The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-04-08
LABOR TROUBLES.
The Great Railroad Strike-Labor Commissions
Elsewhere.
few weeks ago.

| The Great Railroad Strike-Lab0r Commissions
| Elsewhere.
About week ago it was thought almost GER
| tain that amicable arrangements would he ar
rived at between the strikers and the railroads
on the Gould system, but during the last few
| days events have transpired which seem to
| show a settlement to be futher off than ever.
Little change has taken place i'll the situation
! at st. Louis, and at Galveston, Tex. and Topeka,
/ Kan, things remain in status quo At Ft.
| Worth, Tex, there was a serious conflict be-
| tween the strikers and the officers of the law.
| On the two previous days most determined
! efforts We're made to move trains from the Mis-
souri, Pacific yards but both times the mob were
| successful in preventing tho movement. On
| Saturday the effort to move trains was renewed
! and q fight took place between the officers and
! the strikers. Three of the posse were shot,
| two seriously and one fatally, and several of the
| strikers were killed and number more or less
! seyerly injured. The strikers claim that the
officers fired first but the latter deny the charge
and insist that they were fired on from an am
| bush and they simply returned the fire in self
| defense. Acknowledgement TempetOn. of
| Texas, said that the trains must move if it
takes the whole military force of the State to
do it. After the fight on Saturday 10 COM
panieS of militia and one battery of artillery
arrived at Fl. Worth. collision between the
strikers and the troops Of the most serious
nature is expected every hour, as strikers are
arriving at Ft. Worth from various outside
| points The depot and yards at Ft. Worth are
guarded by 200 citizens called into service by
the Mayors proclamation, and the streets are
patrolled by armed men. One hundred firemen
are in waiting at the fire-enginc houses for any
emergency, and the fires ut the pumping sta
tons are kept up to a high point all night
Offers of aid were sent from all surrounding
points and engines are kept in readiness to be
forwarded at moments notice. tits said that
the knights of Labor have determined that 1T
Worth shall be the point where trains shall be
stopped at all hazards and that there they will
win their battle. On the other hand, 1t Is said
that the citizens of that city declare that the
Missouri Pacific trains shall move, even though
it costs scores Of lives TO accomplish 1t.
There is "A strange rumor ailoat that an effort
was made during the past week to throw dis
credit on the Knights of Labor by getting
man named Frank L. Mckeigan to tap the
Gould Hoxie private wire. The scheme as re-
ported was for McKcigan to get into the conf
dence of the Knights. explain to them the
benefits of getting access to the private tele-
graphic correspondence between Gould and
HOXie, and then entTap number OF them into
a room from which the wire was to be tapped
by means of loop thrown from a window and
attached TO portable battery, and then, while
this scheme was in operation, to signal the
police outside, who were to rush in and grab the
tappers. The scheme, however, failed and the
Knights were fortunate enough TO escape the
disgrace which would have fallen upon them
had il been successful. An effort has been made
to employ new men in place of the strikers, and
large numbers have been engaged but have
not been allowed to 90 to work.
A curious rumor comes from Wall Street to
the effect that the strike has been instigated for
stock iobbing purposes. 1t has even been
limited that Gould may have sold the market
largely short and then instgated the strike and
raked in the profits of the speculation.
The big labor strike at Beverly, Mass Is
likely to come to an end after 1000 hands have
been out of work for seven weeks.
The strike in the Clearfeld pa coal region
still continues, and at the present writing there
is no indication whatever of settlement
The strike OF the street car conductors in
Philadelphia is over, and has ended in favor of
the strikers. 1t has been settled that the men
shall work for - hours per day and the price
paid shall be 81. But of this time they shall
be allowed Is minutes for breakfast, Is FOR sup
per and 80 for dinner. The agreement further
provides that no emplOye shall be required to
buy any uniform except a cap, badge or light
hat in Summer time; that drivers shall not be
required to clean or pay for cleaning their
horses; that no employe, such as stablemen,
night watchnen, lamp cleaners, ETC., shall be
required to work more than l. hours or receive
less than $50 per day, and that no employe
shall be discharged for belonging to any labor
organization, or FOR taking part in the late diff
Guilty, nor shall any employe be discharged
without good cause.
The street car strike in Pittsburg, Pa. has
ended the companies agreeing that - hours
shall constitute days work, with one hour for
dinner; that on cars running two men, drivers
and conductors shall receive $l.75 each per day,
and the drivers on bob tail cars 50; that no
shall be discharged for participating in the
strike, and that future differences shall be sub
mitted to arbitration
The Consolidated Coal Company of Cumber-
land, Nd, the largest mining corporation in
the Cumberland regions, has given large order
for coal to be brought from Wales to ill con-
tracts with vessels trading on our coasts. The
first installment Of about $3.50 tons will be re-
received III New York in few days. In this
the company is following the example of
Clearfied company.
Grand Master Powderly is lying very i'll at
his home III Scranton, Pa His physicians will
not allow any person to enter his room, and all
correspondence is kept strictly from him. He
is not allowed 10 hear anything whatever Of the
labor troubles now in progress.