St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-10-14
Sxv51chmen on a Strike.

SUiIchmen on n Strike.
{ A. ,,.o5ioted in the GLOBE, a general strike
of the sxitchrneu emplored in all the railroad
wards of the city, save that of the milwaukee,
WIS inaugurated early yesterday morning
The first 10 leave their posts were the SWITCH
men in the Minneapolis & st. Louis yard, VINO
10 the number of thirty walked out wnen
visited BY the committee from the Trades ana
Labor as sembly. The Omaha, Northern "a
citic and Manitoba yards were next NlSlleu III
rhe order named. the men walking out At the
,,o+ice from the committee. A delegation OF
strikers next visited the Milwaukee, yaruS,
but were prevented from entering by guard
of watchmen and detectives Inc milwaukee
switchmen had received certain promises
looking to an adjustment or the ull1cuity anu
were unwilling to take decided STEP Later
in rbe dav some of the men in the lower yard
ioined the strikers and the running OF two
engines was stopped. Nine-tenths Oh the
thirteen crews, however, remained at work
The situation in the yards, except the MIL
Waukee,
DURING THE DAY
,rss uniformly the same. No freights were
running the passenger trains were not inter-
fered with and not the slightest attempt at
violence was made. The men simply WIFI
drew from their work, and held their meet
inCs and INDUCED in little talk. At O'CLOCK
the situation changed but little, with the eX-
ception of the Milwaukee yard, where the
niGhr crews did not appear as usual. and not
a freight car was moved in al the yards
The passenger trains were handed by the
yardmasterS, who were the only men WORK
ing. The yards presented the aspect of Sum
day 0uietness, and peace ruled the night
with a vengeance.
HOW TREY CAME TO STRIKE.
The switchmen at both Minneapolis and st.
Paul have been receiving 500 and S55 for
night work, and 500 and So for day. 1t
is asked that the pay of foremen
90 TO S15 and SO and S65 for day ork.
THESE Drices. it is understood, are the same
that are paid TO men for the same work by
the same roads in Chicago, Milwaukee, Kan
sas CITY and other leading railroad points.
The men have grown restiye under what they
think is a palpabie injustice, aud seven
weeks ago made 4 request for an increase OF
1-a;raS The railroad companies have paid
little or no heed to their demands further
than TO indulge in some desultory talk over
five DAYS ago a notice was served that II no
concessions were made a strike would ensue
Still no attention was paid, and the walk
ont Yesterday was d natural consequence
The men have decided to persist
in their demands and to give no further time
for parlev claiming that the seven weeks
notice was all that reasonably could De ex-
pected. Besides, they Intend to profit by the
experience OF the Chicago switchmen, who
gave thirty DAYS notice, which the railroad
comnanies improved by importing switchmen
m take their places The railroad companies
have not seemed inclined as yet to define their
position by undertaking to say why men
should not be paid as much for the same class
of work as in Chicago, Milwaukee or Kansas
Civ. Nor is it denied that sufficient notice
has been given. The position of the Mil
waukee road seems to Otter some
what from that of the others,
in that some attention has been paid to the
demands of the men. Yesterday Supt. Case
visited the men at noon, and SAID that ne nad
forwarded the5request to the general head
quarters at Milwaukee, and could promise
that some concession would be made if they
would continue at work. While great
many of the men were inclined to accept this
nronosition. others couuseled that it was
only another delay, and that the railroad
would, in the meantime, bring other men
from abroad to take their places.
THE OUTLOOK
seems to becoming more threatening hourly.
The men have thus far behaved in quiet
and orderly manner, and have kept SOBER
The railroads may endeavor to import men
from other places, but even TINS Will
not probably cause resort to
violence on the part of the men, as they
are confident that few switchmen can be IN
duced to take their places. Swltchmen are
moi TO be obtained, and the brakemen and
conductors have given assurance of their
sympathy and intention of not interfering to
belp the railroads out unless there is some
resort to violence, which cannot be -counIe-
nanced.
The railroads have already become alarmed,
and last night Supt. Case, of the Milwaukee,
and Vice President Truesdell, of the Mime
apoIis & St. Louis, applied to the police au-
thorities for protection to keep the strikers
out of their yards. This was refused for the
obvious reason that the SWltchmen have
promised that they will commit no act of dis
order or be guilty of any interference, and
do moi no made the lnSfrIl-
ments of corporations further than to pre-
serve peace. A correction should be
made of a statement promulgated
by an evening paper, evidently for
the purpose of turning pubic sympathy from
the men. This is that the strike was not
heUun AFT the dictatiOD of the SWitchmen's
Mutual Aid union. That organization has
about seventy-fve members, and as there are
about 800 switchmen in the strike, it is plain
that the union has not a controlling voice, and
that any actions on its part could not have
instituted a general strike. The strike is the
result of concerted action of all switchmen,
union and non-union, through the Trades and
Labor assembly. Vice President Truesdell, OF
the Minneapolis & St. Louis, stated at police
Headquarters last evening that his men had
asked for noincrease of wages but had simply
walked out. This is emphatically denied, as
It is claimed that all superintendent of all
railroads, except Supt- Sullivan, of the Min
Desota Transfer, were advised over three
weeks ago through the Trades and Labor as
sernbly. The action taken subsequently by
the Minneapolis s. ot. Louis officials shows
that Mr.. TruesdelPs statement can hardly be
correct 1t is evident that the present state
of affairs cannot be continued much longer.
The Minneapolis st. Louis road has
not sufficient men to side track
an engine in the freight house yard. The
Cedar Lake yards are also well filled with
south bound loads and empties. The Mani
toba has a small amount of room yet left, but
the Minneapolis yard being of rather small
dimensions, the business of the road and that
Of the Chicago, Burlington Northern is
sufficient to crowd it full shortly.
The Milwaukee is always full,
and is of course crowded. The
Northern Pacific is already crowded and the
Omaha as well. The Minnesota Transfer, with
the amount of stock it is handling, cannot
stand any tie up whatever. The mills are be-
coming very anxious about their shipments
of flour and their receipts of grain. and are
urging the railroads to grant the concessions
of the men, which they regard as only fair
and Just The same can be said of lumber
men, merchants and citizens generally.
THE COOPERS STILL OUT.