Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1885-07-22


eral threats were made, no violence
was attempted. Mayor Shearer
Sheriff Brennan, Prosecuting Attor
ney Simonson and Chief Murphy held
: a council of war and decided to re
lease the men, who, when they ap
peared on the street, we're greeted by
loud cheers by the large crowd o.
men standing in front of the Police
Station. AT this stage of the pro
ceedings the Mayor Of Bay City or
, dered the saloons closed.
Thursday, July 9th. The striker,
paraded the principal streets at {
o'clock with banners and flags. say
ing they had succeeded and would
get all they demanded. The sail
blocks closed to-day, some of their
own accord and some by the strikers
who banked the fires.
Friday. July 10th. At 8 A. NJ
$50 strikers on two barges, each in
tow Of tug, left Roberts dock, Bay
City, accompanied by band. They
were met at Ten Eyck's dock, East
Saginaw. by reception committee
and number of striking stevedores
were Joined at East Saginaw nv
another band, and the procession
marched about until noon when it
dispersed. The mayors Of Saginaw
and East Saginaw and the sheriff of
Saginaw county joined in a procla-
nation forhidding the demonstration.
but it came off all the same. and
shortly after o'clock over 1000
men, including the strikers from Bay
City, and the striking stevedores here,
met on German street, East Saginaw.
to begin active operations. The grand
result of this demonstration was the
closing of all the mills on the west
side of the river, from Green Point to
Carrollton.
Saturday, July II, completed the
closing by the strikers of all the saw
mills and salt blocks on the Saginaw
river.
July II. Twenty-three of Pinkcr-
tons men arrive at Bay City and
were sworn in as deputy sheriffs.
Their arrival caused much commo-
ton and Indignation.
July Is. Eighty-three of Pinker-
tons men arrive at East Saginaw and
Saginaw. Every one has a Win
chester rifle and two revolvers. The
mayor of East Saginaw calls for State
aid and forbids crowds from assem-
bling on the streets. The boom COM
pany shut down as the mills were un-
able to take care of the logs. and 500
more men were thus out of work.
Representative Barry, the leader of
the strike, arrested, but furnishes
bail.
July IA. Governor Alger arrives
in the Saginaw Valley. While at
Bay City the Governor addressed the
strikers as follows:
Gentlemen, came here to-day as
the Executive of this great State of
Michigan, this State of which we
should all he proud. to try and ascer.
tain what the matter is in the Saginaw
Valley. | have not come here to
take any part with the mill owners or
for the mill owners, with the men or
for the men. ] came here upon rep
reservations that there was mob vic.
lence in Bay City. [Derisive laugh
ter. There is no use, gentlemen, Of
your trying to ridicule. am telling
YOU what / have heard, and what !
have to say is much more painful for
me to say than for you to hear. The
question is, Are you violating any law
of the State of Michigan? [Cries of
me- Whether you work ten
hours, eleven hours, or five hours, is
no matter of mine. am not here to
arbitrate between the mill owners and
the men. / have come here to coun-
sci with you, gentlemen, and / believe,
from your countenances, that you do
not mean to destroy any property. as
has been represented, or to endanger
the lives Of any citizens. l hope you
will remember, gentlemen, that any
single life that may be lost in any
violent attack upon persons or prop.
erty is worth more than all the lum-
Der or mills in the Saginaw Valley.
| trust you have no such intentions,
gentlemen, but simply want to say
to you that if you are violating any
law of this State ask you as men of
Michigan to desist. You have a per-
feet right to say, 81 will work but ten
hours" or but five hours. You have
perfect right to say that you will
not work eleven hours. That have
not come here to discuss with you
What | have come to say is this. If
you are going to violate the law you
must expect that, painful as the duty
may he to me, | must take such steps
as will protect property. Wouldn't
you do it if you were in my place !?
[Cries of "Yes."] If you were the
Executive of this State, would you
not uphold the laws? l will simply
say, gentlemen, that you must not
violate the laws of this State Of
Michigan. On the contrary, / ask
that each one of you act as an officer
and peacemaker and see that during
times of idleness, when there is such
great loss accruing to both your
selves and the mills, that no act is
done that you will be ashamed to have
handed down to your children, or
that you will blush to take to your
own household. Now, can only saw
to you as l said before: Don't COM
init any acts of violence. l have
heard that threats have been made to
destroy these mills. Whenever q
mill is burned the opportunities for