Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1886-03-27
YARD MEN NOW GO OUT.


strike. At that hour the Union
switchmen in every railroad yard in
the city quit work, and freight bust
ness generally was stopped. The
Chicago and Alton officials made up
a train by the help of non-union men
and sent it ont, but the strikers
boarded and stopped it at the east
ern city limits. The Wabash is
working small force, sufficient, the
officials say, to handle city freight,
and being under the protection of
federal court, they have invoked the
protection of the United States mar
shall. The local railroad officials
unite in saying that the strike was a
complete surprise to them. The men
had made no complaints since the
recent settlement. Business at the
stock yards is about suspended, and
on the Board OF Trade wheat drop
ped two cents in as many seconds.
Orders are being sent to points be-
yond here by railroad officials to re-
fuse perishable freight.
Including the Missouri Pacific,
there are fifty crews of yard men OH
eleven roads engaged in the strike.
There were two trains that started
out over the Chicago and Alton road,
but men from surrounding groups
jumped aboard the cars, and apply
ing the brakes stopped the train in
the lower yards and no attempt was
made to get them farther. A meet
ing of the representatives OF all the
roads is being held this afternoon to
consider the situation.
1t is reported that the most OF the
/ packing houses will close to morrow.
Plankinton and Armour discharged
one-fourth Of their force today. The
great smelling works at Argentine
will also shut down. Large quaint
ties of perishable freight is now on
the trains in the yards awaiting
transfer or shipment, and the loss
will be great If they do not speedily
move it. As nearly as can be as
certained the strike was ordered by
the Switchmen's Union, because OF
complaints that the agreement made
last week was not kept by some OF
the roads. One of the local mem.
bers of the Executive Committee OF
the Knights Of Labor, who is sup.
posed to be well informed, declares
that the Missouri Pacific trouble has
nothing to do with the present diff
Guilty. The striking yard men, he
says, have gone ont blythe order OF
the Swltchmen's Union, regardless
of the fact whether or no they be-
long to the Knights of Labor.
DENIsoN, TEXAS, March 22.-At
two O'Clock yesterday morning the
Waterman at the round house were
surprised by the appearance Of about
one hundred and fifty masked men,
who commanded them to keep quiet
The watchmen, ten in number, were
taken up and carried to the shop Of
flee, where IA guard was put over
them. They were told to remain
where they were quietly, as the
masked men came determined to dc
their duty, be the consequences
what they might, and that they
would not be injured. The masked
men subsequently released the
watchmen, wao found that passen.
ger engine that was to leave fol-
Fort Worth this morning had the
steam cock open. The hose was
cut, fire dumped out and "killed'
entirely. They failed to open the
water guage, so the engine had
enough water to carry her to Whites
boro, and while the hands were
heating and bringing her to life
again, new hose was put in, and in
about an hou: she steamed up in the
depot and took out Il passenger
train that had laid there all night
In the shops the men found large
stationary engine had been removed
from It's place, the water let out OF
the tanks, hose cut, pins removed
and engines killed, so that it will
take days to bring them to life again.
The damage done to machinery was
very great, and it will take some
time to repair it. Every masquer
adler carried large piece OF iron, a
brlckbat, or something similar, SO
as to be prepared for a combat il
the watchmen resisted.
OMAHA, March GA Missouri
Pacific freight train was started out
of Omaha Yesterday afternoon. AT
the time the Knights of Labor were
holding a meeting, and one Of their
men who had been on watch, rushed
into the meeting and informed them
of the train leaving. A number OF
Knights rushed down the yards to
head off the train, but finding ii
gone they captured Union Pacific
engine; and with it they overlook
the Missouri Pacific train at Papil
lion, eighteen miles out. They side
tracked the train, brought the Ell.
CINE back to Omaha, and ran it into
the round house.
PITTsBURG, PA, March pa
general strike of the miners of the
fourth district was inaugurated this
morning, the operators, having re-
fused to grant the eleven cents ad.
vance demanded. All the mires in
region are now idle. Some of the
operators offered an increase of five
cenGs per ton. which was not accep.
ted. A meeting of the strikers was
held in the Opera House at Dubois,
Pa, to-day to consider the oper.
ators' proposition to resume at the
five per cent. advance. Over 500
delegates, representing 1000 miners
in Dubois, Pnnxutawney, Reynolds.
vile, Falls Creek, Beach Tree and
other mines, were present, and af-
ter thoroughly discussing the cues.