Pullman, George Mortimer

George Mortimer (1831-1897), an American inventor and financier. He was born in Chautauqua County, New York, and died in Chicago. He was trained in the cabinetmaker's trade. During the construction of the Erie Canal he made money by taking contracts to move large buildings from the line of the proposed waterway, a business in which he showed no ordinary degree of skill. He settled in Chicago as a housemover, builder, and contractor. In making long railway journeys it occurred to him that a sleeping car would be a boon to those who traveled by night. The result was that he fitted up two ordinary passenger coaches with bunks. These proving popular he built the "Pioneer" in 1863. It cost him $18,000, and was the first "Pullman." Mr. Pullman was one of the few men who was inventive and at the same time resourceful in financial affairs. In 1867 he organized the Pullman Palace Car Company, of which he was president. Instead of manufacturing cars for sale, he patented his invention, retained the ownership, furnished his own sleeping equipment, and put his own force of employes in charge of each car. He graciously permitted the railroad companies to haul his coaches without charge, save that he required a guarantee of a certain amount of receipts per day. In 1887 he originated the famous solid vestibule train, the cars of which are so hooded that a passenger cannot fall off or be exposed to the weather in passing from one car to another. In the year last named the receipts of the company were $6,440,931; in 1909 the receipts were over $32,000,000.

Large works were required for the manufacture of cars. In 1880 Mr. Pullman laid out a town, known by his name, about twelve miles south of the center of Chicago. The streets were laid out attractively. A school, a theater, a library, a large retail store, and miles of workingmen's cottages were built. Mr. Pullman's social aims were perhaps similar to those of the Krupps in Germany, but the workingmen became dissatisfied because the Pullman Company owned everything in sight, including the men themselves. In 1889 they voted to incorporate the town of Pullman with Chicago. The Pullman Company still owned the real estate, of course. Quarrels arose over the water rates and rents and the price of gas. When Mr. Pullman started the town the newspapers regarded the move a great one for the workingman, but enthusiasm died away. Dissatisfaction with the rental part of the general scheme intensified the feeling that led to a notable strike known as the Pullman strike of 1894.

To complete what might well be made a series of interesting articles, we may add that the immediate cause of the Pullman strike was a reduction of wages,-a cut of twenty-two per cent for mechanics and a cut of nineteen per cent in the salaries of all others connected with the shops. Employes testified on oath that at times they were paid not to exceed four cents to a dollar per week in excess of rents retained. Another organization, notably the American Railway Union, went on a sympathetic strike. Not a Pullman wheel was allowed to turn anywhere. Travel was impeded, the mails were delayed, troops were called out. Debs and other leaders of the men were sent to prison. Eighty million dollars' loss was inflicted upon the business of the country. The general public sided with the strikers, rather than with the Pullman Company, but it was inconvenienced too seriously to desire the strikers to hold out any longer.