The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-06-12
THEsIRIKERs OF LAST YEAR.
Their Present Condition and their
Purposes.
3 Pittsburgh Telegraph.

1Ie "uOIs ssOI1 VI LuS Al sbeA4 SAN
meeting at Nobbs Hall, by the strikers
of the Pennsylvania rosd, which hss been
g source Of wonder and conjecture, and
quiet alarm, ever since il wss announced,
NAV be told in few words.
At eight o'clock last night about thirty
men gathered on the sidewalk in front OF
the hsll, and after chsvs in groups, went
one after smother to toe place of meeting
up stairs. A reporter OF the Telegraph
went up and had 4 short conversation
with General Williams, OF Allegheny,
who was regarded SIS one OF the leaders
in the movement, in which conversation
he admitted that the surmIse ss 10 the
object OF the meeting published IN this
paper at the middle Of the week
wss pretty nesrly correct, bl:
would say nothing more, siding :
that he had no right 10 say sny
thing until suthorIzed by the meeting.
At this point the door was locked, to sd
NIT no Others who were not entitled TO
enter. Mr.. Ogden OF the Pest, and
Msior Hartzell OF the Commercial Ga
-stte, had, however, got in, and IN ans
wer 10 an earnest request Of the reporters
FOR some statement OF the purpose of the
meeting, Mr.. Williams sad that II the
reporters would retire he would tske the
sense Of the house on the request. The
reporters retired, and in little while he
came out with the following: The
meeting of discharged employees of the
Pennsylvania Railroad is for the purpose
OF ssCertsining if any concerted seton
can be taken for the purpose OF obtain
ing employment" No explanation fur
Their was given, and the reporters LETT
Whist actually occurred afterwards was
this: The meeting was called TO order
by young brakeman and General vii
hsms was nominated for Chairman. He
declined the honor, and jacob ZImmer-
msn, grocery keeper on Penn street,
WAS chosen Chairman. He called on
General Williams to state the purpose OF
the meeting, and he did so. de referred
to the discharges made by the company
last year, and thought that now, II the
men went in conClllatory way to the
officials, their disabilities would be re-
moved. Other persons it the meeting put
the thing in this way: When the July
strike occurred, every man who showed
any prominence in 1t was at once spot.
ted. and this fact made known 10 sill
the railway authorities OF the country.
In consequence none of these men have
ever been able to find employment. Two
men were named, who had gone clear TO
Colorado in sesrch of work, thinking
they would not be known there. But
they had scarcely made their sPpllca-
tions when they were told "Iou are
Pittsburgh strikers and they came bsck
in despair. Some other Of the discharged
men went into the heart Of the South Tor
work, but they met the same refusal and
more than ole of them came home with
his feet on the ground and his clothes
GU. 1T the elbows and knees.
Another man received employ
meut on an adjacent road, and
when sent TO work the traInmss-
ter said: "Why did you leave your former
work" The man replied: NOW, see
here, | have got this job on the recon.
mendaton OF good letter, and don't
want to answer any questions. My ismlIy
is suffering. Let the pact be the past.
The result was his dismissal. OF course
be, and other men like him, feel that this
treatment has become persecution. They
aud their families cannot live on the east
wind. The object of the meeting WAS,
therefore, TO appoint committee who
shall draw up paper IN accordance
with these facts, to be submitted
for approval at the mex. meeting, which
will be held some time during the coming
week, either at the home OF General VII
iams, in Allegheny, or Il the home Of
William Robb, also OF Allegheny, one
Of the men VINO are specially spotted
The committee TO draw up this paper
are Mr.. Robb, Just named, an engineer
named Hsssler, and "A brakeman named
Small, Of the Psn II sndle road, IN con-
junction with Mr.. Williams. When the
paper is approved il will be copied into
pass books and then distributed among
the active men for the signatures Of al
who are willing TO go INTO ohe move
N mt.
The concerted action spoken OF above
means the organization Of the movement
here. and then the extentiOn Of 1t 10 all
points where there discharged men on
the line OF the Pennsylvania and leased
roads. 1t is said that there are fifteen
thousand rail way men between here and
New York, and out OF these there can be
picked formidable number Of signers 10
the psper. 1t is thought that when the
authorities are confronted by these and
the public sentiment which they will
arouse in their favor, the Authorities will
be compelled TO grant all that Ii desired,
viz, remove the bar that now shuts
them out OF employ on every rail
road between the two OCeans II
the Pennsylvania road will not give
them work, let it not stand in the
way OF their getting it on other roads.
They say with piuiul esrnestness that
their little ones are often hungry, and
that il is cruelty TO punish the men by
the condemnation they are now under
This wss the sole object Of the meeting
The matter was discussed at some length,
and with few exceptions, in calm man
ner A few present, who were mansg-
ing TO get along, were unwilling to show
anything ike supplication, and declared
that II offered work on the Pennsyly4Ila
road they would not accept it unless Ger.
tain officials were discharged. The ones
named US most obnoxious were Hunter
and Garrett the latter trainmaste and q
stockholded to the extent Of $1,000.
When the reporter asked his informant
if there had anything been said about
strike he replied that Of course the matter
was talked OF, but that if one occurred It
would originate 10 Chicago. He Said be
knew positively that movement is On
foot there He added Iha. be mad heard
OF strike To occur among the r.
Wayne men here this month, but thought
that the story grew on. Vi n proposal lyr
q law which VIII require every igcymO-
tive engineer 10 stand al examination
and ge! certificate, IS J.. the case with
river engineers. There will be nothing
done, however, until the resl.. 81 lie
measure jus! described has been ascer-
tsIUed. President Scott and Manager
Thomson came into the city this morning.
a.