Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1886-03-18
WAR TO THE KNIFE.
The Missouri Pacific Ret mates by
Ordering the Strikers from
It's Premises.
A Long and Weary Struggle Antici-
pated, with a Prospect OF
Some BlOOdshed.
lst. Louis Csro.) tolegram.i

lst. Louis CNfo.) telegramj
General Superintendent Kerigan, of the
Missouri Pacific Railway, this morning is
sued an order expelling from the Missouri
Pacific yards all Knights of Labor. This
order includes the delegation of men ap
pointed by the Knights to guard the com
panys property. The order is as follows:
"You are hereby notified that your action
in Withdrawing from the services of the
Missouri Pacific Railroad Company was
voluntary abandonment of the services of
the company. and that yon no long 1r in
its employment, and that your names have
been stricken from its rolls. All such who
are now about the companys premises are
hereby notified that they must immediately
leave the same, to the end that this COM
pany NAV resume the traffic of the country.
"WILLIAM KERRIGAN."
simultaneously with the appearance of
the above order in the Missouri Pacific
yards in this city twenty Pinkerton detect
ives and about the same number in the EN-
ploy OF the railroad company marched into
the yards under the command of Thomas
Furlong, and ordered the Knights who
have been guarding the property to leave
at once. The order was obeyed and The
freight turned over to the detectives. At
Carondelet, where the bulk of the Iron
Mountain freight is abandoned, the yards
are still i'll possession of the Knights of
Labor. The company is engaging ell the
men it can to act as watchmen, but the APP
plications are few, and the number now in
its employ is not large enough to
watch all the freight. The most i'm
portant rumor of tho day was that the
Missouri Pacific would attempt to resume
I.,,es 10 A.
road were questioned about it, but refuse to
say where they are going to get men. To-
night 1t is stated that an order will be issued
calling on the men to return to work, but
they cannot return as Knights of Labor.
meeting of the merchants was held on
Change to-day, and the situation discussed.
While many of the merchants sympathize
with the railroad employees, they question
the wisdom of striking at this time and for
the causes which have been given.
"There are two sides to the question"
said a prominent commission merchant.
"The one-man power in the railroad must
be met by organization on the part of en-
ployes, but it is unfortunate that Just at the
opening of the spring trade this terrible
blow should come on the city and country"
There is but one opinion on the subject
of interference with business, and that is,
that in one way or another the embargo on
trade should be lifted. The question of
whether the railroad could not be held re-
sponsible and be made TO carry freight,
even if this did involve paying a little high
er wages than usual, received considerable
attention. In addition to the actual stop
one OF the chief elements cIIIsfiiiftE operafinig to
check and depress trade is fear. The deal
ers are afraid to move one way or another
and prefer to await developments. Trade
is, therefore, practically at standstill, and
scarcely anything was done to-day. The
spectators, of course, have free swing, but
even they are very cautious in their opera
tions. The commission men can do little
or nothing but wait until shipments can be
made. This state Of affairs is working up
the feelings Of the merchants to high
pitch.
The situation in East st. Louis is alarm
ing in the extreme. Not pound of freight
from any of the Eastern trunk lines can be
brought across the river by rail, and the re-
suit is that the tracks on the East Side are
all blockaded with delayed freight. The
bridge is crowded with teams hauling
freight to the city. The number of laden
coal cars now in the yards OF the various
roads across the river is enormous, and as
there is no way of getting the coal across
the river except by hauling it in wagons or
shipping it on the ferries, the blockade is
likely TO cause a cessation of work at the va
rious mines throughout the district, and SO
throw 1000 miners out of employment.
This afternoon an attempt was made to start
the Kirkwood passenger train on the Mis-
souri, Pacific, which was abandoned Sun
day. When the signal was given to start
the fireman on the engine stepped off and
refused to fire. No other man could be Sc
cured and Superintendent Kerrigan jumped
on the engine himself and fred her while
the Iun was made to Kirkwood, twelve
miles ont.
The departure of the passenger trains on
the Missouri Pacific tonight was delayed
about two hours in consequence of some
body having withdrawn the fire in the loco
motives. force of some four hundred
men has been employed by the company to
operate their yards, and more will be en-
gagged as rapidly as the proper men can
be obtained. The opinion is that
If the railroad company attempts
10 run freight trains tomorrow the
effort will be resisted even to the point of
violence. There is feeling of great un-
certainty as to what either side will do, and
much apprehension is felt regarding the re-
suit. A report that the railroad company
had applied or would apply to the United
States Court here for the appointment of a
receiver, so that the road may be placed in
charge of q court and be under the protec-
ton of the Government, was denied. None
of the roads centering here have been at all
interfered with, except the Missouri Pacific.
There are no indications Of trouble on any
other road.
Steps have been taken TO have st. Louis
merchants ship goods by the river to New
Orleans, and thence to Texas by the Texas
and Pacific Road, which it is thought can
ha l.