Salt Lake Telegram | 1905-01-28 | Page 6 | Broke the Shovels of a Gang of Italians

BROKE THE SHOVELS OF A GANG OF ITALIANS Discrimination Shown Against Snow Shovcicrs Finally Fi-nally Aroused Them to Open Revolt. NEW YORK, Jan. 23. A gang of 200 men who had waited In West Forty-first Forty-first street from early In the morning until late at night to get work shoveling shovel-ing snow for the city, and had seen gang after gang of Italians employed, finally lost patience and began a series of attacks on the Italians. They punched and kicked the Italians, took - away their shovels, picks and scrapers and broke the tools. The men were .enraged -because they claimed the Italians got the Jobs, some by paying to padrones 25 cents each and others by paying 5 cents an hour for every hour they worked. The shovelers receive 25 cents an hour, and It was ascertained' later that the padrone story was true. Many of the thinly-clad and hungry men, waiting hour after hour In line, saw themselves passed over again and again because they did not have 25 cents to pay the padrone. Some were homeless, home-less, others had wives and children who were waiting for them to bring home food. When word was sent to the waiting ones that no more men would be hired until Saturday they marched on the Italians in a body. There were eighty In the first party attacked; and most of them took to their heels. The few who did resist were badly beaten. The attackers were dispersed by the police, but got together again and went to work.