The Forrest City times., 1888-04-07
A GENERAL STRIKE.
Al Roads Couverxin< in Chiezxo wln he Ted rp--WsdR The Day >-t fos skr

Of the Beli Line al Chicago added a Erzyer aspect to the railroad situation Saturday evening thao at any time since the Brotherhood of Engineers and Bremen quit the services os the Chicago Burlington ard Quincy. Every rsilrosd entering Chicago depends almost wholly upon ibe Belt Line as ihe means by which an interchange oI freight ls to bs conducted with any other road Practically every railroad track stretching from Chicago is iatsr- seeted by the Belt, Sad as there has been a general feeling from the start that the issue Of the struggle might be sw1yed one way or the other by the attitude Of the Belt Line officials and the men in theIr em piOy. the latter have al along been among the stznnehest allies of the brotherhood. while the arrangement of the Belt company have apparently sought zs far as possible to maintain a position Of SO called neut- r1llty. A new face WAS put on affairs when. some tine saturday, Gen. II. II Porter. president of the Chicago and Eastern Illinois railway. sent & strongly worded letter to John E. Carson. president of the Beft Line. The East ern Illinois company holds a controlling interest in the Belt corporation, and Gen. Porter's letter demanded formally and explicitly that "tbe Belt Line traus- fer cars for every TAiif0ad and iadiEid- ual in exactly the same manner, and that any and all employees that do not choose to do their whole duty toward any one car or railroad company or in- diFidual as another. shall immedla. ely be dismissed, and TO employe shall in any way be allowed to handle any par ticuisr car that will not handle every other car in the same way"
 President Carsoa replied asse1tiIg 70 Gen. Porfers letter. saturday meet ing ol the employees Of the bet line was Aeld. at which the whole subject V as earnestly debated. l. was currently reported saturday evening that the Belt men decided to stand by their guns and see whether the company would discharge them ea masse
 No proYOcaiion for an extension Of the strike was given saturday by the Burlington. Whether as alleged IL was for the purpose ofresting the new men, or that there was no business t being Sunday and many men idle the danger f riot was increased. there certainly was no attempt in any quarter to han de Burlington cars in the Burlington's own yar1s. Managers Of the Milwau- kee and st. Paul pursue exactly the opposite course. They made the most strenuous efforts b keep things moving, and as a result 1t is probable that the strike on the >t. Paul will cuiminate Monday in a renewal Of the strike On the Panhandle. A train was got in readiness. SO that Monday an attempt can be made to transfer Sr. Paul freight 10 the Panhandle. and as the employees of the latter were pledged to support the St. Paul strikers there is little doubt they will refuse to handle the freight and a strike wll ensue. Eight switeh engines were at work h the Si. Paul yards Saturday and cleared q blockade al Union street and another at Western avenue. Four freigh, trains were started to Milwaukee and the suburban passenger service was got in- 70 much better shape than Saturday. Large crowds of slght-seers were scat tered along the tracks and on the via duets throughout the day, but there was no attempt at rioiing. \ stormy I
 progress during the afternoon. The engineers and firemen are sad 10 have favored returning to work on the terms offered by General Manager Miller. while the switehmen and braksm in- sisted on standing out. Without reach ing any conclusion adjournment was taken until tomorrow morning.
 WAITING FOR WEDNEsD4Y.
 Judging from appearances and from the talk indulged in by railroad men. Wednesday will see the commenes uent of strike that can result only in an injury to the town. IL Is admitted by railroad men that he oniy preventive Of strike Tor Chicagolns and suburb antics Tuesday morning, Is the near ness Of election. but Wednesday when the political battle is over, a railroad war will bloom in all it's vigor. In the Burlington division of the yards all was quiet. The Town of Lake police, as usual, were on the ground, but they were not needed. In the big For
 Wayne yards, extending along Stewart avenue from Forty y-seYenth to Fifty ninth streets, all was quiet. switch men, engineers and liremen were paia- fully conspicuous by their absence. In the big Toundhouse at Eifty-nfth street were twenty engines fireless, and several Town of Lake police officers hung about. but there was absolutely nc thing for them 10 do In the Fort Wayne company's employ in Lake there are fully 500 men, and of that number perhaps l2j are employed az engineers. fiIemen and switchmen. The Fort Wayne company had been expect ing trouble and accordingly took time by the forelock Everything was cleared up by Saturday. The yards are now empty to save their own cars, and the company is in a condition t. stand the strike and its consequences better than at any other time.
 The Fort Wayne men are fully de termined not to handle any c. cars and may refuse to hare anything to do N llh st. Taul transfers. Saturday night Foreman Boehm of the shops, asked every engineer to go to Sixteenth street after a train. but all refused. Saturday when the eugineyr r., fremen and switch men quit work. the hands in the shops were told that they might go home.
 Tho fremen, engineers and switch men employed by the Lake shore are dissatisfied with affairs. and may not wait until election day to go out. The switchmen, it will be remembered, were set to work during the big strike It is rot known that the >witchmen's union has offered 10 take them into the union and thus square the differences that have existed for nearly two years For this generous offer on the part of the union the Lake Shore switehmen have about decided not to handle any more z. ears. In the stock yards the switehmen employed by the Stock ards company are finding a new deal 10 play against Usualiy the Wabash takes Milwaukee and St. Paul cars from Ind. and at the stock yard officers he Committees W1re ap- pointed by the switchmen 10 wait on the stock yard officers. The commit tees failed 10 do anything and the men refused to handle the St. Paul ears. Tn among the stock yard men was communicated Co the men em- 1