The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-05-03
EIGHT HOURS FOR A DAY.
WORkMEN THROUGHOUT THE couN-
TRY IN GREAT AGITATION,
And Strikes are the Order Of the Day
Shorter Hours Demanded With
No Reduction in Pay.

Thousands and Tens of Thousands of
Idle Men-A General Review of the
Situation Mt Important Points-The
strikers Peaceful But Determined-A
Labor Holiday.
CHICAGO, May a-The early morning
hours of May /, the day set for the in
auguration of the eight-hour day among
the wage workers of Chicago, were char
a terized by a quietness which was a re-
hinder of Sunday. In the manufacturing
districts the 4 and I O'Clock whistles were
cente OF industry were noticeable by
reason Of the absence of the usual hurrying
crowds of workingmen with their lunch
baskets and dinner-pails in hand Hun
dreds of factories were idle, some shut
down On account of strikes, others closed
for the day to give their employees holiday.
The first startling news OF the morning
came at ":90 O'Clock. A crowd Of men from
the lumber yards and planning mills, num-
bering 5000 or 400 men, got together in
the vicinity of Twenty Second street and
Blue Island avenue A leader was selected
and line formed In the front rank a
man carried red flag. Tho body of the
men then moved down in the direction Of
the Mccormick reaper works
The procession moved west on Blue Island
avenue to Robey street, where mass-meet-
ing was held in a vacant lot. Several
speeches were made, the men in every In
stance being told to go to work Monday
morning in case their demands for eight
hours work and the present rate Of pay
were complied with, but otherwise to stand
firm.
1t was predicted Friday that between H.
D0U and 15,000 men employed in the lumber
yards would strike May for eight hours
work instead of ten and 20 cents per hour
instead of from 12is cents to 10 cents as
heretofore
Representatives of eighty-five lumber
firms met at the Lumberman's exchange
Friday afternoon and decided that they
could not make any such concessions, and
it was decided to shut down pending the
settlement of the question. The lumber
yard men in the southwestern district Wis
tied the proprietors and left copy of the
following at each office:
"CHcAGo, His, April S0-GENTLEMEN:
The Lumbermen's union, No |, has ap-
pointed committee to call upon you to in
qui-e what action You will take on the eight
hour movement, and also to inform you
of the wages we have decided on as our
scale for eight hours work, which are, for
tally men, Is cents per hour; sorters, q
cents per hour, and balance of men ~ cents
per hour, and overtime work double We
will demand an answer Monday morning,
May 3 We will observe tomorrow, Satur-
day, as general holiday"
Friday evening all the yards were straight
ened out as though for a long spell of idle
ness
The planning mill hands have asked for
eight hours work and ten hours pay. The
proprietors have offered them 10 per cent,
increase for ten hours work. This has been
refused and the men have struck Goss &
Phillips and Felix Lagos men will work
until the stock on hand is used up
Saturday morning in the lumber district
not a plank was moved and not a planning
mill opened uI. The manufacturers went
into session at Felix Lang's office to con
slider the situation.