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Our Historical Archive
San Francisco Call Bulletin
February 22, 1906. This article is reprinted below.
Disclaimer: All newspaper articles are reprinted exactly as they appeared in the newspaper regardless of misspellings, grammar,
errors, or omissions.
Greek Boy Slaves Found at Work in Chicago
Federal Officers Uncover Very Strange Condition Where Boys Are Held as Serfs by Padrone Bootblacks.
CHICAGO, Feb. 21. - Federal investigation of charges made by Congressman Hopkins of Kentucky that Greek boys are imported into this country
and put to work as bootblacks in Chicago and other cities, and held in practical peonage, is expected to be made in Chicago this week.
Chief United States Immigration Inspector John W. Burst said last night he was expecting word from Washington to inaugurate an investigation,
and that when the message came he would "get after" the Greek proprietors of shops on the West Side, who, he said, held the boys in a state
of veritable slavery.
The lower side West Side from the river as far as Ashland avenue, contains nearly thirty of these shops, and it is estimated that at least
200 boys, averaging 15 years of age, are employed in them.
The boys are said to be brought into the country under a contract. They are supposed to receive about $100 year - less than 30 cents a day -
and their board and lodging. Many never see the $100, which in numbers of cases is forwarded direct to their parents in Greece, and all they
get is "a dime once in a while to get a hair cut," as one of the older boys expressed it yesterday.
The little fellows work frequently from ten to fourteen hours per day, and have to sleep on a rude bunk in the back of a ship or an unclean
old mattress in the basement. They are fed the coarsest of food, and all eat at the same time out of a large round dish. But few of the little
fellows can talk English.
Employers of the boys deny they are working under the conditions which Representative Hopkins says exists, and the youngsters themselves,
unable to speak or understand English, cannot give their own versions.
John and Christ Miller, who own a shop at 56 Fifth avenue, and another at West Madison and Halstead streets, employ about fifteen of these
boys. Christ Miller was asked yesterday under what conditions the boys were working, but he gave an evasive answer. He could not tell where
any of the boys lived, and would not say what wages he was giving them.
A young Greek employed by him at 56 Fifth avenue as foreman, who said his first name was George, but was unable to spell or write his last
name, said that he knew positively that Miller, himself a Greek, imported boys to work as bootblacks.
"How does he do it?" George was asked.
"Why, he just writes to his cousin, who looks up some boys and sends them over here. They get about $100 per year, a place to sleep and
something to eat. No, he did not import me. I was in the country when I got a job from him."
Over at Miller's West Side place was one little fellow who could not be over 12 years of age. He moved as if he was 100 years old and
rheumatic. It was not laziness. He was tired - almost too tired to draw a brush across muddy shoes.
When a customer came to have his shoes oiled, instead of shined, the little fellow did not know what oil meant. Other boys translated the
customer's order, and he eventually finished his job. When the man left the shop Miller and his foreman scolded the lad furiously in his
native tongue. He began to cry.
When another customer came in and the boy did not get up with sufficient alacrity to suit the foreman, he began again abusing him. The little
fellow sat shining this pair of shoes while tears coarsed down his cheeks.
This is only one of hundreds of similar cases that may be found anywhere along West Madison street at any hour of any day of the week.
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