Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1886-03-13
THE GREAT STRIKE
5000 DISINTERESTED MEN AT.
FECTED.
Missouri Pacific Employees Not Inter
estcd in the Strike Discharged
BY the Company.

1t is said that for the first time in the his
tory Of railroad strikes the employees not
interested in the cause are affected by the
action of a portion of the employees in separ-
ate and distinct departments. An order was
issued by H. NJ. H ,xie, First VicesPresident
of the Missouri Pacifi, road, to the heads of
all dspartm ,nts of the road, to at once dis
pense with the services of every employe
not positively nee ,ssary to the company in
its present crippled condition. This means
that over 100 telegraph operators, $50 freight
house hands, sd Clerks, 15) crossing
watchmen, 100 to I'D firemen and
many other employees on the Ms
souri, Pacific are let out for tho
time being. Its quietly understood that the
engineers will receive at least half pay, and
that the firemen who are not in the strike will
be treated likewise. The onductors will re
ceive pay only when they run, and this is
equal to supending nearly 400 freight con,
ductors and other necessary to the running
of local and throu Oh freights. All tod, it is
believed that 5 900 persons not interested in
the present strike will suffer the loss of their
salaries until the Knights return to work. 1t
is stated on the authority Of high ofica
that individual notices are being sent by the
company to all strikers that their names are
stricken from the pay-ro!ls AMI they are dis
charged from the service of the company.
The generally accepted impression is that
the present strike is to be made a test case,
and that its solution can come only with
the final adjudication of the TT lative positions
which labor and capital care to occupy IN
this country. The Knights of Labor insist
that the railroad managers are responsible
for the existing troubles, and that they are
not only prepared themselves for this conf ct
but are combined to push it to the bitterest
extreme. The allegations against the
railroad managers 60 back as far as the
placing of the Texas & Pacific in the hands
of receiver, which was done, it is claimed,
in order that the road might have the pro-
lection of the Unite States courts With the
railroad officials in this attitude it will be
understood that the strike is only on its
infancy, end that any apprehension that may
be felt is warranted by the situation and the
outlook. The railroad men themselves say
that they want to settle, at once and for all
the dependency of either party to the dispute
on the other. 1t is declared positiv ly that
tkey ,5ill not yield, but will find out by the
settlement or solution to which this strike
comes just whether capital is in the future to
control labor, or labor to control capital.
The Missouri Pacific is not trying to en-
ploy any men to take the places of the
strikers, and does not appear to be in any
great hurry to have the men resume work.
The other roads hold the same attitude. In,
deed, tine inclination of the road managers
seem to be in favor of letting the strike settle
itself. AS an earnest Of their intention,
they are discharging employees who. by rea>
son OF the strike, have nothing to do. On
the other rand, the growth of the strike con>
tinues, and traffic as far as Missouri, Ar.
kaLsas, Kansas and Texas are concerned, is
at standstill.