The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-07-26
THE CAUSE OF THE STRIKE

IN order to understand the cause
which has produced the terrible conflict
between thc employers and employees of
several of the leading railroads in the
North, we subjoin tho following brief nc
count going back to its inception taken
from The New York Herald:
On tho 1st of July the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad issued an order to the
effect that on and after the 10th inst. the
wages of all employees receiving over 81
per day would be reduced ten per cont.
This was done, as claimed, by the COM
pany on account OF tho reductions in
freight rates, and tho snme order had
previously been issued by the other trunk
lines. The employees throughout the
country claim that not long since their
wages were reduced from 1926 and So to
$1.75 and $3.50, which they stood with
out murmur, but that now, in addition
to the proposed reduction of ten per cent,
they ara nos to be allowed to make but
fifteen deys in month. This, they say,
will not furnish them with tho tarest
means of subsistence. For example,
fifteen days Mt $l.35 per day is $2O.25
board is, ut the lowest estimate, twenty
five cents per meal thir.y days at sew
enty-five cents is s22.50; this bringa
them in debt 1925 per month for board
alone. They also claim that the com.
pany will find it an up hill job to find
men 70 fill the places Of the present om-
ployees, and lose thousands Of dollars by
employing inexperienced hands. The
iiremen and brakemcn employed in the
city say that the first cut was made on
their pay in 1873. They had then had q
quarter of o day deducted from the time
allowed on trip which previously occu-
pied o day and q quarter, and similar
reduction equal to twenty per cent. made
in all cases.. On Sundays they had been
allowed 9 hs!f days extra pay, which
Z had also been deducted The quarter of
day allowed them at the depot when
called and not sent out wa, also stricken
from their pay, which as chat time was
1926 per day. On August 10, 1876, this
was reduced to Sl.75 and additional work
given them. They were compelled to
take trains greater distances and put up
their engines, which gave them thr- Q
hours additional work daily withou.
the firemen snd brakemen of the fiat
class received 9l.5s per day and the sec.
oad claxs $1.35, with but four days W. L
500. S'6'neS.o so,nAoAiy AZ
ceiVea $3.50 per day ana o bonus OF
tWenty-hye @ cents per day ior every other
month. ,Iney now receive $2.9O per day
anu con ictoIs SZ.2o, Whlie neither OF
uhe iattee had loinsa IN the Strike they
.ymfFashlaed with the movement and lent
IL al the aiu tney could
a large number Of the strikers assem-
bled at Martinsburg. West yirsinia,
atonred ~, fpo;obt tro;ns ond ,yor,J ,,,r'
~ IL - -. - -" ,'iii- T., rH
niit mono 70 depart rom tne place. Inc
militia ware caaiSd out, and Tuesday the
18th inst, occurred the first conflict.
,.,,,-a,,,,
IN r, 70 ~ hI ilV "A AlAi'i1N'sDo No
Inc io!loWing y pupmsnea as IN accu-
,alo a,conmS NJ o. the coillsion AT hartits-
!. GaE gutE w 1,y xs9nesuay ,,1ig mgrn.ng pesween
a,ul SaR.salil T9u's.iS nv s..S:. miliua ana tne
ployed on both sides ofa train which was
ABOUT starting, an engineer and fireman
trasn ayrux Soscnaa sosaascSreu 1h 70 Mora. AS sne
strikers, William Vandewriff. seized Tho
switch ball, to run the train on o side
track. track, John. poisal, q member of the
gtha i Uany, 1plHpeu .s1 sne piios
ths q ~ ,:tla tray s% o,,i5 ~ ~ S,iase .,p
Vnfidsfr9ifT' tilsd two Shots Mt Poissl. ons
caflsiup 4 alifllt flesh syyonnil IN ithe aide
Sc3fl,xst, ~ g e % H < - st,,.s,ssj sls 80