The New York herald., 1873-12-28
TEE RAILROAD STRIKE.
General stoppage of Freight at Pitts
burg-Determination Of the En-
gineers to Stick Together.
Statistics and Sentiments of the
Brotherhood.

PITTsBURG. Pa, Dec. 27, 1873.
The strike OF railroad engineers and nremen
continues, and the trouble tonight is more seri-
GUS and aggravating than II has been yet.
All the railroad lines for the West reuse 10 re-
ceive any more freight and Eastern reight rom
New York. Philadelphia and other points Is accu-
muatng RAPIDLY blockading all the siding tracks
for a considerable distance from Pittsburg. All the
accommodation trains on the Plttsburg, fort
Wayne and Chicago; Pittsburg and Erie, CleNe-
land and Pittsourg, and Pittsburg Cincinnati anu
ST. Louis railroads have been taken Oh, with the
exception OF one, which lett this evening az -
O'Clock, drawn by locomotive run py an oAnp' Jye
in one OF the machine shops.
No Sunday trains will be run tomorrow. ',ut the
through express trains are enabled TO we daily
and on time. Passenger trains comiWs east are
being consolidated mt certain points, the West
and being brought in as nearly or time as pos
sble, No effort will be made to, move freight until
next week but by that time the roads will be in a
dreadful condition, as the tracks for miles from
This city are completely bockaded with endless
strings OF freight cars. kumors ahoat TO-
aight-and which appear to have substantial
toundation-that the engineers and fremen
on the Pennsylvania Central Company
WIN not submit to the reduction which
but Will strike Monday next, If the oroer IS not
rescinaed before that time. large and enthu-
siasric meeting OF engineers held this morning.
II Was body Of intelligent men, and was as or
DERBY and harmonious a meeting as was ever
assembled by any body. ]. G. Sample, President
Of the division which includes the engineers OF the
Pattssurg, Fort Wayne and Chicago, and Cleveland
and Pittsburg railroads, addressed the meeting.
He said he had an interview with Mr. Mccullough
on Monday evening and Tuesday morning. Mr.
Mccullough upon being spoken to said that COM
pany was
ALMOST BANKRUPT
but that the Old wages would be restored to the
men as soon as the other roads did the same. The
President called again in the evening, but without
aey more success. He also called again on Tues
day morning, when Mccullough asked how matters
were them Mr.. Sample replied that they were
much worse than ever. Mccullough then said,
"Strike and be damnedw
WHAT THE STRIKE MEANS.
The President continued to say that 1t was not
.only the reduction OF 10 per cent which the engi
neers objected TO- but they were obliged to lay of
several days in each week, and thus his own wages
mad been reduced altogether about s4 per month.
The speaker explained that the strike was mucn
more general than the representatives OF the COM
pany would admit. All the on the west end
Of the Fort Wayne road had gone out and they
would stick together.
Speeches were made by others, and the men
pledged themselves to stick manfully together
alter which the meeting quietly dispersed.
THE DECLINE IN BUSINESS on THE ROAD.
William Shaw, Vice President OF the Pennsylva-
MA Company, on being interviewed this afternoon,
SAID, the immediate cause OF the strike is that
reduction OF 10 per cent on the wages or all en-
ployes from President down had been ordered for
cvly
Central countermanded its order for reduction,
which was to take place at the same time. 1t will
however, attempt to put IL into effect next Thurs
day. The Pennsylvania Company, Mr.. Shaw said.
has promptly paid all its employees at the end
Df every month, the payroll being provided
for before any other Indebtedness. The amount
nisbursed In cash to employees alone is from
81, 600 to 900 per month. The payments
have always been made the same day and never do
Any delays occur. "We can't afford to put on this
&c per cent we took on" said Mr.. Shaw, 'because
ihe reduction in the rates OF freight and the shrink
rye OF business has become great that IT be-
rolnes necessary on the part of the company 10
reduce expenses wherever possible. While they
have only been asked to submit TO reduction OF
10 per cent the business OF the company has dimin
ished more than double that rate All railroad
men know and understand that 1t is
IMPOSSIBLE NOW TO MAKE REDUCTION IN EXPENSES
in the ratio that receipts have fallen of but
for the most prudential reasons it is necessary
that some action be taken to stop actual losses.
We Will stop the roads and run nothing but mails
and passengers, leaving the through freights to
take care OF themselves, rather than do business
bn such ruinous conditions. There is a heavy
shipment OF cheap wheat from the West, but by
the time we run empty cars from the Eastern sea-
board to Chicago ana other grain centres. then
carry II East at present very low rates we might
almost as wen be doing nothing, the profit scarcely
paying expenses, to say nothing OF leaving q mar
gin. We state this to show that the reduction was
necessary, and we mean to stick to 1t. We are
going 10 run the mails and passengers. providing
the authorities along the line will protect the
trains rom violence
LAwLEss VIOLENCE.
The passenger train west was stopped at Den-
,nison, ohio, by q mob, ana not until the sheriff
ana other authorities had interiered was it al.
lowed 10 proceed. Also at Logansport the mail
IRAN was stopped, and considerable difficulty was
experienced in getting it through. Al another
point ran was fastened In the frog Tor the pur-
pose OF throwing the train OF, but was discovered
ia time to prevent serious accident The State
authorities OF Ohio and Indiana have been applied
70 Tor police officers TO give the necessary protec
hon.. We viii also make an effort bring all the
ftock shipped along the line. The fact
r the business now Is that we
he not caring whether the men come
back or not, because we can get engineers enough
TO run all trains which necessary to do all our
business The only question is, whether the au-
lhontes viii be able to give US protection. The
engineers have certainly acted very unwisely
d TINS matter, iu not considering the great fact
which is plain to all, that wages in every depart.
nent OF labor must come down. No branch or busi-
ness has suffered more than railroads.
Nhe strike Not Sanctioned bv thc
Brotherhood.
CLEVELAND. Dec 27, 1873
The headquarters OF the Internationa, Division 80