River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-08-02
The Railroad War.

anu THIS A-l7N- AZ
every prominent road In the eo,;1try. Mail |
trains alone are ALLOW I'd TO run withL:st AFTER
ruption but on almost every line complete |
embargo on freight and an almost entire sus-
pension Of passenger travel have been estab- |
ished and strictly enforced Scenes Of VIC
lence and intimidation have occurred at sever
al widely distant points, but as yet
nothing approaching the horror OF
Pitsburg and Baltimore has been reenaeted
except at Reading, Pa, where very serious
and unfortunate affair occurred on Monday
night, the 25th Fuller details of this melee
show that as seven companies Of State Nation
al Guards arrived at the depot, about P. m,
they were assailed by the mob with stones
SC, when they immediately began firing into
the large mass of people in the vicinity
among whom were many respectable
citizens, ladies and children. Five persons
were instantly killed and twenty five wounded,
several MORALLY Among the latter were
seven police, including Chief Cullen who had
a narrow escupe, the bali having struck
large memorandum book which he carried
in the breast pocket of his coat, which saved
his life. Great excitement then prevailed
The mob forthwith broke into the armory
Of the Reading Rifles, carried of
MI INT guns dAAN oNNANN 0NANA $50
stones. They threatened vengeance upon the
military, and tearing up the tracks soon es-
tablished complete blockade of all passenger
and freight traffic. Strong guards were put
around the railroad machine shops and other
buildings, and several companies of L.
troops were expected soon to arrive. Later
reports show the number of killed to be 31,and
wounded 1.-THE latter being soldiers.
In Pttsburg, mob rule has run its course and
law and order have been restored This was
accomplished by the vigorous measures of
the civil authorities aided by the citizens who
strongly guarded the city at every point.
Every thing is now running quietly, the civil
authorities having complete coutrol Arrests
of all suspicious parties are being made,
and the parties placed in eoniine-
ment. In making arrests, the strikers
areaiding the civil authorities, and these have
also been joined by the workmen from various
manufacturing establishments. In Philadel-
phia, the Erie train men struck, on the night
Of the 23d, and next morning compelled the
/ shop hands and machinests TO follow their ex
ample. Great excitement but no disorder.
Police force has been doubled giving that de
partment 2,400 men, and the Grand Army
have also offered to contribute from their
organization fifteen hundred veterans.
The strike has become general among all the
roads in the iron regions and also extends to
the miners. Considerable uneasiness is felt in
Scrntonaand surrounding county. The en-
plOycs fthe Central New Jersey and its BRAN
chcs have also Joined in and the road is closed
to all but passenger trains. At Buffalo, at
midnight on the 23d great excitement prevailed
prevailed and several collisions between the
mob and The military ended. The Lake Shore
Paint shop and q number Of cars were burned
BY the rioters. Several persons were killed
and many more wounded, At indianapolis
the situation is very serious, none but ladies
unaccOmpanied being allowed to leave the
Union depot Of which the strikers took
possession at midnight on the 23rd.
Passenger travel on all roads centering in In
dianapOlis, is interrupted. In Cincinnati all
is quiet In st. Louis growing excitement and
and all freight trains stopped. I'm Chicago
about the same condition of affairs, with still
greater excitement.
The strike still continues to rage, until
the both, il is far stronger aud apparently
/ more determined than ever. Less important
roads and new recruits from them and all
other employees of manufacturing establish.
mcnts are daily drawn into the movement
The freight traffic ON all the important
lines is absolutely interdicted. As the move
lnent swells il is in some instances aecompan.
led with serious rioting, but in all cases with
more or less intimidation and violence. Louis
willie is the last place in which the mob has
carried out its riotous demonstration
eliminating in damage 10 property
and personal violence to citizens. Twr
thousand working men on tho cath al
tackled the freight depot Of the Great Southern
road and smashed windows and doors. Theme,
they proceeded 10 the homes the Mayor ant
President of the road which they proceeded t.
wreck as they had done the depot. With the ait
of militia and a strong police, order was re.es
tablished and at last accounts the city wasquiet
In St. Louis the rioters were very demonstra
, tive and serious outbreaks anticipated. At
o'clock ON the 25th, 1900 men assembled Oh
Lucas Market Shortly after the crowd swell
. ed to four thousand, proceeded to marcl
through the streets and stopping at tn
. several places of labor, induced the la
! borers to desist from work and Join th
I, movement. During the day the citi
zens organized, and order was restored
In Chicago pretty much the same scenes wer'
, euacted mob marched through the street
stopping ldClOTlCS pitNtnlHA tht AhhhAhS "
street cars and committing other acts of rio
tous demonstration. Several collisions witt
; the police took place during the day but with
out the loss of life. Citizens, meetings wer
held and strong measures taken to suppress
further outbreak, At latest accounts quie
prevailed in all the several places affected b.
the strike, though in many of them there wa
) still great and intense excitement
/. Indications are gradually becoming
manifest that the great strike has spent it
fury and that the great wave is now receding
: But in the principal cities very great excite
: ment still continues to exist and in San Fran
cisco particularly, yesterday, the Goth, wa
characterized by scveral bloody and determin
ed attempts az wholesale riot anC
destruction of property. In Chicago the
intense excitement of the day previous
still continued to exist and early showed itsel
in all its fury ON the morning of the Goth. A
: early as o'clock large mobs concentrated a
the Halsted street viaduetwhere had occurred
a fight the night before, and by o O'Clock the
crowd numbered as high as 10000. The mol
were evidently frenzied and bent on violence
When the excitement ran highest, sixty police
arrived and the mob seeing them broke anc
ran. The police pursued them, when the
mob turned upon them and fight ensued
the result of which was the defeat Of the pc
lice who were forced TO take refuge in the
, ronnd house OF the Burlington & Quincy road
! About IL o'clock a second encounter occurred
in which five were killed and large number
? wounded The rioters were constantly in
creasing and the situation becoming desper
| ate when the Second regiment with two
pieces OF artillery appeared and begar
firing Shortly after noon, three com
panies Of regular troops arrived upon the
scene and two hours later the mob was prett'
well dispersed Saloons were closed an
every precaution adopted to save life anj
property Men were enlisted and stationed in
different points Of the city. About IL 80 al
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