The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-23
Switchmens' Union, regardless Of the fact
whether or no they belong to the knights of

wnetner or no they belong TO tho hnlgnts OF
Labor
The situatics IL railroad circles is becoming
so complicated tnSs She outcome grows more and
more uncertain. Leshargy prevails tonight
throughout the freight yards in the city and in
Kansas City, Armourdale and other places. All
passenger trains left tonight as usual, and that
branch remains undisturbed. A Wabash train
was made up late this afternoon. A large crowd
was gathered about as the train prepared to
start AT signal, twenty coupling pins were
pulled simultaneously from between the cars,
and the train was effectually disabled The
who was responsible for it. Another
and at o'clock the company
succeeded in starting two freight trains. There
is disposition among the strikers to avoid
complications with the federal authorities The
only resistance offered the strikers was by an
engineer on the hannibal & St Joseph road.
who was about to pull out with q caboose. A
half dozen strikers mounted the engine. where
upon the engineer seized an iron pin and ordered
them of. An official of the road appeared,
however, and ordered the engine into the round
house.
An official who was present at the local freight
agents meeting, this afternoon, states that the
strike was not subject of discussion, and no
action bad been taken in the matter.
The following statement will be published to-
morrow morning for the committee OF the
Switchmens' Union:
ITO the Merchants and Citizens Of Kansas City and
Vicinity:
'The switchmen of the various yards Of the
city and vicinity deem it due TO you. as citizens
and friends, to make brief explanation Of our
walk ont this morning, and the reason therefor.
we sent request to our superintendents on
the 9th day of March, asking them to pay
us the standard wages paid switchmen in Chi
cago. They met us in session at the Union De
pot, on Saturday, the 18th, and we and they
made verbal contract that was published or,
at least part of it, in the daily morning papers
of Sunday, March IA. Since that time the
switchmen have lived up to their part of the
contract but some of our superintendents have
violated ard evaded the spirit of that contract,
and as we treated with them as a body of the
whole. we expected them to live up to their con-
tract as a whole; but one more violated it,
we claim they all did SO. Now we come out to
demand the standard wages paid switchmen IN
Chicago. ILL.,, and the signatures of the various
superintendents to such an agreement. We are
sorry If we cause you loss or trouble but we feel
that We right and will not agree to 60 to work
until wehave settled our differences with our
employers. THE COMMITTEE"
There are 230 switchmen out, which enforces
idleness upon 150 engineers and as many fire.
men, The roads involved are: The Chicago &
Alton, the Rock Island, the Wabash, the Mis-
souri, Pacific, the Hannibal & st. Joseph, the
Kansas City. st. Joseph g. Council Bluffs, the
Burlington & Missouri River the Atchison To-
peka & Santa Fe. the Union Pacific and the
Kansas City, Fort Scott & Gulf.
The packing houses are expected to close to-
morrow. One thousand of their employees had
already been laid off on account of the Missouri
Pacific strike, and a general closing down will
cut off the daily income of 4, 600 men.
It is stated tonight that conference of rail-
way superintendents will be held here tomorrow.
Several are in the city tonight one of whom
said: I'VE are yet undetermined as to whether
or not this strike is the works of the Knights of
Labor If so, then the present time is as good
as any for meeting the issue with :heE, and, in
this case, | am in favor of doing so, filing the
places of strikers and invoking the protection OF
the law for resumption of our business"
Not an animal was shipped out of the city for
the stock yards to-day, and nothing but very
small retail trade was DONE The Armour Pack
ing Company is arranging to ship quantity of
its eraXsiops down the river by boat. The
smeltinsfworks at Argentine will be compelled
to shut down shortly if the strike continues.
The Wholesale business is stagnated just at
the opening of the busy season. Sidetracks are
filled with loaded trains awaiting transfer,
destined to points East and West. Express
companies are receiving pershable freight at
owners risk. The supply of coal is considered
sufficient to continue the city's industries for
some time, hence there is no danger Of obstruc-
tion on that account A police force is scattered
throughout the yards to night. All is quiet in
the yards, and there is no present danger, ap-
parently, of open rupture.
The State Adjutant-general has ordered the
Seventh Regiment militia of tho city to assem-
BILE nightly at their armory for drill, until fur
ther orders. There is general disposition to
regard the strike with growing seriousness
though it is impossible to analy2e the feeling at
all definitely. 1t is said that many Of those who
went out do not belong to the union, and yet are
Knights of Labor hence the argument that the
latter are at the bottom of the trouble. Both
the Knights and the union switchmen, however,
deny this, and the public is left to draw it's own
conclusions. The strike is the only topic Of con-
versation, and there is great anxiety as to the
outcome.