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LIFE HISTORY OF
MR. JOHN CACCIATORE
(Florida)
I was born in the town of Santa Stefano
di Quisquina, Sicily, on May 12th, [1860?], and am now 75 years of age. My
father was a farm peasant working the soil for a land owner. Since my
early years I toiled at the farm with my father.
I was married at the age of 22 years, and then leased a tract of land
which I worked planting wheat, horse feed, potatoes and vegetables. After
we had been married a year, my wife gave birth to a child, a baby boy, who
died when he was a year old. In the year 1885 my wife again gave birth to
another son who died soon after.
In this same year I decided to come to New Orleans where many Italians
were living at that time. The trip was long and tedious, lasting 30 days.
I was afterwards introduced to Mr. Vaccaro who was the owner of the
steamship line in which I had sailed to America with my wife. We soon
became fast friends, and he proposed to me that I work for him at his
Produce Company in New Orleans. He handled bananas chiefly which he
brought from Honduras. There I was employed as foreman, which position I
held for some two years.
Several friends described Tampa to me with such glowing colors that I soon
became enthused, and decided to come here and try my fortune. Accordingly,
in 1887, leaving my wife in New Orleans, I took the train to Mobile. At
Mobile I took the boat that brought me here. We disembarked at the
Lafayette Street bridge. I was then 27 years of age.
I had expected to see a flourishing city, but my expectations were too
high, for what I saw before me almost brought me to tears. There was
nothing, what one may truthfully say, nothing. Franklin was a long sandy
street. There were very few houses, and those were far apart with tall
pine trees surrounding them. The Hillsborough County Court House was a
small wooden building. Some men were just beginning to work on the
foundation of the Tampa Bay Hotel.
Ybor City was not connected to Tampa as it is today. There was a
Wilderness between the two cities, and a distance of more than one mile
between the two places. All of Ybor City was not worth one cent to me. In
different places of Ybor City a tall species of grass grew, proper of
swampy places. This grass grew from 5 to 6 feet high. I was completely
disillusioned with what I saw. There was a stagnant water hole where the
society of the Centro Espanol (Spanish Club) is today located. A small
wooden bridge spanned this pond. I remember that I was afraid to cross the
bridge, and especially so at night, because of the alligators that lived
there. They would often crawl into the bridge and bask there in the sun
all day long.
The factory of Martinez Ybor had some twenty cigar makers; Sanchez y Haya
had some fifteen; while Pendas had about ten. I worked for a time at the
factory of Modesto Monet as stripper, * and made 35¢ for my first day's
work. Of course, I was then only learning the cigar business, and could
not expect to make more. When I became skilled in my work as stripper, I
would make from $1.00 to $1.25 a day.
(*) stripper in a cigar factory is one who removes the stem from the
tobacco leaf.
While still at this work, I gradually began learning the cigar-makers'
trade as I saw that they were making a much more comfortable income. When
I had become somewhat proficient as a cigar-maker, I was earning from
$14.00 to $15.00 a week.
When I had been in Tampa some two or three years I sent for my wife who
was still living in New Orleans. When she arrived in Tampa she burst out
crying at what she saw: wilderness, swamps, alligators, mosquitoes, and
open closets. The only thing she would say when she arrived was: "Why have
you brought me to such a place?"
Here we had two more sons, and one died. We had in all four children, of
whom three died. We only had one child left whom we were able to raise.
At about this time Mr. Martinez Ybor (the cigar manufacturer) was offering
homes for sale at a very low price. I, therefore, went to him and
purchased a home at the corner of 18th Street and 8th Avenue for the price
of $725. I still have this house, although considerably remodeled. I paid
$100 cash, and the balance I paid off in monthly terms. I was able to do
this with the help of my wife, she worked also at the cigar factory. We
worked in several factories, sometimes in West Tampa, and sometimes in
Ybor City, wherever working conditions were better.
In all, I worked 28 years at the cigar factories. At the end of this time
my sight became somewhat impaired, and I was, therefore, obliged to
discontinue my work.
My son grew up into a young man, married and had two children; both boys.
One of my grandsons is married, and the other is still single. My son has
now been out of work for the past three years.
I am living at present from what little rent I can collect from the
various buildings that I own. There are families that have been living in
my houses seven weeks without paying rent, yet should I wish to dislodge
them I must go to the Court House and pay them $5.00, and then wait three
more weeks before they are finally dislodged.
These properties are mine. I have worked hard in order to have them, yet I
cannot do as I deem proper with them. If I cannot pay the taxes these
houses will be taken from me. If I cannot collect my rents, I am not able
to pay the taxes. I should, therefore, be allowed to dislodge these that
cannot pay their rent, and without going through so much trouble. It is
not justice to expect taxes to be paid when you cannot collect your rents.
There is not much hope in Ybor City. The cigar factories are on a
continuous decline. The factory of Corral & Wediska had 1500 persons
working, today it has only some 150 or 200 persons.
The railroad between Tampa and Jacksonville had over 40 men working daily
along the tracks, keeping the grass from growing over the rails, seeing
that the tires along the tracks were well kept, etc. Today they do not
have a single man doing this.
The Trust has also purchased many
factories here and have removed them to the Northern cities.
The people of Ybor City are orphans, not only of father and mother, but of
everything in life. They cannot find work at the cigar factories because
of the machines. If the government would place a tax of $5,000 on each
machine, the manufacturers would soon have to discontinue them, and there
would be work for those that are still left here.
Under present conditions the people of Ybor City have no other alternative
but to leave for New York City. Here they get only 50¢ a week for the
maintenance of a whole family, and the single person is not given any
relief whatever. In New York City they are given a home, groceries, coal
to warm themselves in winter, and electric lights. Here they are not given
anything.
There is not an employee of Hav-a-Tampa that is from Ybor City. All their
employees are women who come from little towns near Tampa. The factory is
situated here in Ybor City, yet very few Latins if any, are employed. This
factory pays their employees whatever they please.
Text from: Library of
Congress, Manuscript Division, WPA Federal Writers' Project Collection
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