Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-03-26
TRAINS A IDLE.

,,vo rruitless Efforts Made to Send Out
Freight Trains from st. Louis-Texas
Pacinc's officials Refuse n Proposition
for Arbitration-No Material Change IN
the Situation.
ST.. LOUIS, March 12.-It was expected
tl.at the Missouri Pacific officials would at
tempt to move their blockaded freight yes
terday morning, but no such action was
taken, and the yards OF that company re.
manned quiet until the afternoon. On the
Iron Mountain road "a freight train was
made up early in the morning and
started toward Carondelet with the engine
under a full head OF steam, and passed
through chat city at exprcss-train speed
This action by the railway company
seemed to take the strikers unawarcs.f for
no opposition was attempted at any point
until the train reached De Soto, Mo-, where
a delegation of Knights. boarded the tram,
s%ide-trackcd it, and afterward KILLED the
engine. No opposition was offered by the
crew to the action OF the hnlghts anu ho
conflict occurred.
In the afternoon the Missouri Pacific en-
cheers held a secret session and decided to
return to work. 1t was then decided by
Superintendent ker,igan to send a freight
train west, and preparations were lmmc-
diatelv made to make up a train. Alter
considerable delay a locomotive came
down the track manned by Engineer
Marvin and Fireman Harrison. When the
train was almost ready to start two men
appeared on the scene, one OF whom proved
to be John D. Williams, vicc-president OF
the local executive committee OF Knights
of Labor. The latter Immediately
x ~,40ra ~
sation with Engineer Marvin, and,
after considerable talk and evil
dent pleading, the engineer stepped from
Ills cab and announced that he would not
take out the train. The locomotive was
returned to the round house. Superintend-
ent Kerrigan stated that no further effort
would be made to move trains at present,
and thus ended the first effort to resume
traffic on the Missouri Pacific road.
1t can not be definitely stated what the
company will now do, but theprobabilities
are that further and more persistent efforts
will be made to-day to send out trains.
The management OF the o continued to
employ new menduring theday. Numerous
applications were made by men for work,
and all competent or otherwise accept
able persons were employed. Detective
Furlong of the secret service of the com
pany has a large force in and about the
shops and yards, and it is understood that
satisfactory arrangements a V been made
with the police authorities for assistance
and protection should occasion arise.
ST. LOUIS, March 12.-Martin Irons,
chairman of the Executive Board OF Dis
trict Assembly No. lO1, Knights OF Labor:
has prepared a statement of the grievances
and the demands OF the striking employees
OF the Gould Southwest system, and has
sent it to Colonel Hoxie, first vice-presi-
dent and general manager OF the Missouri
Pacific railroad. The statement proceeds
by setting forth that it is the belief
of every Knight of Labor upon the
Gould system that the roads it embraces
have inaugurated a systematic method OF
breaking up their organization, to check
which action the strike has commenced. In
ordering to bring about IL speedy adjust
ment of the difficulties now existing be-
tween these roads and their former EN-.
ployes, Mr.. Irons makes the proposition
that a conference be arranged between the
management OF the Gould Southwest Com
panies and the District Executive Board OF
Assembly No. 1O1 of the Knights OF Labor
to agree to propositions enumerated
i'll the statement. the principal OF which
are the fixing of wages to be paid unskilled
labor at $1.5O per day, bridgemen, from
81 w $500 JSA N"r vi tlOolASilIILCAU Vi
convict labor; Il better regulation of the
apprentice system; extra pay for overtime
and for work at night or on Sunday, and
an agreement that all men uniustly dis
charged be reinstated at the conclusion OF
the strike.
The Trades Assembly OF this city, which
is composed OF regularly appointed dele
gates from all the trades unions, nave held
a meeting and adopted resolutions recog-
nizing the railroad strike as a struggle for
the rights OF w~orkingmento organize; that
the position taken by the railroad mana
gers is ini,nical to the rights OF working
men and the public good, and should be
denounced, and expressing hearty sym
pathy with the strikers.
Preliminary steps have been taken by
the various business men with a view to
holding public meetings OF the Merchants
and Mechanics Exchange and other organ-
izations, to devise some means to bring
about asettlement OF the strike and restore
business to it's normal condition.
PHILADELPHIA, March 12.-Referring to
the strike on the Gould system, Grand
Master Workman Powderly of the Knights
of Labor said last evening:
Thinking that we the Gcneral Executive
in %etfcctjng a settlement, the following tcle-
gram was sent out last night to John G.
Brown, receiver OF the Texas g. Pacific rail.
way:
Twill you meet with committee selected by
General Executive Board of tho knights Of
Labor TO arbitrate for the settlement OF diff
culties with the Texas a. Pacific employees"
Late last night I received an answer de-
clining any aid and stating That no good could
come from arbitlating with Knights Of Labor.
Mr.. Brown has seen tit to refuse the media
ton OF tho General Executive Board OF the
Knights of Labor to secure Il settlement OF
pending difficulties by arbitration. He must
now be held responsible at the bar OF public
opinion for rejecting the overtnrcs Of those
who, having as deep an interest in the welfare
and prosperity of this country as MIR. Brown
can possibly have, would do everything in
their power to not only set the idle wheels in
motion but to keep them 20 ng.
LITTLE Rock, Ark. March l2.-The fore
man OF the Iron Mount Railroad Company
succeeded in sending out one freight train
with perishable local freight, bound south.
A large crowd OF strikers assembled, and
on the first attempt took possession OF the
engine, ran it into a side-track three miles
south OF this city and killed it, but another
engine was found which tool the train out,
protected by the sheriff and a posse and
accompanied by Superintendent Wheden
and Master Mechanic Richardson.
KANSAS Cry, Mo-, March 12.-The strik-
ers made u change OF iront yesterday by
refusing to let an engine leave the shop
W, vf]u n rfar - 1,,l 1oo, Gs1