The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-02
Who Demand Eight Hours Work and Ten
Hours Pay, and Use Their Best Endeav-
ors to Prevent Anybody Working.
The Strikers Parade the Streets with
Bands and Display the Red Flag.
Employers Apparently Divided in Opinion az
to the Best Method Of Treating the Strike
The Movement OF Other Points.
gHE CENTER OF AGITATION,

gHE CENTER OF AGITATION.
Scenes In Chicago During the Day-Proces.
sions and an Occasional Red Flag.
CHICAGO, May 1.-The early morning hours Of
May i, the day set for the Inauguration of the
eight-hour day among wage workers of Chicago,
were characterized by quietness which was a
reminder of Sunday. In the manufacturing dis
tricts the and 7-o'clock whistles were, for the
most part silent The streets in the centers Of
industry were noticeable by reason of the ab-
sence Of the usual hurrying crowds of working
men with their lunch baskets and dinner pals
in hands. Such streets as Market Dearborn,
Monroe and others, on which heavily loaded
trucks are driven, did not contain half as many
teams as usual Hundreds of factories were
idle. some shut down on account of strikes, 9th
ers closed for the day to give their employees q
holiday. The idea of holding great parade toi
day, under the auspices of the Trades and Labor
Assembly, was abandoned, much to the disap.
pointment of many. It WAS rumored that the
furniture workers would parade, and a meeting
of that body was called for this morning.
The first Startling news of the morning came
at $50 o'clock. A crowd of men from the lum.
ber-yards aad planning mills, numbering three on
four thousand got together in the vicinity Of
Twenty -secondstreet and Blue Island avenue. A
leader was selected and line formed. In the
front rank man carried a red lag The body
of men then moved down in the direction of the
Mccormick reaper works
The entire detective force of the Chicago po-
lice department reported for duty early, md IL
of ictc ho,,
consultation with Superintendent Ebersold.
The reserve police are still held at their respect
tive stations for duty in the event of disorder.
The chief had early advices of the action of tna
railroad men, but up to IL o'clock had received
specific requests for protection from any Of
the railway officials. Chief Ebersold declared
that a great many men off for holiday might
be confounded with the strikers, and that the
situation could not be accurately understood be-
fore Monday.
Seventy five to one hundred employees of the
Equitable Gas andrFnel Company, engaged ia
building tanks on Archer avenue, near Halstead
street, quit work this morning. The men were
recently granted raise from $160 to 81. rs for
ten hours day-all they asked. But this
morning they quit because the company refused
Dissatisfaction exists among workmen In tho
Union foundry and Pullman car-wheel works.
The molders about week ago, asked for an in
crease of 10 per cent. in wages, but said moth
ing about the eight hour question, and this the
company conceded. Now the blacksmiths and
pattern makers want the same inc rease, as we'll
as double pay for overtime and Sunday work.
In the latter demand the molders also join,
although they are satisfied with their pay. As
the company has said an answer will be given
by May 10, it is not likely that trouble will man.
ifest itself.
The executive committee Of the Knights OF
Labor, Machinists' Assembly publishes card
this morning, which says "Messrs. Frazer and
Chalmers proprietors of the leading machine
shop in Chicago and the Northwest, who have al,
ways paid the highest wages in the trade and
have never had any trouble with their employees.
have, with their usual liberality, conceded the
eight hours to their employees, and will run their
shop with two shifts in the future. if necessary.
Messrs. Crane Brothers have also conceded to
all of their employees the eighthour rule, and IL
overtime is necessary they will pay time and
half for it, and advance pay as circumstances
may warrant The following firms have coEced.
ed the same: Robert Tarrant, Mcdonald. Vul-
can iron works, John Featherstone. H. Fl. Sco-
vile, Willard, Gates's iron works, Peacock,
West-division car shop and the Link Belt Manu-.
featuring Company. In fact, all shops of any
Importance except the Bullock Manufacturing
Company have now conceded"
This is somewhat at variance with informa.
ton obtained by inquiries during yesterday after
noon and evening. The developments showed
that on the part of iron manufacturers and
foundrymen there had been no concerted action
agreed upon. Some have made Concessions,
some have refused them, and others are waiting
for more light to be thrown on the situation in
order that they may know better what to do. A
large proportion of the establishments are closed
to day
Fully 500 striking railroad freight-handlers
met at Harrison street. near the Westside
passenger depot, at o'clock this morning
Speeches were made by few leaders. in which
they declared that it was the duty of the freight
handlers on all the Chicago roads to enforce
their demand now for shorter hours, while the
workingmen in all departments of trade were
doing so. The sentiment was cheered, and upon
the suggestion of. some one in the crowd the men
started for the Wabash freight yards to urge the
men employed to stop work. The crowd, in
creasing in size as it moved, entered the Wabash
yards, and the men there at once began quitting
work. A complete cessation of work in these
yards seemed probable. Fifty men unloading
vessels at the Rock Island and Lake Shore rail-
road docks, on the river. struck for eight hours,
and stopped work. The officials in the Rock Is
land and Lake Shore yards were clearing up all
freight in the expectation of strike among the
men there The freighthouse men OF the Fort
Wayne road this morning made q demand for
eight hours, and will stop at noon unless 1t ID
conceded. The freighthandlers in the Wabash
vards stouped work in n body. and ioiued the