, 1881-05-08
mean to resmploy any Of the men that went into


this strike voluntarily.
The Northwestern and Milwaukee, & st. Paul
waukee Divisions yesterday, not because they
we're unable to do the switching here. bat be-
cause the switchmen at Milwaukee had also
struck, delaying the business ut that point.
1t now looks HIS 1t soulc Of the roads will have
trouble with their brakemeu before tho switch
s5ke is Of the 59las psy
less they get $5on month on nll the lines. with
and extrn work The brakemen on the Galena
Division OF tho Northwestern will submit peti-
don to the otictAls Of that road Tomorrow, ask
wages and extra pay for going to the Stock
Yards and doing extra work. They now receive
.5a 81 %onth 11 and no extra pay for going to the
STOCK ards or working extra hours. 1t IL set
forth that the petitioners do not wish to embar-
rasS the railroad company, nor do they desire to
The advance. The}r worE. they % say, is Utmost
as dangerous as TINT Of the switchnlen, and yet
they "ete getting only about one-half the pay
which the latter receive. Fifty dollars month
would be no more than fair wages for men doing
such hazardous und responsible work as the
br1kemen: especially those employed on freight
trAtas- With tho Increased rents and prices for
all necessaries OF life, they can hardly make
both ends meet at their present waycs- The
men also state that their wages have not been
extra pay for going TO the Stock Yards is be-
cause the work is harder and more dangerous
on account OF the many crossings md switches.
1t Is understood that the men on the other
divisions OF the Northwestern have prepared
similar petitions.
take in this matter As regards the advance of
IS the road will probnbiy grant 1t, since some
Of the other M roaus are already paying SO
about the demand for extra pay for going to the
Stock Yards and working overtime. -
The switchmen met last night at the hall, cor
ncr of lberty and Union Streets There was
the snme lnrge attendance as ut previous meet
tn9s. The evening was occupied With reports
roads. nearly all Of which were said to be badly
crippled, although pressing into tho switching
Serv1ce @ @ The ngsnts @ and yard-inasters The Fost
had been induced to take switch. The
officials Of fhat road ought to be prosecuted for
certain .'vild Irishman" was said to be still On
tho turf, but be had smashed an engine and sew
eral cars. The swiLchmen derived much en-
were failing in their efforts to run the switches
4 speaker cautioned the men against going to
REV G shoud nef fne 81 a1 @ 1
official meetings
Another speaker said tho situation WIS I'M
than ever Tho companies bad met with a great
surprise in hni,ng that the men could bold out
so mnny days, and tue stoppaEe of traffic could
not treated the men with consideration, us no
effort had been made to bring about an adjust
ment Of the difficulty and thus avoid tho strike.
shouldstay out, and II they do not get their de-
mands to find work at some other employment
To tbs Editor Of The Chicago Tribune.
CHICAGO, May s.-Feciiug that you are willing
to do the switchmen OF Chicago justice, and
knowing that the public do not understand our
case, we ask as q favor that sou publish This for
us. During the depression OF railway stocks
and the bad times tn general four years ago
most Of the rniiroads made Il cut in our wages
OF 10 per cent. and We, knowing that they could
not pay any more. lCQuIESCEd. Iuey then
promised us that if their business would allow
them they would give us back the III per ceut
that they took away Now, as everybody and
more especially railroad men know, their blIsi-
ness has increased tiycfo!d, VIC ask TINT they in
In the different papers that it does not
require great amount Ut learning
or skill to become u good switch1na1
Our answer to that is that there have been more
men hur1 in the last week than there were among
the regular s"ltchnen all winter: aId why?
Because the green hands do not understand tlle
business and are nor So careful, and one or two
yardfnasters cannon be everywhere at the same
time to instruct them. / will not say anything
about rents or groceries; that Is known to the
public already.
a switchman's life is not all rosy II they DO
get good pay, as they say we do. When VIC
leave our homes in the morning we are not sure
Of coming home all right at night. 1t NAV be a
finger fs gone, perhaps leg. and perhaps we
are carried home by some Of cur brother switch
men on yruln- door Then what does the wife
do? No railroad company will put their hands
III their pockets and help her along.
Our brother swttchInen generally havea bail or
perhaps collection, and thus she gets a little
start We could 90 on and tell you more, bur it
is NOT necessary We ask no more than We
thing is q just compensation, and we intend to
stay out until we get 1t, Respectfully yours,
THE SwIrCHMEN OF CHICAGO.