The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-03
TIE SAD STORY OF AsSTRIKE
The Chapterof Misery That Has Followed
the Missouri Pacific Trouble.
The Long Train Of Men, Women and Children
Who Followed Agitator Martin Irons Into
Sorrow, Likeness and Humiliation.


struck, and he is almost out of his mind now
when he thinks that he was led away into doing
it, for he had no feelings but content when the
strike was ordered, and he never lifted his hand
against the road while the strike was on, but
stayed at home peaceable. We have four chill
dren. and what will become of us If you don'ttake
John back God knows We have been badly
punished already for what was done, and if You
will take him back you will never find more
faithful man to you through thick and thin"
Thus the wife of one of the employees of the
Missouri Pacific Railway Company recently
wrote to the general superintendent, VIM. Ker-
rigan. 1t could be said without inaccuracy that
thus the wives of hundreds of the late employees
have written, for Mr.. Kerrigans daily mail
comes burdsned with similar pitiable appeals
from all parts of that great railway system. The
result of the strike can be summarized thus:
First-Of the forty-sx hundred skilled and
unakilled workrnen in the employ Of ths Mis-
souri, Pacific system when Martin Irons ordered
the strike, less than two hundred have been
taken back, while the places left vacant by the
Strikers have nearly all been filed by compe-
TENT men who have been called from all parts
of tho country by this opportunity for employ
snen&
Secondly-The sufferings entailed by the
strike upon the late employees is not yet actual
extremity for food and shelter-though in many
cases this danger impends-but is due to anx-
iety, despair modification humiliation, the
Eertainty that families must be, temporarily at
beast, broken up while the heads of them go
forth to seek employment; the loss OF little
homes that had been bought and partly paid
for 9Th the savings from the wages received;
the giving up of good school privileges, which
the children have enjoyed in all these railway
towns, and the necessity of accepting en-
-. - - c.. L.
rate of wages than the Missouri Pacific corpora
tion had been paying. These things are star
ing the late strikers in the face in all these
towns.
Thirdly-Martin Irons Is practically wan
derer almost an outcast, and could hardly ven
ture with safety in some places where, few
weeks ago, he ruled men like the commander OF
an army. The imprecations with which he de-
nounced the president of the railway system Jay
Gould, have reacted upon himself, and the raen
whom he ruled now speak of him as he once
urged them TO speak of Mr.. Gould.
Fourthly-The Knights of Labor organization
has practically ceased to exist among the en-
ployes of the Missouri Pacific system.
or couree, had the Missouri Pacific managers
followed the usual course which employers have
adopted after great strikes, and taken back all
or a majority OF the strikers, there would have
been no such story as is aow to be told. But
for special reasons, which Mr.. Hoxe, the first
vice president, and actual manager of the sys-
tenn, and Mr.. Kerrigan, the general superintend-
ent, regarded as imperative, it was decided early
in the strike that, whatever happened, the old
employees were not to be taken back. There ex-
listed no erudee or passion toward these men,
and there was no personal hostility, except
toward few of the leaders. Eat the strike was
the second disturbance within year. The en-
ployes were. almost without exception, members
CT al organization controlled, at least in the
Southwest, the railway managers believed,
by dishonest, inscriptions and self
seeking men. These men the employees
obeyed without reInonstrance. The property,
the business and the credit of the Missouri Pa
cifc system were 10 constant danger, so the man
ayers believed, as long as these men were in po-
Bition at word of command to cripple the sys-
tenn and injure it's business Mr. Hoxie argued
that the men had not acted in good faith, for
they had failed to live up to the agreement made
the year before, when differences arose between
the employees and the managers. Without a
word of warning, without the utterance of a
complaint, without even hint that there was
dissatisfaction, either with wages, time or work,
the men struck. confessedly because an employe
ON another railway, which the Missouri Pacific
did not CONTROL had been discharged Mr. Hoxie
and Mr.. Kerrigan saw at once the formidable ma
ture of the Knights of Labor organization. They
had seen 1t grow with misglvlngs, even before
the strike but could see no way to check what
they regarded as baleful influences. But when
the strike came Mr.. Hoxie summoned Mr.. KERR
gan, and simply said to him:
"Can men-competent men-be found to take
these mems places2"
more than wa need" replied Mr.. Kerrigan,
who is man of few words.
employ them, and remember that our oppor-
tunity Las come to break down this organization,
which will menace US as long as it exists among
our people and is controlled by the men who will
certainly control it."
"Dop at length said one Of them, fnelook-
ing young man, In response to my inquiry
"What are we going to dos Ny God, what
have we done? Last winter we were all working
In the shops over there, and getting good pay,
and getting it sure. By and BY along came some
lecturer and told us that we were being ground
down; that the time had come for labor to assert
ITSELF and that if we didn't go and make our
power felt now, the next thing that would hap
pen Jay Gould would be cutting off 10 per cent
of wages, and then after that there would be
another cut. And one fellow told us yarn
about some section hands that were working
sixteen and eighteen hours day and getting
only $l.I0. That stirred up. Then along
came another lecturer and told us that the
Knights of Tabor were stronger now than all
the railroads in the country put together, and
our power, so thar we should be able
TO dictate and not accept terms
Then that fellow Irons ordered US
to strike. We were full of courage and hope
and there wasn't one of US who didn't believe be-
fore week had gone that Gould and Hoxie
would be down on their knees to US. Amt I
right, BobV' turning to a taciturn man who stood
near, and who grizzly nodded. "Now. you see
snat row OF houses over there, pointing to neat
little settlement just beyond the shops "In
two years more I should have got mine paid for;
SO would you, Bob, and a good many others
Well never live in those houses now. Last year
my wife had some plants and flowers around in
the side yard, and something creeping up over
the front door. She hasn't planted any this
year. She hasn't the heart. Ny two children
70 to school here. Where they will go to school
ia the fall God only knows. l was half dazed,
reckon, now think of it, when the strike was
on, and | made sure Kerrigan wasn't going to
take US back. l wandered around. and finally
begged to have chance again. But that's no
use. Inc wife wrote to Kerrigan. No USE The
vile has boarder or two, and have had a few
dollars from the Knights, the last they sent was
Just fve-dollar bill. | can't nav nv intarest
money when it comes duo on the house. and |
suppose they will take it away from me- Do?
Ny God, sir, I've got to leave my wife and