The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-08-03
THE RAILROAD STRIKE.
Progress o. the Great Railroad War
Matters Quneting Down.


mobs appeared in different sections of the city,
visiting the railway-yards, lumber-yards, and
many Of the mills and factories, and compelling
the workmen to shut down. These mobs were
not composed of railroad strikers, but consisted
principally of loafers, thieves and tramps,
many of them boys of 16 to 20 years old.
Their efforts were directed to stopping all hon.
est labor, no matter whether the workmen
were satisfied with their wages or not. Squads
of police attacked and dispersed these mobs in
several cases. but they would quickly gather
and appear i'll other parts OF the city. In one
or two instances the police forces were too
small to compete with the rioters and were
| forced to retreat. The most severe conflict was
on the c., b. a @. road, at Halsted and Six
teenth streets, where the rioters numbered sew
eral hundred. The police fired into them sew
eral times before they could be made to move,
the mob defending themselves with pistols,
stones and brickbats. Two OF the rioters were
killed and one fatally and several slightly wound
ed, while three or four of the police were wound
ed by stones. With the exception of the slight
disturbances occasioned by these vagrant
bands, everything was unusually quiet III the
city, No freight trains were run ON any OF the
roads, and on only one or two were any pas
senger trains allowed to depart. Nearly every
department of business was demoralized
Merchants were unable to forward goods to
the interior, and kept their stores open as a
mere matter of form. The express companies
were unable to receive currency for shipment,
and business at the banks was at a complete
standstill Near Oswego, N. Y, the strikers
tore up rail and threw passenger
train from the track no one injured. The
Buffalo police made an attack upon large band
of strikers and dispersed them; everything
was quiet at the depots, but no trains moving.
On the Erie road no trains were running. Ow-
ing to the stoppage of freight traffic coal and
oil famine was threatened i'll Baltimore. At
Cumberland Frostburg and other towns in
Maryland there was distressing scarcity of
! provisions as a consequence of the blockade.
There was great excitement at Louisville NY.
business was suspended, and the citizens or
ganized for defense; armed mobs marched
through the streets. throwing stones, smashing
windows, and creating the widest alarm
an unsuccessful attempt was made To
, burn the Louisville and Nashville railroad
offices. ST. Louis was the scene of numerous
riotous demonstrations; mobs marched through
the streets, forcing the workmen III the mills
and factories to stop work; the manufacturing
suburb of Carondelet was taken possession OF
by the mob, and large iron foundries closed up
the citizens were organizing in formidable force
for defense. San Francisco was also the scene
of much turbulence, the mobs assum-
ing most threatening attitude the citizens
organized vigilance committee 5000
strong incendiaries were busy with the
torch, and the greatest excitement prevailed in
the city, The strike spread westward into
Iowa. involving nearly all the prominent rail
way lines in the State. The labor revolution
was the subject of Cabinet meeting at Wash
ington, the result of which was that orders
were Immediately issued fof the speedy move
: ment of all the troops IN the South. except
b those OH the Rio Grande, to points in the
. North where they might be available.
. Advices of the 9th indicated a marked weak
l ening of the strike all along the line At Chi
J. cago there was some more fighting between the
!. police and the mobs. The most serious con
flict, series of conflicts, was at the scene OF
the preceding days rioting, near the yards oil
: the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad
: The mob to the number Of several thousand
gathered at that point. and were exceedingly
/, turbulent and defiant. They allowed no trains
to depart, and peted incoming passenger
u trains with stones and brickbats, causing tn,
' widest CONSERVATION among the passengers
A strong force of police made an attack upor
the mob, and were repulsed. The SeconC
- regiment of Illinois militia were then hurried
TO the scene with fixed bayonets, and made al
L impetuous charge upon the disorderly gather
$ ing, dispensing it without firing shot. Tn,
: combat was renewed again at night, and the
mob was second time scattered by bayone
5 charge. Three of the rioters were killed dur
= ing the days fighting and dozen or Sc
o wounded, some quite seriously. Ten or twelve
e of the police force were wounded all of whom
\ force in the city. and the town was being thor
$ oughly patrolled by cavalry and infantry
o Advices from other points showed weakening
of the strike and subsistence OF the excite
@ ment. The most serious demonstrations were
e made in San Francisco, where the police anC
the rioters came in conflict two or three OF
n the latter were killed and many wounded. Mat
a ters wore serious aspect at st. Louis
G the rioters marched up and dowr
the streets, compelling all worhingmen tc
{ shut down and join the army of idle
: men the Mayor OF the city and Governor OF
= the State fired off proclamations at the rioters
@ but beyond this nothing was done to suppress
: them. The strike on the Erie, New Yorl
4 Central and Michigan Southern was brought
4 to an end by an arnicable arrangement between
: employers and employees. The blockade of the
Pennsylvania anu Baltimore and Ohio road;
continued and there was considerable turbu
. lence along the lines. The miners in the an.
thracite region Of Pennsylvania Joined in the
!. general revolt, and in the Lehigh valley every
s thing was reported at q stand-still. There was
[ a serious cmeute at Shamokin, and three riot
+ ers were fatally wounded,
: Dispatches of the 2Sth report everything quiet
- in Chicago. There was no more rioting, anC
no fears of any, the mob being thoroughly
cowed. Trains were running on nearly all the
roads, there was a general resumption of bust
. ness and return of worllmen to their employ.
ments,. and a complete subsistence of all excite
2 ment. The reports from other points were
of the same tenor. All the Eastern roads
s had resumed the running of trains even the
. Pittsburgh mob had been forced by the strong
arm Of the military, under command of Gen
Brown, to surrender the property Of the Penn
: sylvania road.
TRAINS began moving out of Pittsburgh on
the 30th ult under military guard, and met
with no obstruction. The State and Federal
troops occupied commanding positions in the
city, and many arrests were being made of
those concerned in the great riot AZ
st. Louis, business was beginning to
look up though the scarcity of
, coal prevented work in some of the manufac-
tories. At Chicago everything was quiet.
though large bodies Of men still held out on
the wages question, ana there was much de-
rangement of business in consequence. At San
Francisco the mob was under control. and all
, fears of a general outbreak dispelled The
strikers were still defiant at Columbus. Ohio,
Fort Wayne, Ind, and few other points.