The New York herald., 1877-11-29
CAR DRIVERS STRIKE.

THE MEN ON THE CHRISTOPHER AND TENTH
STREET LINE QUIT woRK-wHAr sUPERIN-
TENDENT SHARP AND THE DRIVERS Say
SCENES ALONG THE ROUTE.
Those persons who had occasion yesterday TO use
the Canal street DIVISION Of tho Christopher and Tenth
Street Railroad found to their great Inconvenience
that tho cars Of this limo behind time and that
confusion reigned along the whole route. This dis
order was explained by tho fact that the drivers
Of the boys VINO evidently were not used to
handling tho brakes. HERALD reporter visited the
stables and Offices OF this division OF the line In Elm
street. between Canal and Howard, there discov.
cred that owing to reduction OF the drivers wages
all except four had quit work In the morning
and the management were ooiged temporarily 10 Ill
their places with lead boys.
THE coxPANYs STORY.
Jacob Sharp, Jr, tho son OF the President and Su-
pcrptcnden OF tho lino stated In answer to inquiries
that drivers had appeared At tho Office and declined
TO work the reduced wages they had been
So per DAY Tor twcnty-four trips and tho reduction
81 5O twenty seven trips ~ DO run. NJ Sharp
thereupon told them he would supply thar places and
paid thon The wages duo Tne mcn were orderly, and
grouped at the street corners watching how tner sue
cessors wero WORKING
Mr. Sharp thcn walked with tho reporter to tho
corner OF Canal street order glance
OF his men, his Inspection was not satsfacto tory.
car came rushing along toward broadway. driven
bv y frightened looking young chap who seemed 10
nothing OF managing tho brake, and his car bumpcd
over the rails ana switches tho Elm crossing
'srhat is a now man." said Dir. Sharp "out he VIII
soon learn y
Another Cur contained two men in front. "An old
driver" the Superintendent explained, "teaching
inat young fellow how 10 manage the brake You see
we have put about nire teu this divi-
sion, Notwithstanding the strike OF our old men. rho
TACT Is. We had 10 reduce wages The cars are not
paying Us So day; then we have to give Two and
hall per cent of our gross receipts to the city. We
run scvent three horses over tins branch ana thar
~ Co
consider the and tear OF rolling stock interest
on Investments OIL ana gas men s wages horse
snoeing, coal, &C., you that win offer Of
81 80 10 the arNcrs we are Uareiy paying expenses
Tue drivers are allowed time on TINS ins TO got tneir
dinners and suppcrs, while on otncr lines they have
10 provide substitute"
WHAT STRIKERS THINK.
number Vr toe '.sirIking" drivers wero grouped
ut the Elm an1 Canal streets discussing lns
situaton. The HERALD reporter got u numDor Of
statements OF their SIDE OF the story, and II Will oe
tound they differ IN many respects from tho superin-
tcndenps. Albert Bradley SAID :"l am IAN old driver,
but have been IN the employ OF TINS company alto
gcther about I'VE months On the llth OF tins
month the wages were cut down from 81 20 per day
to 81 Tor twcnly-iour trips We thought this hard
enough, ana now asked TO work for 81 90 per
day aud MAKE twenty-sevcn trips. This would IN
vovo about sixteen hours OF LABOR, and everybody
knows 10 what exposure Car drvcrs arc subjected
We went in u body TINS mofning-sevcntecn ?f US
nnd quietly told Mr. jacob sharp Jr, that wc could
not live on such wages out We weru wiling to ta9
the cars out aud run them, even the twcnty-seven
trips a day. Tor the old wages (S2) un hc could get
men TO supply our places He declined and paid Us
oi That Is the amount OF The 'strike.'"
r. Connors another drvor, suid that during the
time oil changing tracks from the road ~ Pearl street
10 the Second avenue track tho cars were always
blocked, and Tor every hour late tho drivers had de-
Quoted from their wages two trips twcnty-seven
cents, where only fourteen cents was proper under
any circumstances. John Mccoy corrouoratcd those
staeme and said = s.rhis dvslon is hard one to
work any nov. Work Is much easier on the other
avenues Tho rhird avenue liuc paid about 81 Is tor
l3 hours work. the Egnth avenue 81 % or III hours,
tue Broadway and Seventh avonue lines 81 70 ior ID
hours"
RFPEcT OF THE STRIKE
Along tho whole line the elect OF the substitution oil
rienccd drivers for the old hands was plainly
VISIBLE and IN many Instances to au amusing degree.
wages is made also on the Twepty-third street iine
virtually under the same control aud management
that the strko there Will be universal.