The Pullman Boycott Part 22

He had five children and not enough to eat. He had borrowed a dollar with which to buy a sack of flour. This was all he had.

Mr. Vanderwein had a wife and four children and could not get a position. He had no money and only two pounds of oat meal, two pounds of corn meal and a little flour left.

Here someone whispered to the governor and the latter turned to Mr. Rapp and said:

"They tell me you are taking the names of those who complain, with a view of keeping them out of work?"

"That is not so, sir," said Rapp, coloring deeply.

"And," said the governor, "they tell me you are largely responsible for the reduction of the wages?"

"That is not so, sir," persisted Mr. Rapp.

"Well, men," said the governor, "let him come with us, this must not be a star chamber affair."

A boy named Koopka spoke for his father who did not understand English.

He was one of three children he said, and they hadn't enough to eat. No relief could be obtained now and every thing was gone but a few potatoes.

Mrs. Nathan Booth stepped forward. She said she had six children, all barefooted, the oldest eleven years, and the youngest six months. They had been two years in Pullman and her husband had earned $1.30 per day.

He had no work now, and the only food was that given them by the wife of the Methodist minister.

Andrew Sch.e.l.ly said he had worked for the Pullman company twelve years but could get no work now, and his family had nothing to eat. He had borrowed a pair of shoes in which he could seek work.

A. Bergstrom for seven years in Pullman said he could not get his old position. He had five children, the eldest ten years, and they had no money, no food, no trust.

Frank Ma.s.s had been three years in Pullman, had three children and nothing to eat.

The wife of Pat Mullen, of Block E, room 1, appeared with a child in her arms and a toddler at her skirts.

They had been in Pullman twelve years and had four other children. Her husband could not get back to work because he was on the strike committee. She did not know where the next meal was to come from.

Though wretchedly poor these people were clean and neat. They are all of the better cla.s.s of laboring people.

John Cedarland sat at a table and stared stolidly at the visitors, while his wife with a baby at her breast and two at her heels stood by. A neighbor who had given them of her scanty store, said the man was sick and the family dest.i.tute. On Sunday she had given them a piece of meat, and wood with which to cook it.

A reporter slipped a quarter into her hand and received a look worth $8.00.

Two of John Smith's collectors, out with furniture bills as a matter of form, told the governor that two-thirds of the old men were still idle, and that the condition of these men was deplorable. They had called at one place where one of the children was celebrating its birthday and all there was for the feast was bread and onions. The collectors chipped in for a few luxuries.

Mrs. Peter Camp appeared with two children and reported five more, and there were scores of similar cases, all dest.i.tute and absolutely without food.

On his way back to the city the governor would say but little.

Mr. Wickes, vice president of the Pullman company called and was presented to his excellency in due form. The object of his visit was to tender his services as guide and escort.

This was declined.

Mr. Wickes expressed his regret that the governor saw fit not to accept the offer.

As a result of Gov. Altgeld's investigation he issued the following proclamation:

"TO THE PEOPLE OF ILLINOIS, AND ESPECIALLY THOSE OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO: There is great distress growing out of the want of food in and around the town of Pullman. More than a thousand families in the neighborhood of 6,000 people, are utterly dest.i.tute. Nearly four-fifths of them are women and children. The men have endeavored to get work but were unable to do so. I have made a personal examination of the case and learn from the officials of the Pullman company that prior to the strike they had 3,260 names on the pay roll; yesterday they had 2,220 people at work, but over 600 of these were new men, so that they have only about 1,600 of their old employes at work, leaving about 1,660 that have not been taken back. Several hundreds of these have left, but the remainder are unable to go away and have nothing to eat. I find that immediately after the beginning of the strike a relief a.s.sociation was formed to provide for the needy, and the books of this a.s.sociation show that 2,463 applications were made by the Pullman employes, mostly heads of families, to this a.s.sociation for aid. In fact, nearly all of the employes, except the few hundred who left, have been supported by charity for nearly three months.

"As a rule they are a superior cla.s.s of laboring people, industrious, capable, and steady and some of them have worked for the Pullman company for more than ten years. Those who have been given work can get food, but are still in such an impoverished condition that they cannot help their neighbors if they would. The relief society is unable to get more supplies. Last Sat.u.r.day it gave to each family two pounds of oat meal and two pounds of corn meal, and having nothing left it suspended operations, leaving the people in an absolutely helpless condition. The county commissioners of Cook county, as overseers of the poor, have rendered some a.s.sistance, but owing to limited appropriation they can furnish relief but for a short time.

"We cannot now stop to inquire into the cause of this distress. The good people of this state cannot allow women and children by the hundred to perish of hunger. I therefore call upon all humane and charitably disposed citizens to contribute what they can toward giving relief to these people. I am satisfied that any contribution sent to the Pullman relief committee at Kensington, Ill., will be judiciously distributed. I find their treasurer has given a bond to properly account for all moneys received.

"JOHN P. ALTGELD.

"Governor.

"Aug. 21, 1894.

"TO THE HONORABLE, THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF COOK COUNTY--

_Gentlemen_: Your attention has already been called to the great dest.i.tution that exists in and around the town of Pullman and you have furnished some relief there. I have made a personal investigation of the conditions there and find the suffering is very great for want of food.

I respectfully appeal to you as the officers upon whom devolves the duty of providing for cases of this kind, that you do the uttermost in your power to furnish immediate a.s.sistance to those people.

Very respectfully, "JOHN P. ALTGELD.

"Governor.

"Aug. 21, 1894."

Before leaving Springfield to investigate the condition at Pullman, Gov.

Altgeld sent the following telegram to Mr. Pullman:

"Aug. 19, 1894.

"George M. Pullman, President of the Pullman's Palace Car Company, Chicago, Ill.:

"I have received numerous reports to the effect that there is great distress at Pullman. To-day I received a formal appeal as governor from a committee of the Pullman people for aid. They state that 1,600 families, including women and children, are starving; that they cannot get work and have not the means to go elsewhere; that your company has brought men from all over the United States to fill their places. Now, these people live in your town and were your employes. Some of them worked for your company for many years. They must be people of industry and character or you would not have kept them. Many of them have practically given their lives to you. It is claimed that they struck because after years of toil their wages were so reduced that their children went hungry. a.s.suming that they were wrong and foolish, they had yet served you long and well and you must feel some interest in them. They do not stand on the same footing with you, so that much must be overlooked. The state of Illinois has not the least desire to meddle in the affairs of your company, but it cannot allow a whole community within its borders to perish of hunger. The local overseer of the poor has been appealed to, but there is a limit to what he can do. I cannot help them very much at present, so unless relief comes from some other source I shall either have to call an extra session of the legislature to make special appropriation or else issue an appeal to the humane people of the state to give bread to your recent employes. It seems to me that you would prefer to relieve the situation yourself, especially as it has just cost the state upward of $50,000 to protect your property and as both the state and the public have suffered enormous loss and expense on account of disturbances that grew out of the trouble between your company and its workmen. I am going to Chicago to-night to make a personal investigation before taking any official action. I will be in my office in the Unity block at 10 A. M. to-morrow and shall be glad to hear from you if you care to make any reply.

"JOHN P. ALTGELD."

The following letter was addressed to Mr. Pullman by Gov. Altgeld.

"CHICAGO, Ill., Aug. 21.

"George M. Pullman, President of the Pullman's Palace Car Company, Chicago.

"SIR: I examined the conditions at Pullman yesterday, visited even the kitchens and bedrooms of many of the people. Two representatives of your company were with me and we found the distress as great as it was represented. The men are hungry and the women and children are actually suffering. They have been living on charity for a number of months and it is exhausted. Men who have worked for your company for more than ten years had to apply to the relief society in two weeks after the work stopped. I learn from your manager that last spring there were 3,260 people on the pay roll; yesterday there were 2,220 at work, but over 600 of these are new men, so that only about 1,600 of the old employes have been taken back, thus leaving over 1,000 of the old employes who have not been taken back. A few hundred have left. The remainder have nearly all applied for work, but were told that they were not needed. These are utterly dest.i.tute. The relief committee last Sat.u.r.day gave out two pounds of oatmeal and two pounds of cornmeal to each family, but even the relief committee has exhausted its resources. Something must be done at once. The case differs from instances of dest.i.tution found elsewhere, for generally there is somebody in the neighborhood able to give relief. This is not the case at Pullman. Even those who have gone to work are so exhausted that they cannot help their neighbors if they would. I repeat now that it seems to me your company cannot afford to have me appeal to the charity and humanity of the state to save the lives of your old employes.

Four-fifths of those people are women and children. No matter what caused this distress it must be met.

"If you will allow me I will make this suggestion: If you had shut down your works last fall when you say business was poor you would not have expected to get any rent from your tenants. Now, while a dollar is a large sum to each of these people all the rent now due you is a comparatively small matter to you. If you will cancel all rent to Oct.

1, you will be as well off as if you had shut down. This would enable those at work to meet their most pressing wants. Then if you cannot give work to all, work some half time so that all can at least get something to eat for their families. This will give immediate relief to the whole situation and then by degrees a.s.sist as many to go elsewhere as desire to do so and all to whom you cannot give work. In this way something like a normal condition could be re-established at Pullman before winter and you would not be out any more than you would have been had you shut down a year ago. I will be at the Unity block for several hours and will be glad to see you if you care to make any reply.

"Yours respectfully, "JOHN P. ALTGELD."

Mr. Pullman replied as follows:

"THE PULLMAN'S PALACE CAR COMPANY, "OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

"CHICAGO, ILL., Aug. 21, 1894.