The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1877-08-01
HYDE PARK, AUGUST !, 1877.
The GREAT STRIKE.

time before any class Of men in this
country will secure their object by
riot. There may be such Il thing rs q
legitimate strike. Ofcourse, men have
right to quit work when they
please and there is no power in Amer
lea that can compel them to go to
work; but, when men attempt TO car
~ any point 10y riot and rapine, the
sstFOng arm of the government is pledg-
ed TO subdue them, and until there is
a radical change in the American peo-
pie it will always successfully do this.
How anything is to be gained by such
foolishness as has been exhibited in
the last ten days is mystery? We
will give as good an abstract Of the
whole affair up TO date as we can,
though it will necessarily be brief and
incomplete. The strike originated
with the men on the Baltimore and
Ohio road and was Occasioned by the
movement of the managers to reduce
the pay of brakemen and tiremen from
Sl.75 and $3.50 to Sl.58 and S1.35,
respectively. The stock of the road
has rapidly deprecated Of late, and a
large floating debt has rendered the
utmost economy imperative.
From that beginning there has arts
en- a vast instruction, spreading from
the Atlantic to the Mississippi River
and which has been accompanied by
a terrible loss of life and the wanton
destruction of millions of dollars
worth of property. In 4 conflict with
a mob at Baltimore on Friday the 20th
a regiment of Militia was forced to
fire upon its assailants, and eight men
were killed and many wounded. A
Philadelphia regiment of Militia, was
attacked in Pittsburg, Penn, and the
men fired upon the mob, killing over
80 persons and wounding a larger
number. The mob set fire to the rail-
road buildings and rolling stock, and
destroyed nearly 100000 worth of
property, -Four companies of Militia
fired upon a crowd in Reading, Penn,
Monday night, the 23rd, and killed
four people and wounded 20 or 30 9th
ers. At Chicago on the goth ult., the
mob was charged upon by the police
and mounted veterans and one report
give II killed and $50 wounded.
Quite serious alfray occurred at
Johnston on Saturday last. AS a !
train loaded with soldiers passed that
station it was attacked by great mob
armed with stones and pieces Of metal
which were thrown at the windows
with telling effect. Volley after vol
ley poured into the train, crushing
windows and injuring a number of
soldiers as the train moved on. Sew
eral different attacks were made, the
last and most serious after the train
had passed beyond the depot some
distance. At this point the patience
of the commanding officer, Colonel
Hamilton gave WHv. and ,rnarhinr IN
he pulled the bell rope to stop the
Train. The engineer and fremen were
under a strong guard Of soldiers and
they at once reversed the engine. In
all probability this saved the life of
half on board the train, for at a point
just in front Of the train, a switch had
been misplaced and II car heavily Ia |
den with fire brick placed on the switch
for: the fast-approaching train to run
into and be thrown over the embank-
ment. When the train struck the
switch its speed had been greatly
slackened. The engine, tender and
five cars, two baggage and three pas
senger, left the track and came in con-
tact with car loaded with bricks with
such force that the rails and ties were
torn up. The five cars were piled up
in mass of ruins. The bottom of
one car rested on the top of another,
and three were thrown completely
round and lay crosswise on the track,
with the car Of brick, crushed and
splintered, topping all. The soldiers
OF the wrecked train threw out a pick
ct line and succeeded in arresting
about 100 of the rioters. OF this
number, % or more were brought to
Albany with the military.
The strike continued to spread un-
til Buffalo, Chicago, st. Louis, Phila-
delphia, and many lesser cities became
the scenes of recklessness and vio-
lence. For one week, from the 10Th
to the 9th, the strikers seemed nearly
everywhere successful. The amount
OF sympathy for them is surprising.
1t would seem from our Washington
letter that there was much well wish
ing done for them at the capitol. On
the 2Gth and It'll there we're indica-
tons Of a giving way. Trains began
to run on. the Erie and the strikers
seemed to be satisfied with the surren-
der. '-
The strike next broke down on the
N. I. Central and work was resumed
also on the Delaware, Lackawanna &
Western, and the American Division
OF the Canada Southern.
On Saturday, the 28th ult., the
president of the Pennsylvania road
announced that that road was open for
both freight and passengers. On the
same day news was received at New
York that the strike had ended on the
Baltimore and Ohio and that work was
resumed Oh the Canada Southern.
The strike has continued to widen
but its intensity and strength has been
IN large measure broken. The mi
ners in the coal regions have stopped
work and the Molle Maguires are ram
pant and threaten a decent on the
large cities. The lawlessness of tha