The New York herald., 1877-07-25
ILLINOIS.

ILLINOIS.
GENERAL STRIKE OF RAILROAD EMPLOYEES IN
cHrcAeo--A RIoIoUs PROCESSION CLOSING
THE FACTORIES AND SHOPS SUSPENSION or
THE FREIGHT TRAINs--DETAus OF MOVE
MENTs.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD
CHICAGO, July "a 1877.
The crisis came this morning. and Chicago heaved
great sigh OF relief the day without tho
dreaded scenes Of Violence anticipation of which has
kept the city In turmoil Of panic and fear for the
last our dnys. AS was predicted in last nights
dispatches, the trouble began among the employees
oi the Michigan Southern Railway, and when once be-
gun spread rapidly till the of nearly every road in
Iae city involved IN the strike The employed
In and around the yards OF the Michigan Central Rail-
road struck Upon being intcrogatcd this forenoon Mr.
H. c. Wentworth, general passenger and ticket
agent, stated that all the men, from washers to
engineers and including switchlnon, brakcmen, fire.
men and freight handlers, in ac all, except the men
handling passenger trains had struck
HOW THE WAS INAUGuRATED
committee appointed for the purpose by tho men
waited upon the officials and asked that former
wages bo restored. Tho general superintendent
fused to accede to their demand, whcreupon
mittee retired. and after the left the yard.
md will send any nor will any be received,
md all work has ceased
THE FREIGHT STRIKE
1t nine O'Clock the freight men on the Illinois
Central who work IN aud around the yards quietly
stopped work. They the switchmcn and helpers
who make up the trains, numbering about twenty
five; the laborers who handle freight in the
freight houses, numbering about 100, and the
men who pick, assort and store The freight
In the cars numbering about iorty They In
sted to strike by delegation from the Michigan
ra and by the general feeling OF dissatisfaction at the
reduction Of pay which pervades every class OF rail-
road employees. The strike orderly, aud the men
exhibited Ill disposition, in exceptional cases.
DETAILS THE MOVEMENT.
The FIRST action taken by the freight men was the
Informal appointment by general consent OF delega
hon of four from the switchmep and train makers to
:a upon Joseph Tucker master OF transportation and
ascertain whether the wages could not be restored
they found Mr. Tucker in his office. He
received them pleasantly and talked to them fairly
md squarely as no always does The acted rea-
onably and like Besides these there was present
Mr. Thomas Tustin, the local freight agent The men
Iald that they represented only the switchmen.
On July special reduction, not extending
% other employees, had been made In their
pay, and they felt that injustice had been done in
making them specially subject Il decrease in salary
fhey had been called upon to join IN the general
strike, and they now wanted to know whcth r. be-
Iore doing so, restoration might not be promised
Il not they would have no reason 10
give the other strikers for not Joining
them and so would be forced into the revolt The
delegation claimed that these reductions had been
made only on the men they rcprcsentcu
and this they considered unfair. Mr.. Tucker
mi. kan hat
unequal reduction had been made by skipping
certain departments, leaving them undisturbed
or course, II the men wished TO strike be could
not prevent IT, and. though he deplored such
action and hoped they would try to prevent
1t and preserve the harmony which had always
existed, yet, If they dd stop work. he
would shut up the freight houses at once
rhc committee left dissatisfied, however, and went
out anu reported to the mon, who started i'm medateiy
10 go 10 the Michigan Southern yards to consult with
The men there. Tho result the visit OF another
delegation to the officials which was more unsatisfac
tory than the first.
ENFORCING STRIKE.
The crowd, composed OF some 500 Michigan Central
and Illinois Central men, then started in procession
to visit tho other yards ana enforce strike. They
proceeded first to the Baltimore and Ohio, where the
meu fell in readily and without much persuasion The
crowd OF howIng men and boys then marched
TO the Rock sland yard, between Fifteenth and Six
sccnth streets, where they took the their en-
gines and told them they must quit. The mob shut
The water of the tanks and when everything was fixed
10 suit Them they started for the Chicago Burlington
and Quincy. Hore tho men did not offer tho Most
feeble resistance but left their engines and switches
At the word Of command IRON the mob The agent
OF the Rock IslOd freight house shut the doors ut
their approach, but was soon compelled to open
thcm again. The crowd VISITED the Chicago and AL.
ton freight depot, but were met by the Of that
road who had quit the company, having stopped the
traffic. both passenger and freight The crowd scat
tered then into small parties OF which Numbering
about Ave hundred marched north TO Van Buren.
the bridge TO Market street, stopping at the
stcneyard of J. +. Bush, where there were about
thirty 1.-Two at work. They tried 10 persuade the
to join them, but they refused, saying that they
were satisfied; that Mr. Bush paying them all no
could aFord-$2 per day. Some loud talk was In.
dulsed in but the stonc men wcr- firm; the crowd
lett, dwiDdng away as they struggled along
IN THE LUMBER DISTRICT
At about nine O'Clock this morning party OF bows
aud marched along Twenty second street. through
the lumber yards and the vicinity OF tho plar.
ing mills They carried a banner inscribed.
"Justicc and Lbcrty--Grand Mass Meeting This
Evening" They went 10 the SASH door
and blind factory oI ralmer, RULER Co., and asked
10 be allowed TO 60 through the shop aud talk with
ihc workncn This request was refused where
apon somo threats were mado by different members
,f the striking party Finally the proprcto-s told them
hey would stop work at and them talk with
heir workmen outside At half past nino work was
stopped Tho Chicago Planiug NH Company also
stopped work. Dufour Brothers 4 Rowc's
planning mill closed at The Union
Planning Mill Company, Goss, Phillips & Co and O. w.
Pinckney Co. were not visited by the strikers
though they passed along the street by them An
these establishments running, and purpose to 20
sn until they arc compelled to shut down.
THE LUMBER YARDS
There is as yet trouble IN the lumber yards or
sn the docks portion OF the crowd that gathered
irst the switch yards marched west on sixteenth
Blue Island avenue up the latter TO Halscd
LA Ahan I'D hnck mud forta In L..