The Indianapolis journal., 1886-05-02

procession, which then proceeded to the Rock
Island yards where they induced all the men
employed in the freight-ho to abandon their
positions The new recruits joined the crowd,
which next visited the Louisville, New Albany
q Chicago where they were also successful in
their efforts with the freight-handlers.
The column of railroad strikers and their fol-
lowers reached the Lake Shore road about IL
o'clock. and the main body of the men stopped
work The officials of the Lake Shore road are
preparing to close their freight houses
Though the freight handlers employed by the
Northwestern, the Illinois Central and the Balti
more & Ohio, remained at work all day, the l4O
truckers at the freight houses of the Illinois
Central railroad called upon Assistant Freight
Agent Cushing about noon, and asked that their
working hours be reduced from ten to eight, and
their compensation remain undisturbed, or that
they be paid ST. 20 for ten hours, which Is an ad-
vance of twenty-five cents per day on present
wages Mr.. Cushing promised to submit their
request to the officials Of the road The six re-
ceiving clerks in the houses also called upon Mr..
Cushing and requested that the $5 taken from
their monthly stipends several years ago be re-
stored. The eight outfreight or check clerks
made the same demand. After being assured OF
an answer by 6 p. M. Monday the men all resumed
work. The freight handlers of the Galena di-
vision of the Northwestern road voted to give
the company until Tuesday noon to decide upon
tn ereauest for eight hours labor and ten hours
pay. At 5 p N. the freight handlers IN the
houses of the Wisconsin division of the North
western quit work, after announcing that they
had concluded to join in tho demand OF the Ga
lena division men for eight hours work and ten
hours pay. They number about one hundred
and twenty five The sixty men in the Baltimore
& Ohio freight-house said they nad made no
formal demands upon the company for increased
pny or less hours of labor but they intended to
do SO on Monday. They apparently expected to
receive a favorable reply from the officials OF the
company
An enthusiastically prolonged meeting Of the
striking freight handlers was held this evening.
Excepting the Baltimore & Ohio, delegations
were present from every road entering the city,
and packed the little West Lake street hall to
suffocation the confusion attimes being babel.
Mr. Burke, of the Panhandle, was made tempo
rary chairman, and, amidst great cheering de-
clared that, until the demand for eight hours
with ten hours pay was acceded to, not one OF
the men would go back. Mr. OConner, of the
Milwaukee & St Paul, was hilariously elected
permanent chairman. He made a red hot speech,
declaring that he was out for good until the
cight-hour system was adopted, and that he was
only one of the $50 freight handlers who would
do the same. Wild applause interrupted O'Con-
ners speech. He was followed by great num-
ber OF speakers, each road having q mouth
piece. The most intense earnestness was
shown. especially when Chairman O'Con-
ner read dispatch from New York,
stating that Vice-president Sykes of the
be foolish for the roads to attempt fight at this
iuncture, and that conciliation was the needful
policy. The scene which followed the reading
of thu dispatch was indescribable. Men flung
their hats toward the ceiling, not caring where
they fell, and yelling and stamping their feet
until utterly exhausted. Another wild time en-
sued when Chairman O'Conner announced that
twenty-six men brought here from Milwaukee
by the Milwaukee & st. Paul to take the places
Of the strikers, had refused to go to work, upon
hear riuO fha aiff IA
much talking. committee, consisting of nine
delegates from each road, was appointed to pre-
pare articles of organization for freight hand
lers union, and report at q meeting to morrow
afternoon During the meeting there were
few calls for men to 60 to the Baltimore 81 Ohio
freight houses and throw the handlers there at
work into the street, but the idea did not take,
and throughout the proceedings there was
noticeable absence of anything else approaching
threats of violence
An important session of the lumber manufact-
urers OF the city held this morning at the Of
zee of Felix Lang Every principal planning
mill il the city was represented. The situation
was fully discussed and, as q result, they decid-
I'd to stand by each other in whatever action
they might take, and appointed committee to
request the attendance of representatives of
every lumber yard and box factory in the city at
joint meeting which will be held at the Sher-
man House tonight, to determine upon some
course of action. In the meantime, no conces-
sion will be made, and, pending the meeting, all
the planning mills, box factories and lumber
yards have been closed
Promptly at 10 o'clock the two hundred freight
handlers of the Chicago, Milwaukee g. St Paul
road stopped work
At the New Albany freight-house before the
men went out, Thomas M. Gillespie, an employe
of the Milwaukee g. St Paul road. mounted a
car and addressed the crowd. He told them that
he wanted all the freight haders to go into the
nnion, preparatory to forming an association Of
Knights of Labor. His remarks were
~vsk
crowd of strikers marched to Clark and Taylor
streets. Here they formed in line four
abreast Great crowds turned out to see the
sight, and, cheering, the men marched through
the streets toward the Michigan Central freight
house. AS they pursued their way the streets
became filled with sightseers, but nothing ap-
preaching disorder was apparent 1t took but
few moments to induce the Michigan Central
men 20 quit work Almost before the strikers
reached the freight-house the men commenced
10 put on their coats. AS each addition was
made to the ranks the enthusiasm increased.
about 10 o'clock the men employed in the
Michigan Central yards refused to join the
strike, and about this time police protection
sought by officers of the road Lieutenant
Laughlin and squad of police soon appeared
and succeeded in clearing the depot without us
ing violence, although the men grumbied at be-
ing forced back, claiming that their intentions
were peaceable.
The drivers and conductors of the Blue Island
avenue line of the West Division Car Company
demanded reduction of their trips from seven
to six, confning the working day to eleven
hours without decrease of pay. The company
acceded to their demands without any parley
ing. Two hundred men employed by the West
Division Street Car Company in the extension of
their lines struck for eight hours. The company
allowed the men to CO.
At South Chicago, where few Of the large
lumber-yards and plsniug-mills are located the
yard-men and the men employed in the planning
mill of one large concern stopped work, and will
doubtless induce the men in the other yards to
stop a.so
The men employed in Kinks soap-factory,
numbering some 700, have just struck, and
hsrn han nE l.