New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-10-18
I. MA IiEWS
President Protective Union, Colored.
WJTTTAI Np0TTy

| tectlye Union.
7. MATTHEW'S.
President Protective Union, Col0red
WILLIAM CR0TTY,
President United Lab0rers, White
/ Carrying out the above proclamation, the
members yesterday failed to go to work,
keeping their promise to strike for higher
wages-$4 per day.
Hundreds Of the strikers assembled on
the levee at an early hour, as if to make a
public demonstration. One large squad
had band Of music, and carried flag, the
| participants bearing themselves like men
who "meant business"
| Stevedores and other contractors were
formally notified Of the resolutions adopted
| by the associations, asking for higher
| wages, and men at work were notified that
| they must cease toiling for the ordinary pay
By ten o'clock upward OF thousand col
ored men were in marching order near the
head of Canal street, and when employed
men saw theW, they readily knocked off"
and joined the procession. This locality
seemed central point. or something like a
rendezvous. Workmen at the Vicksburg
packet landing, through fear or enthusiasm
soon left their labors and struck hands
with the strikers.
Early in the morning. longshoremen com
menced djscharging the cargo of the steam
boat Pargoud, and although seen by the
strikers were not molested. Some men in
the ranks shouted at them. uttering threat
ening expressions. S'Four dollars day or
nothing" was the battle cry, and it was
heard all along the crowd. A printed cir
cular was handed to the men, which read
as follows:
Notice 10 more working from six o'clock
in the morning until seven O'clock at night,
but from seven o'clock precisely until six
o'clock, exactly, q days labor and from
Seven O'Clock until $50 4. NJ, quarter
days labor, and from l P. III, unll $50 2.
NJ. a quarter days lab0Ta exactly.
As the procession passed along the levee,
men at work were hailed and asked what
wages they were geGejvIngo and they were
told tUai iuit
Another rendezySUs was near the head OF
Clouet street, and Che sign of recognition
was bit Of blue Gibbo9 o15 the breasto Jo
Harris seemed TO pc 5hs Recognized leadeg'
in that seeti0no h0 wearing blue roBette
They halted at the coal landing, and when
men were found af work s7eye told to stop,
unless they got 81 geB daso The strikers
sent delegations to the yards, requesting
the employers to- sign contracts that they
would hereafter pap sire advance and OBJ
serve the hourso No one eonpliedo Nearly
all the men in the vos5 3aa1ss sheB joined
the proeessiono
q squad siaiteS SIS steamship ga2oos
! and Teye met by an agent who responded
to che Spokesman de declined, in firm
manner, to answer any questions, and the
strikers left without satisfaction. A few
men were working on the steamer w S,
Pike, and they stopped as soon as the
| gangs marched there.
BY this time, about II A. NJ, over a
thousand men were in marching order, and
matters began to assume 8 very serious
aspect, they having been joined by a large
squad from the upper posts. These latter
were headed by Bowlegged Donovan, a
man who has never been given to especial
hard work.
A squad of strikers saw some men
employed on a raft, head OF Sixth street,
and, in response to a question, stated that
/ they were receiving s. 50 per day. The
employer, an Algerine, had some thing to
say, when he tumbled around quite promis-
cuously,
Those in the procession were composed
of colored men, but the whites of the same
occupation were lounging around on the
levee within hailing distance.
Wednesday evening Captain Schreiber
was well posted in the movements and Wis
tied Superintendent Badgers Office, for the
purpose of laying the case before his supe-
rior officer, 1t was then arranged to have
a sufficient force of policemen on the levee
to protect innocent persons and to see that
property was not destroyed.
Early in the morning, as we have before
related, crowd of strikers passed along
the leyee at the head of PhiAp street, where
gang of men were loading barges of the
Mississippi Valley Transportation Com
pany. The strikers notified the men to de-
sist, but Captain William Barnes, the
stevedore in charge, informed the crowd
that his men should not be interfered with,
and he ordered the crowd away. They
quietly left At about twelve o'clock the
procession Of strikers passed up, preceded
by band of music, and with flags flying,
the men in the procession some 1900 or 2O00
strong.
The crowd again halted at TIE barge and
demanded chat the Eaborers should quit,
threatening violence in case they did not
obey. Captain Barnes again appeared, in
sisting that his men should be let alone,
and, selling q hatchet, declared that he
would brain the first man that attempted to
60 aboard. A rush was made by the crowd
and two men in the advance were at once
struck over The 8ead By Captain Barnes
with his hatcheto
About this time a snoe was fred into the
crowd from the quarter deck OF the English
ship Belgravia. The crowd fell back to
ballast pile, armed themselves with stones,
and again advanced upon the loading
vessel, Captain Barnes still holding his
ground, ,'hatchet in hand, He was met with |