The New York herald., 1877-02-14
RAILROAD STRIKERS.
Progress of the Strike on the Boston
and Maine Railroad.
GREAT DELAY OF TRAINS.
A Crowded Meeting in Faneuil Hall
Last Night
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD

BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD
BosroS, Feb. Ia, 1877.
lf the Boston and Maine Railroad Company and the
striking engineers keep good their resolutions tho
suorings Of the public likely be prolonged
definitely. Both the managers OF the road and the
drivers show hrm front, and declare that nothing
will move them to yield compromise Even
with engineers the company have been abio
employ. the trains have been irreguarly and
ardy that tomorrow quite large number will
be withdrawn. Of course, these passenger trans
for the strike took place the moving Of freight
trains has been abandoned altogether The trouble, so
far as the company Is concerned, seems worse
even than yesterday for besides the loss OF business
incident TO the withdrawal Of SO many trains. thero
have been various small smash-ups, which, though
rinng in themselves will amount to thousands OF dol.
lars daily in the aggregate The public excitement
very hign only in Boston but IN every city
and town along the line all the way to Portland.
DEPOT
In Boston the depot surrounded all day long
with excited crowds and the OF every
ton the road. There have been Of violence,
but the police found IL exceedingly difficult AZ one
time In the afternoon to chock assaults upon the
who the strikers places few strokes with tho
locust upon the heads Of tho leaders checked in Its In
cipency what might have been serious outbreak, for
II s transparent that the public sympathy is with the
engineers There few OF the strikers around tho
station all day long, engaged in buying up men whom
the company had nired 70 take thor places,
and IN very many cases thcy were successful The
men offered tho samc pay that the corporation
paying, and II tnat is not sufficient inducements,
they asked 10 their price. and whatever II
may be- is paid ny tho jr rotherhood 1t Is reported
that have been paid 5000 to leave their engines,
and II IS also stated that an offer OF $500 was made TO
ono man.
ENGINEERS FROM OTHER ROADS,
The action OF other roads in sending engineers to
iS
criticized by the organization and unless II Is stopped
they say they will stop every road running out OF
| not members OF the brotherhood, but this being
struggle for right between the Boston and Maine
tho organization. tho atcr do not propose TO have any
road their corporation, which tho brotherhood
claim could havo settled the differences with their
engineers by simply recognizing the head OF
the brotherhood. The strikers ready to
meet the company whenever tho company
| Is rcady 10 meet them and they now say that the
| differences bc easily adjusted, they MAINTAIN
| that they have asked for nothing which unjust,
which the company cannot concede. The corporation
will DO compelled to hire who members of
the brotherhood. and they cannot induce any OF
Many Of the men who have left their engines have
been In the employ OF the corporation Tor years; two
OF them Tor thirty, some twelve hi.cen and twenty
dvc and large number for IRON eight fifteen years
| THE RECOVERY DAMAGES
One circumstance OF the strike which Is OF interest
to all railroads Is being considered by eminent legal
gentlemen: II is whether or not passengers holding
tickets and shippers OF freight who have suffered and
are likely to suffer, cannot properly CLAIM damages
from the company violation OF its contracts The
corporation taking counsel in the matter and If the
decision is untavorabe 10 them they may decide to
yield to tho strikers instead aahering to their de-
termination to suspend business until an abundance Of
suitable men can be obtained.
A MEETING IN FANEuII HALL.
| public meeting in Faneu Hall this evening
showed unmisakably that tho public sympathy is
with the engineers. The old ediicc was lllcd 10 its
utmost capacity, and there very many who camc
who were unable to gain aamittance Mr.. John Wilbur,
one of the engineers OF the Lowell Road, presided.
rho principal address OF the evening was made
by Mr. Peter Arthur, tho grand chief engineer of
brotherhood, under whose direction the strike has
| been conducted
Mr. Arthur received with warm applause. and
| his speech often Interrupted with encouraging
cheers. Hc first gave an account OF tho organization
and objects of tho brotherhood, numbering IL 900
members ana read from the extracts oil their byIaws
10 show that they did exist for the purpose die
tating to railroad corporations, but to secure better
class Of engineers than known before. Their
motto, he said was rrutb, Sobrlety and Morality"
and these virtues were observed IN all their dealings
with railroad managers Ono of their rules that IL
man wiltuy injured the compapy's property was
addicted 10 drunkenness he was not only expelled,
| bat his name published in the bi biotherhoods
Journal which read by all managers ana is II to
railroad except where there was strike. Each
gnecr of the he said was as a detective
the other, and IL he offended dsgraced his call.
| Ing he was at once reported 10 the brother.
hood. Referring to the superiority OF the
significantly II tho public would DO willing
to trust their lives and the loss Of their loved and
| on road where drunken men were In charge OF the
engines. (No, noD Mr.. Arthur declared that thcro
were the Boston and Maine road day, in tho
SOOer engineers,
ards and thieves from The Old Colony and Boston aud
Providence roads. This ton Mr. Arthur repeated
several tlmos during me evening, and IN commenting
the statement intmated that II the Colony road
msnagers concluded 70 furnish assistance their
mics they need not be surprised they suddenly found
themselves without engineers.
WHAT CANCELLATION WOULD
| The speaker described the function Of the Grand
Chief Engineer, the position which no had the honor
TO Ill, and said that IL had only been In where
raroad companies had refused TO confer with him
mediator that strikes had taken place, and there
hp NIL raj
Railroad OF New Jersey; the Grand Trunk Railroad, OF
Canada, and The Boston aud Maine Railroad IN every
case, he said, tho managers notified of tho hour
when the strike would takc place, and IL
Their fault il they sent trains knowing tho
engines would be abandoned wherever they might DO
ut uncertain hout. All these cases mcnt led
Mr.. Arthur said tho difficulty could have avoided
ginccrs tber representatives. He criticised severely
President White, and superintendent Tnrbcr for BRING
speaking Of the train dispatcher Smith, he denounced
bm as a pcrJuicd william before God; man who
IN spite OF solemn oath had wronged
thcm cowards and thieves. Mr.. Arthur dlscIaimed
that the engineers wanted anything moro than their
rights even now aud asserted that II the managers OF
the Boston and Maine road would yield every man
would be back in six hours BY the act OF President
White said Mr.. Arthur, tho company has lost more in
the last two days than would have have given
them careful engineers and sale trains Tor five years
sPEcuLATIoNs As TO THE RESULT.
Tho address OF Mr.. Arthur lasted hour and half
and as presentation OF the enginccrs' side OF tho
question able and effective. What will be the
suit oil this unfortunate struggle Is question which
causing CONSIDERABLE serious thought TO the compauy
the road is one OF the most important IN New Eng
land running TO Boston, and all along the limo
from hero TO Portland some OF tho largest
cities and towns IN New England, and thousands OF
passengers arc suffering daily ior ransportatop to
say nothing OF tho Inconvenience which being
stoned by the freight blockade. Unless there is some
speedy arrangement by which business can be re-
sumed, the pubic feeling will lind ready expression
in series OF Indignation meetings all lhc way from
Portland to Boston.
NEW JERSEY CENTRAL RAILROAD.