PART V.-DETAILED STUDY OF RAILROAD AND OTHER CONSTRUCTION WORK IN THE SOUTH.

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PART V.-DETAILED STUDY OF RAILROAD AND OTHER CONSTRUCTION WORK IN THE SOUTH.

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTION.

Scope of investigation-Description of locality-Climatic conditions-Kind of work done-Methods followed and sources of information-Employees for whom information was secured-[Text Table 69 and General Table 40].

SCOPE OF INVESTIGATION.

The investigation of construction work in the South in the summer of 1909 was directed to railway construction in West Virginia, Virginia, eastern Tennessee, and a section of work between Marion, N. C., and Spartanburg, S. C. During the past five years two trunk line railways have been built across this section from the West Virginia and Kentucky coal fields to the Atlantic seaboard. Besides this and the new work of building branch lines in the coal fields, the other railroads already operating in this territory have made extensive improvements. Although the larger part of the work had been completed prior to the time of the investigation, about 5,000 men were employed on the work covered. Of these some 2,000 were immigrants, 500 native whites, and the remaining 2,500 negroes. The majority of the foreigners were found in West Virginia and Virginia. The work in Tennessee and North and South Carolina employed nearly all negroes.

DESCRIPTION OF LOCALITY.

The bulk of the work investigated was in rough, mountainous country, sparsely settled, and with no transportation facilities. In some instances, as in the case of spur lines, one extremity of the work was some point on an operated line, but the other extremity would be at a coal bank in the mountain fastness. Such is the Winding Gulf extension of the Virginia Railway, diverging from the main line at Mullens, Raleigh County, W. Va. The trip over this work was made on foot rather than horseback, so rough was the country. Other work in this region, while in the mountains, is along the lines operated, and consequently is more accessible. The work in eastern Tennessee was, for the most part, through rolling country and a very fertile and thickly settled farming district.

CLIMATIC CONDITIONS.

The climate throughout this region is most favorable to the progress of this class of work. Very little time is lost. The long fall seasons and open winters, the coolness in summer, due to the altitude, are all

factors which go to make the climate almost ideal for this kind of work. During rainy seasons, however, all work except tunneling is stopped.

KIND OF WORK DONE.

In railroad construction in the South, as elsewhere, the majority of the work required is unskilled. Carrying cross-ties, shifting the tracks for construction trains, picking and shoveling earth and rock, and handling stone around the concrete mixers are the main occupations of the men employed. All engine runners and most of the carpenters and mechanics are Americans. Among the blacksmiths, drill rows, and work-train brakemen many foreigners are found. They are also used frequently as cart boys, when they lead one mule, and sometimes as a "skinner" or wheel-scraper driver, but not a single case was found where a foreigner was a wagon driver. Negroes are used almost exclusively for this occupation.

METHODS FOLLOWED AND SOURCES OF INFORMATION.

The methods of securing information for this work were through nationality cards filled out by the laborers, and interviews with the contractors, superintendents, and foremen and personal inspection of the camps and manner of living. In securing the nationality cards an attempt was made to have the contractors secure them through their clerks and timekeepers, but the clerical force of an ordinary contracting firm are generally overworked, and consequently few cards were secured in this manner. Of the 1,026 cards obtained in this region, about 900 were gotten by a personal canvass, the attempt being made to secure, as far as possible, cards for all men employed on the line of work being investigated, from foremen down.

EMPLOYEES FOR WHOM INFORMATION WAS SECURED.

The extent of the statistical information received may be seen from the following table, which shows the number and per cent of male employees of each race for whom information was secured.

TABLE 69.-Male employees of each race for whom information was secured.