The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-10-09
BIG STRIKE At CHICAGO.
THE EMPLOYEES OF THE STOCK
YARDS PACKING HOUSES
Leave Work or Account Of a Notice
Of Return to the Ten
Hour Plan.

Hour Pians
CHICAGO, ILL.,, October S.-The
great strike of the employees Of the
Chicago packing houses sgainst the
proposition to return 10 the ten hour |
working day began this morning
The packing house owners had put |
up printed notices notifying their |
men that, beginning next Monday,
the men would be expected to work
ten hours instead Of eight hours a
day. This morning q committee OF
1900 m IN employed by the Chicago
Packing and Provision Company
waited on the foreman OF the works
and demanded that the notices be
taken down. The demand was re-
fused, and the regiment of working
men at once left the building, and
were soon Joined by the 500 men en-
ployed in the Silver Horn Works.
Thus reinforced, the large force went
in a body to the Armour works to in
duce the men there 10 stop work.
There is great excitement at the
yards, but no trouble has as yet &C.
Cured.
Hundreds of men were standing
about the Pinksrton headquarters this
morning, making application for posi-
lions as guards. Mr.. w. A. Pinkerton
was very rsticent as 10 his intentions,
but said that he had not yet received
any call for special police Tor the pur-
pose OF guarding the stockyards. The
crowd Of strikers failed TO induce the
Armour employees and the Anglo
American workmen 10 stop work and
departed without attempting anything
compu sorry.
Shortly before 2 o'clock pm, evil
IDENTIFY y pr,concerted action, al the
men employed by the following stock
yard firms refused to work and joined
the strikers: Armour & Co., John
Morrell, j. T. Hickey & Co., John
Cudaby, International Provision Com
pany and the Anglo. American Pack
ing Company. There are between
5000 and 1000 of them, making about
5000 in all who struck during the day.
Some of MorrelPd men, after going
out, decided to return to work. The
strikers at once invaded the place to
compel them to quit and employed
violence, which for time took on the
dimensions of eerious riot. The
police are now at the scene and hope
TO restore order.
Affairs became more quiet after the
arrival of the police. 1t was lound
that some of the employees were in
jured by the attack made upon them,
but none seriously. Three hundred
Pinkeit1n men are guarding the houses
tonight.
The representatives of the SLIDER
horn Packing House declared that
New York and other Eastern buyers
were sending their orders to Kansas
City, which necessitated the change 10
the same hours here.
Armour & Co. posted notice to.
night notifying their men to come and
receive their pay tomorrow. 1t Is
deemed positive that the houses ell
contemplate keeping closed down FOL
a short time at least.
s. w. Meek, attorney for the Exec
utive Board of the Knights OF Labor
tonight, 10 behalf of the workingmer
involved, issued the following state
ment to the press:
"The posting of the announcement
OF a return to the ten hour system or
Thursday by the packers, without ex
PLANTATION, caused the men employed
by the Chicago Packing and Provision
Company and the Silberhorn Com
pany to leave their work, not for vic
lence and mob rule, but thoroughly
organiz I'd for determined resistance
in far aud honorable way; and they
ask that the people be not prejudicet
against them by hesty and erroneou
reports of violence written in the in
terssts of the packers. The working
men have taken their stand only ate
every offer of fir and honest settle
ment OF their differences has been re
; fused by their employers"
Contracts embodying the agree
ments already had between the pack
ers and their employees have been re
, iecI ed by the packers, and it Is simpl
a question Of the packers keepin
! their agreements. They Gre on ttia
and not the workingmen.
The action of the cutters in return
ing to their work and carefully clesl
ing up snd completing their work i
hand by the direction of their leader
shows both the epirit of fairness wit
which they regard the interests
their employers and the absence of a
, desire on their part to cause loss Q
waste of the nece5saries OF life.
8 shows, moreover, the perfect organ
? cation never before attained by tn
4 workingmen-- portion of them n
I tuning to their work for detinit
r time by direction of their leaders fc
; the ex press purpose of saving thsi
0 employers from loss Of pelishab'
/ property.
The workiugmen involved ask
the public a fair and honest judgmer
on their actions, and to Iemem6t
d that their interests are the interests
Q the whole people OF America.