The New York herald., 1870-01-15
THE ERIE STRIKE.
It's Extension Over the Whole Road
Threatened.
The Men Refused Re. Employment-A Com.
mittee from Western New York Inter.
views Jay GOnld-Mass Meeting
OF the Strikers-The Shops
Deserted.

Of the Strikers-The Shops
Deserted.
The strike OF the mechanics employed by the Erie
Railway Company in their machine shops in Jersey
City sill continues and threatens TO assume larger
proportions ana interfere much moro injuriously
with the affairs or the company, n all that the
leading spirits Of the men strike say and promise
Is TO be actually carried out IL were useless how
ever, to speculate upon these promises, or rather
threats for the present. and fair and concise nara
tive0f
WHAT WAS DONE YESTERDAY
will be moro useful to the public. 1t win be rcmem.
bered tEat on Wednesday last, at Binghamton, IN
this State convention met OF delegates or the sew
cral branches and divisions OF the 'Mutual Pro.
tective Association OF Erie Railway Employee"
From this convention there arrived yesterday morn.
ing committee OF two consisting OF Mr.. James
Fnlay OF Buffalo, the vice president OF the assoca-
ton, and Mr.. James Foster, OF Susquenanna- These
TWO, accompanied by Mr.. George Kcasley, the
president of the Jersey City branch crossed at once
to this city and asked for an interview with Mr.
Jay Gould, the president OF the road. The request
was granted. What was said and achieved at this
interview was fully reported by Messrs. Finlay and
Foster at
OF the wOrkmen on strike which was held In the
afternoon at two O'Clock, at the engine house
No z, in Jersey City. Mr.. Keas,ey presided
MIR, Foster spoke first, and said In substance
that they had no difficulty In seeing Mr..
Gould, and were well received by him. The salient
points OF the difficulty were stated by them, and they
said that II the men acted hastily Mr.. Gould acted
hastily also dischargng all OF them; but he denied
that he had discharged tnem-they left themselves,
and he even offered to them that they Should return
t0 the shops and go to work on Thursday morning,
which they refused. He had notified the men oi the
cause OF the delay In paying them, but that Mr..
Keasley contradlcted him on that point Mr.. Gould,
said Mr. Foster, appeared desrons to impress them
that it was fully Tune enough after four ocock TO
pay or the shops which they had denied. Mr..
Gould admitted that the naymas'er % err was dereca IN
30 also his 1ather ana son. Ee had looked VITA
lenency upon it, to which Mr. Foster replied,
why not LOOK with lcniency on the men alsoY Mr..
Gould, however, said that this affair OF the men
allowing thenlse to be led astray by "benevolent
aud it may now be decided as well as ut any other
time. Discipline among the employees OF the road
be- 6nt Mr. PrH raa S
enough to maintain discipline. The conversation,
according to Mr. Fosters report, then turned upon
.he cause OF the strike, IN walch the committee
claimed that last month the company broke their
agreement by paying the IN November wages on the
18th Of S M only Tno posoa Of the men
anu wilnout any servillty or crouchIng; but MIR.
Gould SAID he wonld not employ tue strikers again,
with other men. 1t has got to come to
crlsis. Mr. Gould had said that he did not believe
other shops Of the road would sustain the Jersey
City mcl III their rash act 10 which the commit
tee replied tnaI even though the men may have
acted rasiy they had right to the support OF their
fellow craftsmen IN the association, as LIE action OF
the company implied breach OF their agreement.
Mr.. Foster concluded his report by staung that tho
interview lasted over an hour and tnat they were
throughout treated civilly and courcously by Mr..
Gould, and also by Mr. Fisk, who came into the
room towards the close OF the conversation.
ting what his associate on che committee had re-
ported OF the interview. Gould and Fisk, he SAID,
want to try the metal or their employees. Are you
ready TO fgnt them? Loud shouts OF Eyes, we WILL
were heard all over the hall in response Ihc speak
crs duty vice president was TO see that they were
supporied; his mind was made up. He would teie-
graph TO B.ngnamton advising the Convention to Or
der sse IN an inc saes g ne na whOle no Mennav
next not man Will be at work. They VIII he sue
cesslu If they apply themselves they nad right TO
and to keep other men out OF gne snops. But
this should be done in an honorable ana conscien
tlous manner, and they should not subject them
selves to an arrest or tre3passng on the law They
should appont d committee OF thirty divided into
two squads, with captain over each, to see thai
men do not get into the shops. They should re-
solve to stick to IT, II IL takes six months. (CreS or
1--WE Will do Ir'o They might carry bricks for
masons If necessary; for any kind OF labor what
| to Gould ana FISK. For his own part he tne
| speakeD would rather scrape dirt than
| submit. The corporation had rights, but the
WorKInCmen had rights also, The men, however,
should keep SOBER create no disturbance and take
| to no unlawful means. This was serious mat ier
for all: They were aware OF the power OF capital,
| it could buy judges aud Gould could accomplish
anything to ruin them the W0fk1ngmen) II they did
Mr. sTEa again Sose and sad that Mr. Gould
had told them tls strike oil the Jersey CITY shops had
ready materially Injured the Erie TO which
he replied with the question, ''What then, II the
strike extends to all the shops on the road ~ but
Ceved no answer.
| THE WATCH COMMITTEE.
The suggestion or Mr.. Finlay was then adopted,
ana the list or thirty committeeman or watchers to
persuade new. men from taxing their places was
quIcKiy flied by volunteers. captain was chosen
lor each atoon OF fifteen men, hosuOdvided tnelr
men into three squads OF five each aud then made
table 1or regular time reiiels every two hours,
| so that each captain and platoon serve on guard
| SIX hours, VITA siX hours ION Duty"
1t appeared subsequently and before adjournment
that a number o Dlen mad come from oIher cities
In the hope OF getting employment, but under the
circumstances tAey felt IN honor bound not take
return home. Tncr case was referred to the Fl
nance Committee with orders TO assist them, hut TO
be careful tnat this liberaliiy was not abused by
| false prctenders.
WHAT THE COMMITTEE OF THIRTY DID.
Immediately after the adjournment OF The mass
meeting Messrs. Finlay ana Foster sent q despatch
to the Convention at Binghampton stating the result
or their interview with Goud and advising the pas
| sage or the order indicated above In Mr.. Fnlay's
| remarks. A delegate was also sent to Binghamton
TO make personal and more detailed statement TO
the Convention than could be given IN teleEram.
The committee OF thirty also went atFwork at once,
and one OF tne squads took position around the en-
gine house. covering, as military men would say all
the approaches TO the machine shops Their efforts
mad al the appearance OF being effective The re-
preventative OF the HERALD renamed in the lmme-
diate neighborhoOd for some tine IN order to OBJ
serve their ntOdus Operandi. AS soon as persons
approached whose exterior showed them TO be
worklngmeu or strangers IN search OF employment,
they were questioned and quietly told the condition
oI affairs, and in every 1nstance-in aoout twenty
cases which were nOticed-thcsc arguments were
suiliCient 10 turn the men away.
AN EXCITING RUMOR.
In the course or the afternoon q rurnOr was cur
rent which created considerable excitement among
| the men. IL 10 the effect that some OF their
| comrades had applied at one or two locomotive
works at Paterson Tor employment but were re-
fused, for the alleged reason that Mr. IL. l.. Brown,
master mechanic Of the Erie shops IN Jersey City,
had telcRraphed to Paterson request that the