Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-07-25
Railroad Strike.
Rio. at Baltimore Confusion o.he,wheyes.

company recently decided TO reduce
the pay Of their freight train men
10 per cent, the reduction to go
into effect last week. The employees,
notably the fremen and brakemen,
insisted that they could not stand
the reduction. On Monday evening,
the 10th, about forty firenen and
brakemen of freight trains struck,
and before morning some seventy
eastward bound trains were laid up
at MartinsbLrg, in West Virginia.
The officers of the road employed
new men to run the trains, but the
strikers refused to let any trains be
moved. The local police were I'M
able to preserve the peace, and Gov
'ernor Matthews, of West Virginia,
was called upon to protect the prop
erty of the company and the new
employees with militia, of which there
was but one available company, and
they could do nothing. They tried
to start one train but got tired of it,
after a few pistol shots had been eX-
changed, and concluded that it was
not their business to run the Balti-
more and Ohio railway.
BY Wednesday the strikers were
about 500 strong, and business on
the road was at a standstill The
Governor was satisfied that the pub
lie peace was seriously threatened,
and asked President Hayes for
troops to quell the Imminent riot.
The President issued proclaim alton
ordering the rioters to disDerse
peaceahly by noon, Thursday, and
sent on three or four companies q
regular soldiers to enforce the proc
lamatiod.
BY Friday evening the strike had
become general along the entire line
of the road, and at certain points
riots were imminent or actually be-
gun. TO suppress riotous strikers
at Cumberland, Md, Governor Car
rol ordered ont two regiments from
Baltimore, when q mob gathered
about the armory and assaulted the
militia withstones and other missiles
as they appeared. In retnrn the
soldiers fired ppon the mc-b in the
streets. The mob subsequently gath
cred at the railway depot from which
the troops We're to take tain for
Cumberland, and the riot WAS kept
up for several hours. The depE
building was fired and other out
RACES were committed by the rioters.
Many of the soldiers we're more or
less injured by being struck with
stones and other missiles, and in
the retaliatory musl1etry discharges
of the assailed troops dozen O.
more of the mob were killed and
many others wounded. Finally the
regiments were ordered to remain
in the city, instead of proceeding to
Cumberland, and Saturday morning
the military and police had control
of the city, and the mob had been
squelched. The liquor saloons are
closed, and the prospect is that, as
far as Baltimore j. concerned, the
troubles have been suppressed.
At Cumberland the strikers have
it all their own way. Elsewhere
aong the line Of the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad the situation is appar-
emily unchanged, the United States
troops still guarding the road. Nc
freight trains are running, but the
passenger and mail trains go through
without interruption.
The employees of the Pennsylvania
Road, and also the Erie ,have to large
extent followed the example of those
on the 3. 4 o., and the State Miitis
is called ont, Firemen aud brake
men refuse to operate the trains, ant
men can:ot be found to take then
places. Some being deferred 10y
fear Of the strikers. and others from
sympathy with them. At Pittsburg
there is = blockade of trains witt
little prospect of its being soon rails
ed, a- the people generally are evi.
IDENTIFY in sympathy with and dispos
ed to sustain the strikers. TO maxi
The situation still more serious, Their,
are iutimatioLs that the striking mi
ucrs of Pennsylvania VII espouSe the
cause of the railroad hands, and thus
form body arainst which The miLi