The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-05-04
COMPLETELY BL0CKADED.
FREIGHT HANDLERS AT CHICAGO
MASTERS OF THE SITUATION.
Railway Managers Inclined to Fight and
Few Men at Work
Under Guard

Wabash Asks United States Proteetion--A
Plan That Was vain--Iake Shore
Men Out--Stock-Yard Artists Strike
What Has Been Accomplished in Chi
cago-Not Much of - storm in New
York.
CHICAGO, May A crowd of freight
handlers, numbering at least 5000 men,
started to make the rounds of the various
freight houses of the city at an early hour
Monday morning. 1t moved in military
order, and went first TO the st Paul houses.
These W re found closed. 1t then turned and
marched south along Canal At Polk street
the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy yards
were passed. Here the clerks, to the number
of about fifty were disposing of the freight
that had arrived in the loaded cars and taking
care of the little freight which was being
delivered by the few drays standing around.
The procession stopped, and, without break
ing line, began .eering, hooting, ana kissing.
The clerks paid no attention to the demon
stration, but kept at their work. After a
five-minute halt, given to hooting and yell
ing, the march was taken up again, the
procession heading south and marching, as
it was supposed, toward the Northwestern
freight house on the south branch.
The situation at the freight houses of the
railroads was Monday morning as it was
anticipated Saturday it would be- The
blockade was almost as complete as il there
were no railroads at ALL The freight-house
of the Fl Wayne was closed up and nc
work was being done either towarl getting
freight in or out At the Chicago & Alton
the situation was the same. At the
c., B. & q about twenty-five clerks
from the freight department and
such other muscular fellows as could be
drafted from the desks in the different de
partments, were trundling trucks, rolling
barrels, and sliding boxes along. The lead
ers of the strike also said that the company
had few laborers at work at 81 per day.
At the Milwaukee & ST Paul depots the
company had about sixty new men at work
guarded by about 20 police and special
officers. At the Illinois Central the mon
were at work, not having demanded an ad
vance before noon Monday
The Wabash company rought in Sunday
night between forty and fifty of the bridge
repaIrers from along the line of their road.
lucy were III III tf.t company
cars, without being told what they were to
60 to work at When they reached Chi
cngo they were taken to the freight HOUSE
and ordered to begin at the freight hand
ling. They peremptorily refused and ther
the Wabash freight houses were closed down
and about dozen special officers were put
on guard.
The Wabash officials Monday sought the
protection of the United States to enable
them to move freight.
Deputy Marshal Ballard, who had charge
of the forces of deputies at East St Loui:
during thu troubles there, arrived in tn
city Monday morning. He went before
Judge Gresham to request permission tt
carry arms in this district and coupled
with this request one to have fifteen depu
ties selected from the Grand Army OF the
Republic
The Wabash began hiring ''scabs" Mon
day morning. They imported fifteen Oh
twenty from outside towns and set them to
work running trucks They were guarded
by a squad of police from the Harrison
street station
The men in the freight house of the LAKE
shore q Michigan struck at . O'Clock Mon
day morning, and the house was immedi
ately closed and officers put on guard.