer
little aid could be given to the workin
rnen from this source if the Goyerno
would convene the legislature.


This meeting seems to have been en-
glneered very secretly, md we shoul
not wonder if it should be found after
while that there was "nigger in tl
wood pile The hidden hand may II,
be able to conceal itself. OF course VI
don't presume the working men WI
were at the meeting were responsible f,
this. But the anxiety to have the N
groes furnished with work upon IL
reservoir cropped out very suddenl
although there were not many Of tn
class there. They are generally pret
well employed at harvesting and are &c
ting fair wages. Even those we sa
there looked as though they had be-
at work, as in fact did all the men. T
greater part Of them laughed heartily
what had been done, and seemed


treat the meeting as huge joke. OthC
said it was composed OF men who h
oeen at Work on the basin and who i
not want any other men TO have 2
upon it. The most earnest man
parently was Councilman Farrel w
was ready to cry or laugh as :
humor of his audience seemed 70
rnand. On this occasion his heart v
in the melting mood, and some one GU,
to have been at hand with bottle
have caught the drops that fell fir
under his lovely lids. They would HI
been more precious than the water
the famous Gangees. Nothing co
compensate for these tears of the Nj


Ward Councilman but the dig the re
intions gave the newspapers for susta
ing the Governor in his ''hasty decisio
That pleased Mr. Farrell and he recove
his self. possession at once.


'Fov. Tilden's continued delay of


Letter OF acceptance of the St. Lie