Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-04-24
THE ST. LOUIS STRIKERS.

They Have the Public Sympathy and APP
pear to Have the Advantage Over the
Companies.
ST. LOUIS, April 23.-The strike of
street railway conductors and drivers was
inaugurated this morning according to
programme, and all lines in the city, ex-
cept two, are greatly crippled. The men
on the Franklin avenueroad, all of whom
have been with the company for years,
did not join the strike, and are at work
as usual. The president of the Bellefon-
tame line acceded to the demands of the
strikers, and has the full number IN ser
vice, but all the other roads are having
much trouble. The Olive and Market
street lines, owned mainly by ex-Con-
gresham Erastus Wells, have but ten
cars running, and are feeling the strike
very seriously. A car on the Market
street road, having an old conductor and
new driver on board, was mobbed
at Sixth and Chestnut streets by gang
of outside men and the conductor serious
ly hurt on his head, but aside from this
no disturbance has taken place. The Fifth
street road, the longest one in the city,
has but six cars running. The Washing
ton avenue and Blue line have bur ten
cars between them; the Blue line on
Twelfth street six cars, and other roads
about the same number, except the Cass
avenue road, which has not turned a
single wheel yet. The superintendent of
the Gravais road made a proposition to
the men to work fourteen hours day at
an increase of twenty-five cents in wages,
and they are now considering it. In the
meantime sixteen cars out of twenty-four
on this road are. running. The few
cars in service are mainly run
by new men, very few of the old en-
ployees having failed to join the strike.
The companies so far have been greatly
disappointed in procuring new men, and
it looks now as though they will be
obliged to comply with the demands of
the strikers. Public sentiment favors the
| men and will doubtless remain so as long
as they behave themselves properly.
Some four hundred or five hundred
strikers formed in procession down town
this morning, and with an improvised
band of music marched to Turner'S
| Hall, where they are now in session.
They were heartily cheered by citizens on
the streets as they passed along.
ST. LOUIS, April pa good deal of trouble
occurred on the street car lines this morning,
occasioned by outsiders interfering with the
running of cars. A crowd of several hundred
men and boys collected at the corner of
| Fourth and Pere streets, the terminus of three
| roads, delayed several cars and obstructed the
operations of railroad men to such a degree,
and behaved SO badly that the police were
| obliged to arrest number of them. Cars
were also derailed at several points, and there
seemed to be determination on the
part of large numbers of men and half grown
| boys in different parts OF the city to prevent
| the running of cars by new men or even by
old employees, who had not Joined the strike.
| These demonstrations were made wholly by
outsiders, the strikers taking no part what
ever in them. The managers of the roads say
they would have little or no difficulty in find
| ing new men to run their cars If the authorl-
| ties would furnish protection to them
against the lawless acts of the crowds which
congregate at different points, and complain
bitterly of the inefficiency of the police On
the other hand and in point of their numbers,
The police have been quite active and have done
most everything they could except make
| wholesale and indiscriminate arrests.