Dublin Core
Title
In Hard Times Finns Loyally Stick Together
Newspaper Article
Boston Sunday Post - 1905
Newspaper Article
Boston Sunday Post - 1905
Date
1905 - 04
Contributor
Paula Stammers
Identifier
1999.186
Document Item Type Metadata
Text
Partial transcription of article
"One of the most interesting settlements in the State is the Finnish colony at Maynard, and probably no other settlement in New England was harder hit in the recent depression. That actual starvation was averted when the mills shut down there was only due to the co-operation of public-spirited citizens of the place, aided by the good sense and industry of the colonists themselves.
The Finnish village at Maynard is a very pretty place and quite colonial in its general aspect, although the place is so thickly settled, fully 200 houses being built by the American Woolen Company on the old Reardon farm, hence its village name, Reardonville.
It is a right loyal place, too, for all the streets bear names of United States Presidents.
Each house accommodates two families, and under quaint hipped roof with dormer windows at the upper story many a happy family dwells in comfort, even though times have been so hard this winter.
They tell the story of one man in the village who had just 5 cents left after his rent had been deducted from his pay envelope, and another who in that sudden shut-down of the mill found himself _0 cents in arrears on the same count, all the rents varying from $2 to $2.50 a week. But they all agree that things have been much worse in a town with such a large mill population, for the panic caught everybody napping.
It was simply the cancellation of orders early in the year that made the shut down imperative, and now the mills are running on __ 10 1/2 hours' time, with 800 in constant employment. Of course an effort was made to keep the heads of families, and especially men who occupied the corporation houses, so that no house stands idle, but some of those with no families sought other places of employment and fully 500 went elsewhere.
In the past three years of steady employment the Finnish people had done much to bettor themselves, some buying houses and farms, others educating themselves and their children, not forgetting the people left behind in Finland, who have been waging their war for their own language in their own land by peaceful means. For the Finns believe in the education - even of the Czar - and since the granting of woman's suffrage in the little kinglom have established prohibition.
But even the young people's socialistic department which had done so much for the campaign of education in Finland - had to remember that charity and education begin at home, and when the crash came those who could find employment outside the mills did their part bravely.
A meeting was called not only by the Socialistic Society but by all classes to plan kindly the best means of tiding over ....
MILLS HELPED, TOO
Then as a last resort they would ask the mill owners to employ those who were actually suffering. This was agreed to, and in the meetings there was no disturbance and hardly any differences of opinion; peace and good comradeship attested the power of that Christian Socialism so well promulgated by these people, for they do not believe in anarchistic methods.
Through the young people's clubs and the churches much has been done and the evening schools flourish all the more because there is no work form some of the younger people. But..."
"One of the most interesting settlements in the State is the Finnish colony at Maynard, and probably no other settlement in New England was harder hit in the recent depression. That actual starvation was averted when the mills shut down there was only due to the co-operation of public-spirited citizens of the place, aided by the good sense and industry of the colonists themselves.
The Finnish village at Maynard is a very pretty place and quite colonial in its general aspect, although the place is so thickly settled, fully 200 houses being built by the American Woolen Company on the old Reardon farm, hence its village name, Reardonville.
It is a right loyal place, too, for all the streets bear names of United States Presidents.
Each house accommodates two families, and under quaint hipped roof with dormer windows at the upper story many a happy family dwells in comfort, even though times have been so hard this winter.
They tell the story of one man in the village who had just 5 cents left after his rent had been deducted from his pay envelope, and another who in that sudden shut-down of the mill found himself _0 cents in arrears on the same count, all the rents varying from $2 to $2.50 a week. But they all agree that things have been much worse in a town with such a large mill population, for the panic caught everybody napping.
It was simply the cancellation of orders early in the year that made the shut down imperative, and now the mills are running on __ 10 1/2 hours' time, with 800 in constant employment. Of course an effort was made to keep the heads of families, and especially men who occupied the corporation houses, so that no house stands idle, but some of those with no families sought other places of employment and fully 500 went elsewhere.
In the past three years of steady employment the Finnish people had done much to bettor themselves, some buying houses and farms, others educating themselves and their children, not forgetting the people left behind in Finland, who have been waging their war for their own language in their own land by peaceful means. For the Finns believe in the education - even of the Czar - and since the granting of woman's suffrage in the little kinglom have established prohibition.
But even the young people's socialistic department which had done so much for the campaign of education in Finland - had to remember that charity and education begin at home, and when the crash came those who could find employment outside the mills did their part bravely.
A meeting was called not only by the Socialistic Society but by all classes to plan kindly the best means of tiding over ....
MILLS HELPED, TOO
Then as a last resort they would ask the mill owners to employ those who were actually suffering. This was agreed to, and in the meetings there was no disturbance and hardly any differences of opinion; peace and good comradeship attested the power of that Christian Socialism so well promulgated by these people, for they do not believe in anarchistic methods.
Through the young people's clubs and the churches much has been done and the evening schools flourish all the more because there is no work form some of the younger people. But..."
Original Format
Newsprint
Storage
SU19-4
VF4
Finnish File Folder (3 of 3)
VF4
Finnish File Folder (3 of 3)