Well, now that this subject has come up, I am thinking of reading a book about George Pullman.
Rich
1 Like
Starting one myself 
although I donāt think thereās anything in here about the āPullmanvilleā youāre describing.
3 Likes
Hereās a good place to start:
2 Likes
It was no different than along the Monongahela River near Pittsburgh. Carnegie/US Steel controlled the towns and kept out any other industry. They owned the police departments. When they closed most of their mills, there werenāt any other jobs. The area is still extremely depressed. Carnegie and Frick were some of the worst of the robber barons.
3 Likes
The Robber Baron era was on where the wealthy āindustrialistā felt they had to own every area involved in the production of their wealth. They wanted to own every aspect, the plants, the raw materials, the transportation of materials and product, the employees and their housing and necessities of living.
The song explains a lot.
2 Likes
That song goes way back. Mid-50s?
Rich
1 Like
That song was written by Merle Travis, around 1946. I still like Fordās version. 
1 Like
1957 recording.
Rich
When the great railroad strike of 1893 happened, it started as a strike of Pullman workers. Many railroaders were against joining the strike, because Pullman workers often made more money than the mainstream railroad workers. Painters, woodworkers, etc. were - by the standard of the day - well paid by Pullman. That being said, like any other business of the time, Pullman hired and fired at will, had no sick leave or paid vacations, etc.
1 Like
I have a book about Pullman and the Pullman Company on order from the library. I hope to have more to say about George later.
Rich
2 Likes
āCarnegie and Frick were some of the worst of the robber barons.ā
Carnegie donated about 90% of his wealth. Seems like every town had a Carnegie Library.
2 Likes
Guilty conscience!
4 Likes
Carnegie donated his wealth when he was old. When his workers had to work 6-7 days a week and 12 hours a day, they didnāt have any time to go to the library. At least Frick admitted to being evil. Carnegie had a good public persona but was the demon behind things, especially of the 1892 Homestead Strike. There is a very good, very readable book about their relationship, titled See You In Hell.
1 Like
You guys are making me rethink my screen name 
I caught a PBS āAmerican Experienceā documentary a while back on Eugenics. Part of the discussion brought up the industrial revolution and the way the factory owners felt that they were the caretakers of their workers by controlling every aspect of their lives much like a person would keep a pet.
Like so many things of the era it was simply how ābusinessā was done. It took many deaths and injuries to bring public awareness of the lack of labor laws and the idea that humans could be ābredā to be better workers.
The Triangle Shirtwaist fire was one such turning point. Francis Perkins, FDRās labor secretary witnessed that fire and it remained in her memory while she enacted many safeguards and improvements for workers.
A line from the documentary:
In 1920, Charles Davenport, who in a letter to Grant urged him to push forward on immigration restriction: āCan we build a wall high enough around this country so as to keep out these cheaper races; or will it be a feeble dam, leaving it to our descendants to abandon the country to blacks, browns, and yellows.ā
History?
Regards, Ed
1 Like
I Googled ā19th century railroad baronsā and Google came up with this list:
Hereās a closer look at some prominent railroad barons of the 19th century:
Key Figures:
- Cornelius Vanderbilt:
A self-made man who transitioned from shipping to railroads, he became a major force in the industry, particularly with the New York Central Railroad.
- Jay Gould:
Known for his aggressive and sometimes ruthless business tactics, Gould was involved in stock manipulation and was a prominent figure in the Erie Railroad.
- James J. Hill:
A visionary leader known for his expansion of the Great Northern Railway Company, Hill was instrumental in connecting the Midwest to the Pacific Northwest.
- The āBig Fourā (Central Pacific Railroad):
This group, consisting of Leland Stanford, Collis P. Huntington, Charles Crocker, and Mark Hopkins, played a key role in building the western portion of the first transcontinental railroad.
- Edward H. Harriman:
A prominent figure in the railroad industry, Harriman was known for his consolidation of various railroad lines into large systems.
- Henry B. Plant:
Started the railroad boom on the West Coast, Plantās railroad turned Tampa into a deep water center for freighters and steamers.
- Henry F. Flagler:
Developed the Atlantic Coast, which included an empire that stretched from Northeast Florida to Key West.
- Other Notable Figures:
Erastus Corning, George Pullman, and Arthur Stilwell also played significant roles in the development of the railroad industry.
1 Like
Another thing, they thought that they were ordained by God to ātake careā of their workers. Of course, they did it for their own benefit.
2 Likes
When the labor relations got tough, Carnegie left for Europe and left Frick to do the head knocking. Carnegie claimed āplausible deniabilityā about Frickās actions and set about polishing his personal image with his philanthropy.
2 Likes
From what Iāve read, Lindbergh got a bad rap as he was trying desperately to cajole Congress to up spending on aviation in 1938-40 to counter the German progress with their air force.
One of the leading RR related industrialists, George Westinghouse, comes across as being a very honest businessman. C.P. Huntington gave money to several majority black colleges as a reflection of his being an abolitionist prior to the Civil War.
2 Likes
Well, thatās a whole different kettle of fish. There were a lot of 19th century abolitionists but not all of them believed in racial equality. Lincolnās plan was to free the African slaves and their descendants but then ship them off to a colony in Liberia or possibly south America.
I think we tend to believe as a society that you have to be 100% for or against something in order for your opinion to be valid. For example if youāre AGAINST slavery you have to be FOR equality. But it wasnāt then, nor is it now necessarily the case. My personal belief is that while I may not agree with what you (the figurative universal āyouā not you personally) have to say, I will defend to the death your RIGHT to say it. Thatās what liberty is in my opinion.
Anyways. Lindbergh was more of an America Firster than an anti Semite. His whole movement became irrelevant on December 7th, 1941 and he just kinda faded away.
4 Likes
My last post was a little long, so I forgot to relate where the title āMeet You In Hellā came from. Back in the āTeensā, both Carnegie and Frick lived in NYC, only a few blocks apart. They had had a major falling out years before and hadnāt spoken since. Both were in failing health and Carnegie sent one of his assistants to Frickās house to ask if they could meet, probably for the last time. Frickās response was, āTell him that I will see him in Hell, where we are both goingā. U used to prefer Carnegie to Frick, but after reading the book, I preferred Frick, since he was at least honest with himself and his place in the world.
2 Likes