The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-19
Small Numbers of Men Cease Work at Vari.
ous Points, but the Strike Is Not Gen.
eral Along the Railway.
A Test Of Strength To Be Made on Lines
West Of the Mississippi River.
Knights of Labor Employed on Gould's South
western System or the Union Pacific For
hidden to Handle Wabash Cars.
THE STRIKE ON THE WABASH.
Failure East of the Mississippi-A Test II
Be Made in the Southwest.

Be Made in the Southwest.
ST. LOUIS, Aug. 18.-A meeting of the execu-
tive board of the Knights of Labor, and of the
committees representing the locked-out men on
the Wabash road and the Knights of Labor en-
ployed on the Gould Southwestern system, was
held this morning. A series Of resolutions was
adopted, denouncing the action of the Wabash
officials for attempting to break the Knights of
Labor and for causing the arrest Of members of
the organization by United States marshals like
common felons. Congressman William Warner,
of Kansas City, No, and General ]. NJ. Palmer,
of Springfield, Ill, were requested, by resolu-
ton, to defend the imprisoned and prosecuted
knights: to prosecute the Wabash railroad for
conspiracy, and to impeach Judges Treat,
Brewer and Krekel.
2:20 P. M.--At u o'clock noon to day all the
men in the Wabash shops went out. Everything
is quiet. Word has come down from the Wa
bash repair shop in North St. Louis, where only
about dozen men are employed, that mono
of the men have yet gone out. There was only
one knight of Labor among them.
The Wabash road has only two very small re-
pair shops and small round house here, en-
ploying all told, perhaps fifty men: it therefore
cuts but slight figure in strike. All these
men remained at work to day, and there is not
likely to be any trouble at this point.
The general executive committee of the
Knights of Labor were in session again this af-
ternoon and tonight, and formulated and issued
the following order
ITO All Whom 1t May Concern-Greeting:
Owing to the persistent fight Of the Wabash
company against the knights of Labor. the
general executive board deem it advisable to
issue the following order to all assemblies on the
Union Pacific railroad and Gould's Southwest
system: All Knights of Labor in the employ of
the Union Pacific and its branches and Gould's
Southwestern system, or any other. railroad
must refuse to repair handle in any
manner Wabash rolling stock until
further orders from the general executive
board, and if this order is antaeonized by the
company through any of its officials, your execu-
tive committee is hereby ordered to call out all
further action. By order of the general execu-
tive board. FREDERICK TURNER,
Grand Secretary and Treasurer"
Itdevelops that it was the intention of the
board to issue this order before the sent over
the Wabash road, as the actual weakness of the
Knights on that road was known to the executive
committee and there was good reason to believe
that the effort of to-day would be unfavorable.
For some unexplained cause it was held back,
but the order was telegraphed all over the sys-
tenn this afternoon and all assemblies are hold
ing meetings tonight
In this connection, the Globe Democrat will
say tomorrow: Under this order all knights
of Labor must refuse to in any way handle
Wabash rolling stock, and should any yardmas
ter master mechanic, district or division super
intendent, any other official of the road
endeavor to force the men to handle such cars
then district strike is ordered. The situation
is about this: On the Wabash road the Knights
of Labor are all, or nearly all, out, and have
been for some time, but on the Missouri Pacific
Iron Mountain, the Union Pacific and
other roads. the knights are said to fill the shops
and yards Thus is this last order guarantee Of
a revolution of labor 1t will, at any rate force
a public test of the strength Of the knights Of
labor and their fealty to the principles which
each has sworn to uphold In fact. the fate of
the organization seems to be in the issue, and
it remains to be seen whether the g. 900 knights
who are claimed to be employed on the railroads
west of the Mississippi river, will obey the call
of the executive board, whom they vested with
this absolute power"
So far, the strike, in its relations to the Wa
bash road, at least, is regarded as complete
fizzle.
A dispatch from Moberly says that the men
there are still at work. Reports are conflicting
growing out of the fact, perhaps. that the hour
ordered for the strike is the regular dinner hour,
and of course all the men left the shops for din
ner, and it will not be known who or how man v
actually struck until after the usual hour for
the men to return to work has passed.
3P MA general strike has just been ordered
on all the lines west of the Mississippi river.
A Moberly. No.. special to the Post Dispatch
says: There has been no demonstration here
to-day. as all the knights of Labor employed here
on the Wabash road went out on June 16, except
twenty FIVE, who went out to day. There has
been trouble whatever, and the men are in
hopeful spirits"
special from Stanbery, No, to the Post
Dispatch says: SAT II o'clock, noon to day all
the men in the Wabash shops went out. Every
thing is quiet"
A Toledo dispatch SAYS: ''The command sent
by the Knights of Labor executive committee at
ST Louis. yesterday. ordering a general strike
along the line of the Wabash, had little effect
here. Only about one-siXth of the employees at
the shops and yards here are members of the
avail anything by strike. At the noon hour
the time set for the strike, all was quiet and
the men at the shops recommended work at
o'clock P. n"
At Decatur H.. the strike was inaugurated at
noon. Less than ten men quit work out of the
200 employed, which is explained by the fact that
nearly eighty knights quit work two months
ago, and have remained idle ever since
At Fort Wayne the employees of the Wabash
did not strike. nor make any demonstration
whatever, as contemplated and ordered by the
Knights of Labor, TO which organization about
two-thirds of the men employed in the shops at
Fort Wayne belong. The pay car is expected to
arrive tomorrow, and pay the employees for the
month of June.
At Springfield, Ill.,, there are no signs of a
strike among the Wabash employees, except that
four men left the machine shops. Whether they
left on account of the order of the labor union is
not positively stated. No action has been taken
by the train men. Considerable uneasiness was
felt until working time came after dinner, as the
men were reIicent, but that has passed.
1t is claimed at Chicago that the strike ordered
by the Knights Of Labor on the Wabash road
will have very little effect in the working of the
road at that POINT The engineers, iremen and