of the chance to clear out their jails and work-houses -- in
Detroit the magistrates would release every man who
agreed to leave town within twenty-four hours, and agents
of the packers were in the court-rooms to ship them right.
And meantime train-loads of supplies were coming in for
their accommodation, including beer and whisky, so that
they might not be tempted to go outside. They hired
thirty young girls in Cincinnati to "pack fruit," and
when they arrived put them at work canning corned-beef,
and put cots for them to sleep in a public hallway, through
which the men passed. As the gangs came in day and
night, under the escort of squads of police, they stowed
them away in unused work-rooms and store-rooms, and in
the car-sheds, crowded so closely together that the cots
touched. In some places they would use the same room
for eating and sleeping, and at night the men would put
their cots upon the tables, to keep away from the swarms
of rats.

But with all their best efforts, the packers were demor~
alized. Ninety per cent of the men had walked out; and
they faced the task of completely remaking their labor
force -- and with the price of meat up thirty per cent, and
the public clamoring for a settlement. They made an
offer to submit the whole question at issue to arbitration;
and at the end of ten days the unions accepted it, and the
strike was called off. It was agreed that all the men were
to be re-employed within forty-five days, and that there
was to be "no discrimination against union men."

This was an anxious time for Jurgis. If the men
were taken back "without discrimination," he would lose
his present place. He sought out the superintendent, who
smiled grimly and bade him "wait and see." Durham's
strike-breakers were few of them leaving.

Whether or not the "settlement" was simply a trick of
the packers to gain time, or whether they really expected
to break the strike and cripple the unions by the plan, can~
not be said; but that night there went out from the office
of Durham and Company a telegram to all the big packing-
centers, "Employ no union leaders." And in the morn~

[[324]]

p323 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p324w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p325

v?