The Portland daily press., 1877-02-22
THE STRIKE.
Another Engineer Arrested for Obsiruct-
ing the Mails.

Another Engineer Arrested for Obsiruct-
ing the Mails.
Yesterday afternoon q. S. Deputy Marshal
Wilson arrested Henry 6. Stone, one of the
striking engineers on the Boston & Maine
road, on the same charge as Mr.. Walker was
arrested on-that of obstructing the United
States mails on the 14th inst. Mr. Stone was
taken before Commissioner Rand and gave
bonds in the sum of $500 to appear Tuesday
morning. Both he and Mr.. Walker say that
they were not at the Boston & Maine depot at
the date stated in the warrant.
A private meeting of the division of Boston
| of the Brotherhood was held Tuesday evening
at the headquarters. and it is more than proba-
BILE that some future course of action was at
that time decided on. The meeting was
| special one and from the fact that for the past
two or three days the strikers have been very
| quiet and exceedingly reticent, it is more than
likely that the war will again be resumed.
10 fact, an interview with Mr.. Arthur. ELECTED
from that gentleman the following statement:
fledges OF assistance and ready cash, accompa-
MED by words of cheer and encouragement,
come to US by every mail; the entire order
| throughout the country says to US, "Stand firm
and we will support you" Our men are de-
termined; and whatever may be the result of
the contest, we are united. In reply to a
| question as to the probability of strike on
other roads, Mr.. Arthur said: LAS far as my
| influence goes, L shall oppose strikes on such
roads as mind their own business. This is
| quarrel between the Boston & Maine and its
engineers, and totally disapprove of carrying
the dispute SO far as to injure the business of
roads who let US alone. There is however, a
higher power behind me, to which l must at
all times defer; and what may transpire ere
this thing lis settled, 1 have not the power to
avert The power is in the hands of tribunal
and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
is not one-man power by any means.
The Board of Railroad Commissioners of
Massachusetts have prepared a special report
relative to the Boston & Maine strike, to be
presented to the Legislature. 1t sets forth in
detail the causes leading to the strike, as gath
cred from the statements on both sides, and
says the most noticeable thing about the whole
occurrence is the absence of any sufficient
cause for its having taken place at all. The
report concludes as follows: In view of the facts
and conclusions which have been stated, we
would suggest the early passage of penal
statutes to cover the following offences:
l. The abandonment by locomotive engineers
Otthelr locomotives upon railroads in furtherance
OF any combination or strike, except at the
regular schedule destination of such locomo-
tives.
The obstruction of railroad or the iu-
jury or obstruction of the property of any rail.
road corporation in the furtherance of the OBJ
Jects of a strike.
g. The interference with railroad employe,
while in the performance of his duties or on
theHpremises of the company
T. The refusal of any locomotive engineer or
rallroad employe, in furtherance of the object
of strike. to aid IN the movement, upon the
track of the corporation employing him, of the
cars OF other corporations.
The report is signed by all the commission
ers.
The Boston Globe says: The delay Of the
freight train at Wells Monday night was caused
by the burning OF the engine ''Saco'' the larg-
est on the road. 1t is most significant fact
that workmen are changing the boiler plugs in
all the locomotives, replacing the lion ones
with lead ones. The Granite State arrived in
Boston burned so badly that, with but little
more heat, she would have burst. The 1ues of
the Maine dropped in, and the crown sheet of
the Mercury has a crack eighteen inches long,
When Conductor Amazeen's train reached the
East Somerville station, nearly an hour late
Monday evening, it was found that there was
not steam enough in the boilers to start the en-
CINE. A red light was sent back to warn the |
Reading train, then overdue, and when it ar |
rived 1t was called upon to push the Portland |
train into the Boston depot. Monday after |
noon the 4.45 train on the Eastern railroad |
reached Somervile when an inward train on the |
Boston & Maine railroad ran by that station |
without stopping, just clearing the rear end of |
the Eastern train. There was of course, great |
excitement among the passengers on the East |
ern train as they saw the other coming down |
upon them. and a decided feeling of relief |
when it passed by without colding. There is
a "Know-nothing crossing near the Somer-
vile station, and all the inward trains on both
roads are obliged to stop there The Lowell |
and Eastern railroads are doing a rushing bust
ness by reason of the strike. The old patrons
OF the road are not disposed to accept Superin-
tendent Furbers statement that the new engi-
neers are competent men, or the Railroad Com
missloners that the road is safe for travel A |
lady and gentleman wished very much to 90 to
Saco yesterday afternoon. They had the i'm
preston that train left the Eastern railroad |
Railroad station at $50, and when they found |
out their mistake they preferred to wait till |
Wednesday rather than take the risk of going
by the Boston & Maine railroad. This is but |
one OF many cases of a similar character Su-
perintendent Furbsr, who does not seem to care
much for public opinion, thinks that the strike !
is about at au end. He is moving the freight
as fast as he can, but he does not do it rapidly
enough to prevent much growing. The Broth
erhood IS not discouraged, having induced sew
eral others OF the new engineers to leave. A |
general strike on the railroads running out Of |
Boston is limited at, but is neither denied nor
confirmed by the officers of the Brotherhood.
Chief Arthur says that due notice will be given |
to the public of such action. A movement is
on foot among the stockholders to take advan-
tage of the law which requires the company to
open the books at.the request Of fifteen stock
holders, and if successful, the public will prob
ably know what the strike is costing the cor
poration. The postoffice authorities say that |
the evening mail train from Portland is almost
uniformly late since the strike began. Mon
day night it was over an hour behind time.
The New York journal of Commerce evil |
IDENTIFY does not believe in strikes and strikers, |
An editorial in that paper contains the follow
ing forcible language:
This "Brotherhood' was handsomely whip.
ped last November in strike made on the |
Georgia Railroad and its branches Out of 60 |
engineers employed on the line 81 struck at the |
same hour Il a. n.y. and left their trains on the |
main track, completely blocking the road. They |
were encouraged to make this strike by the |
craven surrender of the New Jersey Central |
managers to the "Blotherhood'' in the month |
previous, and looked for an easy victory. But |
the President of the Georgia road is man not |
to be traed with, and his pluck is shared by his
associates. They determined to resist this at |
tempt at coercion at all hazards. and in four |
days they completely vanquished the Brother |
hood,' and the road resumed business as usual. |
The stockholders were unit in standing by the |
management; fact that made the conquest |