They repaired at once to the tenements on Fulton street, where the first stop was made at No. 124, occupied by Mrs. O'Halleron. A blind widow was found occupying four small rooms on the first floor. She told the governor that she had two sons aged nineteen and fourteen respectively and a daughter aged twenty. All three had worked for Pullman but were now idle. They had applied for work but were told there was no work for them. One of the boys had been a brass polisher and the younger son and the daughter had worked in the laundry. They had lived in the town seven years. There was no coal in the house, they had a little food, given them by the relief committee, but they could not support themselves and said there was no one to look after their condition.
"Have the Pullman people sent any one to see you?"
"They have not," replied the blind woman.
She said they paid $12.60 for the four rooms. One of her sons had drawn $1.60 and the other 96 cents per day.
"Good luck to you, sir," she said as the governor walked away with his teeth set firmly together.
F. H. Taylor, superintendent of the Pullman company, had now joined the party taking the place of Accountant Wilde. Mr. Rapp pressed his way in everywhere though paying no attention to the audible slurs of the people about him.
Block B, across the way on Fulton street was next visited. The manner of Gov. Altgeld was kindly and he introduced himself in a pleasant way, asking questions in a manner calculated to inspire confidence.
There were six families in Block B, some of the tenants had gone back to work. A poor woman in No. 3 said her husband was not working, he had been in Pullman for six years and had asked to return to work, but was told there was nothing for him to do, the shop was full. She had three little children but little to eat, only a bit of flour, coffee and tea from the relief store left.
In Block S, room 7, was John Carlson, a cabinet maker who had worked in Pullman for seven years and could not get his position back He had nothing in the house to eat.
"Have you eaten to-day?" asked the governor.