Huntsville gazette., 1886-03-13
THE BIG STRIKE.


Orderly Strike to Bring About Settle
ment of the Texas Pacific Trouble.
ST. LOUIS, March 7.-Between ten and
eleven O'Clock yesterday morning the
Knights of Labor began the general strike
along the five lines of the Gould system
of railroads, which they claim will end
only in the granting of their demands by
railroad officials, or the suspension of
work by $4,000 men and the stoppage of
every wheel on the Southwestern system
of railways within four days. Five thou
sand Of the railway employees are now
out, 1000 more will be called out Monday
if the. companies involved make no pro-
position by that time to the Knights for
an adjustment of their grievances, and the
1000 remaining employees of the roads
who are directly concerned in their
mechanical operation, but who are not
Knights of Labor, will be forced to join
the strike, it is expected, by the force of
the tremendous pressure brought upon
them by their organized brethren. This
appearance of the situation can be
changed in a day by ex-Governors
J. c. Brown and Lionel A Shell
don, receivers of the Texas Pacific,
with an order reinsiating in his former
position c. A. Hall, late foreman of the
wood-workers in the Texas Pacific car
shops at Marshall, whose discharge for
attending a Knights of Labor meeting
caused the strike, and in whose case the
Knights intend to make second test of
IL. z.~ Il
strike on the four roads connected with
the Texas Pacific was ordered yesterday
by Chairman Martin Irons and his eXecu-
tive committee in session in Marshall, and
was intended to bring out only the shop
men and local switchmen. Fifteen hun
drcd of these received the order before
noon and left their work, St. Louis, Sc
dalia, Little Rock and DeSoto turning out
the largest bodies Of men. All Of them
left their stations quietly and have been
employed since principally in holding
meetings and initiating new members.
j.. V. Powderly, Grand Master Work.
man of the Knights of Labor, is on his way
to ST. Louis from Scranton, Pa, and A. A.
Talmage, general manager of the Wabash,
st. Louis & Pacific, who has been away
from the city on vacation, is expected
TO return tomorrow.
THE STRIKE IN ST. LOUIS.
The programme the Knights Of Labor
have determined upon has been COM
municated to only a few of the most
prominent members of the order in ST.
Louis, the remainder knowing generally
that it is to 'stop every wheel on the
Gonld system if c. A. Hall is not given
Iack his position in the car shops at Mar
shall. The details of the plan of the ex.
ecutiye committee were given to re.
porter last evening by one of the Euterpe
Hall speakers. "The executive commit
tee," said he, "is pretty certain that
Governor Brown will yield when he sees
that the Knights are determined, and will
call upon them fora conference by Monday
There are now 5000 men out altogether,
but the committee has not ordered out
its Switchmcn, yardmen or brakemen,
who number about four thousand II
nothing is heard from Governor Brown
Monday these will be ordered out Then
will come the engineers, fremcn and con-
ductors. They don't belong to US, but
ne can bring them out. But we think
that the strike has gone far enough now
to show the Texas Pacific receivers what
they have to deal with, and it is likely
that they will be asked by four other
roads in the system, which are inconveni-
enccd by the strike, to confer with the
committee as soon as possible and arrange
the difficulty"
"Where would this conference be
held?"
cat Dallas, probably"
"How would the strike be declared at
an end?"
"Just as it was declared begun. If the
executive committee receives a satisfactO-
ry proposition from Governor Brown and
accedes to it, an order will be issued an
nouncing to the men that the knights of
Labor have won another victory, and that
the strike is off. This will be followed
by a resumption of work all along the
iines.o
The Knights of Labor have made it
point Of honor that during one Of their
strikes property, both private and corpo-
ration, shall be protected. Yesterday
afternoon committee from the strikers
Just after the men had abandoned work at
the shops, waited upon Master Mechanic
Bartlett and Master Carpenter Hodge and
offered to station watchmcn over the rail-
road property in the yards and shops dur
ing the continuance of the strike. The
offer was accepted and the Knights placed
nine men on guard over each of the five
departments of the shops, who will keep
alternate watches Of eight hours, with
three men in a watch, until the strike is
over. These men will be paid from the
District Assembly treasury.
Although the Gould lines may not be
able to carry pound of freight over
their rails il the strike is made compre-
hensive, the United States mails will not
De delayed, and the trains carrying them
will not only be allowed to run, but will
he operated with the strikers assistance.
we are making no war on the people,
and we know too much to interfere with
.he mails,' said a striking knight yester- |
day. eff the strike stops the trains we
viii either have knights detached to run
.he mail trains or hire other men-I don't |
know which the executive committee |
considers the better plan. We're sorry |
for the merchants whose freight is being
telayed, but we can't help that Being !
put to trouble and expense by the strike, |
they become our allies and hope to see us /
get what we ask"
The Knights at Sedalia, Hannibal, Kan
sas City, DeSota and other points in Mis-.
souri, at Argenta, Ark, Dallas, and Pales-
|