New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1879-06-25
THE TRACY RIOT.
Which Was no Riot at All, but
Merely a Strike for High.
or Wages.
The Governors Guards Of this CITY
Ordered to the Disturbed ibis.
trict. to which they Quick
ly Respond.

H
able excitement about ten o'clock last
Wednesday morning by the announces
ment that a riot was in progress at
Tracy, Lyon county, and that the sher-
iff had telegraphed Gov. Pillsbury for
military assistance. At II o'clock the
following telegram was handed to We
editor, who also is commander of the
military forces of New Ulm.
St. Paul, Mimi, June 10, 1870
Capt Governors Guard
How soon can you have your company ready to
90 to Tracy? There is riot there. Do trains run
so rs to accommodate or would you have to have
speciaR Answer ut once. -
IL. a.... Governor.
Runners were at once sent in every
direction to notify the members of the
company and in twenty minutes after
the telegram was handed to us every
member of the company in the city at
the time had appeared at the armory
in uniform, and we informed the Gov
ernor that we were all ready and that
the railroad company had ordered q
special train down from Sleepy Eye to
take us to the scene Of the disturbance
as soon as we should receive orders to-
60. When it became known that the
Governors Guards had been ordered
out the excitement became intense,
and very large number of our citizens
of no 4n
pany off. At 1871 the Governor tele-
graphed:
st. Paul, Mimi, June 49, 1879.
Jos. BoBLETER,
Capt. Governors Guard.
Proceed ut once to Tracy with your company
and give all necessary assistance to sheriff Hunter
to quell riot.
J. 8. P1LLsBURY,
Governor.
In ten minutes after this telegram
was handed to us the company was
speeding towards Tracy at the rate of
forty miles an hour. A short halt was
made at Sleepy Eye. Here all kinds Of
rumors were rife but no one seemed to
know the true state of affairs. After
the conductor had ascertained that the
track was clear to Burns Station, we
again ratified off at lightning speed.
At Burns we made a switch for u
freight train. From Burns we made
a run to Walnut Station without stop,
except for water at the Cottonwood.
At Walnut Station we met the east
bound express train which had been
run through Tracy at full speed with
out stopping. Supt. Sanborn, who had
come east OH the express, here took
our train and returned to Tracy, and
from him we first learned the true state
of affairs at least 50 far as regarded
who the disturbers of the peace were.
When our train came in sight the
strikers all rushed to the depot ex-
pecting it to be the. pay car, and
when the train hauled up, and the
company commenced to file out they
were somewhat surprised, as they had
been ignorant Of our coming. We at
once put ourself in communication with
sheriff Hunter whom we found, with
his posse, in the freight house Of the
depot, and from him, r. j. Nicholl. en-
gineer in charge, and others we learn
ed the following facts: The strikers
had been at work on the Chicago s.
Dakota railroad now being construct
cd from Tracy west through Lyon and
Lincoln counties to the State line, and
had been receiving 1925 per day for
shovelers and $500 per day for teams.
Everything went as merrily rs mar
>riage bell until Sunday, June 18th,
when the strike first began to take
shape and an agreement was signed in
nearly all the camps to strike for 81. so
and $3.50 per day, and hold cut until
the contractors came to their terms.
During Sunday night, however, very
many of those that had signed the.
agreement relented their action and on
Monday morning were quite willing
and ready to go to work at the old Wag-5
es; but in this they were prevented by
all manner of threats made by the
leaders of the strike. When the men
refused to go to work Monday morning
the contractors first became aware Of
the trouble. Monday was spent in
camps, parleying. On Tuesday threats
) began to be made against the contract
ors' and railroad property and sheriff
Hunter was informed of the situation
and asked for protection. The sheriff
at once summoned posse Of II men
and repaired to Tracy on the first train.
He warned the strikers not to modest
any property and assured all those who
were willing to work that they would
be protected should they desire to do so.
The strikers however paid but little at
tention to him and sneered at the pro.
tectio:. he might offer to those willing
to work. Sheriff Hunter then tele-
graphed Governor Pillsbury that there
was riot in progress which he was I'M
able to quell, and asked for assistance.
Towards night the strickers dis
persed and went back to their camps.
On Wednesday morning the strikers
gathered along the line from points as
t.!r west as Lake Benton and made
everybody join them. Farmers teams
were pressed to haul them to Tracy,
and if anyone was met going out with
y a load they dumped it right onto
the prairie, jumped into the wagon
and made him turn back. When
sheriff Hunter heard of their onward
march, coupled with rumors of out
break and violence, he again tele-