The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-04-09
THE LABOR QUESTION.
The Strike on the Gould Railroads no
Nearer a Settlement.
Trains Said to be Moving on Many
of the Roads.

NEW YORK, April S.-General Manager
Hoxie telegraphed this morning that the
business of the system has about resumed its
normal condition at all points.
PHILADELPHIA, April S.--Secretary Turn
er, of the Knights of Labor, while passing
through this city on his way to Scranton
yesterday, said in regard to the prospect for
a settlement of the Missouri Pacific strike:
The matter now rests with District Assemblies.
Nos. 101, SO and II, of the Knights of Labor.
see no chance Of settlement. In TACT the situa- m
y is responsible for the failure to keep the agree
ment. Mr.. Hoxie undoubtedly is acting under the
The Fort Worth affair is unfortunate, and the
order being opposed in every way to such meas
ures, should not be held responsible for It. The
people were driven to desperation, and the deputy
sheriff who led the posse is a well known deSper-
ado. He has quite history in that line.
The dispatches sent by HoXie to Gould every
day telling of the freight trains moving freely are
untrue. There is practically no freight traffic 10
and from st. Louis and along the line except few
empty cars or trains filled with armed men. The
strikers do not want to NEEDLE with the trains
The company desires to leave us alone, and
the Knights are going to leave the road severely
alone.
Topeka, Kan, April S.-Labor Commits
sioner Bolton of Kansas, in an interview
yesterday, expressed the opinion that If the
Missouri Pacific officials continue their dis
courteous treatment of the officers of the
Knights of Labor, general boycott against
the Gould system would be ordered The
commissioner said that the western roads,
at his request, gave him figures regarding
their scales of wages. From these he made
tabulated statement showing that the Mis-
souri, Pacific paid an average of 3S per cent.
less wages than any other road. The COM
missioner also expressed disbelief in Gould's
statement that the company had retained in
its employ hundreds of unnecessary men for
fear of precipitating trouble with the
Knights of Labor.
7 Q ic haI
that there will be no more efforts to frighten
new employees out of the yards like those
reported yesterday, On the part of several
of the roads determined feeling is shown
at present to begin to transact their business
as of old. The resumption of traffic on the
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, the Chicago
& Alton, and the Ohio & Mississippi may
now be justly said to be complete. The Chi
cago, Burlington & Quincy has instructed
its Chicago officers to send on all freight
at st. Louis is promptly handled. Three
heavy trains were sent out of st. Louis yes
terday, and an equal number were received
in the yards. The road, too, has made con-
siderable preparation for the protection of
Its property and employees. as, last resort,
when it is unable to operate its trains with
out some such precaution. About forty
deputy marshals are now kept on the PREM
iSeS armed with rev0lvers and Winchester
rifles. With these deputies the yards will
be guarded.
WACO, Tex, April Sat about p. M,
yesterday, the agent of the Missouri Pacific
railroad here, received despatch from La
rena, informing him that 90 masked men
were on their way to destroy the Long bridge
9miles south of Waco. The report was
subsequently verified by the conductor of a
belated train, who said that 81 of the men
were travelling in the direction of the bridge.
Sheriff Harris was at once notified of the
fact, and he Immediately collected an armed
posse, boarded special train and proceeded
to the threatend point on the Missouri Pa
cifc. Bloodshed was expected to result if
the authorities and maskers met, and II there
was the least hesitation shown on the part of
the latter to surrender. The city marshal OF
Waco assembled his force, and was ready to
go to the assistance of the county authorities
should it be required. At 1890, information
was brought in by cattlemen that the band
began tearing up the track Immediately aiter
the passenger train passed south, and tnat
they had commenced the work OF destruction
on the Leng bridge. The report, however,
lacked confirmation. The Waco light infan-
try were in their armory awaiting orders,
and the excitement was intense all day yes
terday.
ST. LOUIS, April S.-A committee of the
Knights of Labor visited the yards of the
Wabash road in North st. Louis and re-
quested the men working not to handle cars
containing freight on the Missouri Pacific
road. After brief consultation ali the
men in the yard quit work and business
there was brought to standstill. 1t is said
that the engineers and fremen also quit
work but they did so as individuals. Trains
are running without interruption in most of
the East st. Louis yards, today, and good
amount OF business was transacted.
In Sympathy With the Strikers.
ST. LOUIS, April 8.--Men working for the
East st. Louis rolling mill, Tudor Iron
Works and the Grain Elevator all declined