The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-02-28
Chief Engineer Arthur Managing
for the Brotherhood.
The First Blow Paralyxes Six Thousand
Miles of RaiIroad-what VIII
the knights of Labor Do?


Chicago, Burlington and Quincy yards,
at Canal and Sixteenth streets, presented
the usual appearance. The early morn
ing mail train had left on time, and the
switch engines were at work. One en-
gineer takes the switch train to the
Chicago and Atlantic junction shortly
before o'clock. He said he had heard
nothing of orders to strike, and that he
would certainly take this train to the
junction and run the engine back to the
round house. Others of the swith en-
gineers also said they have not been
ordered to strike.
At $50 o'clock there was the usual
movement of the cars at the freight and
and Western avenue, where the cars for
the exits and the stock yards are
handled. Just before the time appointed
for the strike Train Master S. T. Hope
issued an order that no trains should be
moved west of Chicago. This was taken
by the few train men ON hand as a con-
fession that the company had secured
no men worth mentioning, and that the
road would in moment more be prac-
tically tied up. At 4 O'Clock, precisely,
switch engine No. 447 vent into the
Western avenue round house. Three
others soon followed it, and the engineers
and fremen quit work. The strike was
in earnest.
The strike promises to be the most re-
markable ever known, for the strongest
single labor organization in existence
has been pitted against the largest rail-
road corporation in the West, and one of
the greatest in mileage and wealth in the
world. Should the strike continue long
it is probable that in addition to the l.
400 men directly involved, the great ma
jority of the IA, 900 employees of the COM
25 900 members of the Brotherhood of
Engineers throughout the country will
be called upon to contribute of their
savings and the industries of a vast Sec
ton of the country tributary to the road
be subjected to partial paralysis.
The far reaching effects of the strike
| can be inferred from the fact that the
| road has six thousand miles of main and
leased lines, gridironing the States of
| Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska.
From Chicago it reaches to Denver, over
| LOCO miles away, and Cheyenne, in
Wyoming, equally as far. Minneapolis
| to the North and st. Louis to the South,
are within its reach The territory of an
empire.
| A couple of suburban trains were the
/ only ones to come in over the Burling-
ton road this morning. Master Mechanic
| Rowland was in charge of one engine
and Superintendent Rinth ran the other,
After the arrival of these trains the
depot master said he did not expect an
other suburban train before noon, as
there were no engineers and firemen te
man one, and until the General Superin
tendent could secure some engineers anG
firemen, he was unable to say whether
there would be another train during the
day. The only train that left the depo
up to 10 o'clock this morning was tn,
fast mail, which departed at 3 o'clock
and was manned by regular engines
and fireman from the Brotherhood.
The financial loss of the company b.
the strike is the subject of curious com
ment. In ordinary times the gros
earnings of the road ranged from 81,
00o, 900 TO S3,000,0 600 month, but OWNS
to the rate war in progress for som
time past among the Western railroads
a large proportion of the Burlington
business has oeen done at an actual loss
Whether the margin of profits ON the re
mainder of the traffic, taken as a whole
| was so small as to make the strike a
most boom to the company the hishe
officials probably alone know. 1t is
point that seems to have escaped clos
attention by the engineers, and on
which, taken in connection with til
hostility of the, Knights of Labor. ma
prove fatal weakness to the strik.
The chief depots or round houses {
the road are located at Auror
y and Galesburg, ILL.,; Ottumwa. Burlins
ton and Creston, Iowa; Lincoln, Omaf
and McCook, Nebraska. These citi,
are at the ends of working divisions
the road. AT Omaha arrangements ha,
been made with the Union Pacific Roa
to honor all Burlington tickets to con
mon points. 1t is presumed that simil;
arrangements have been made wit
other roads.
General Manager Stone, of the Ba
lington Road. says every engineer {
the main line of road, except one
Galesburg. went out to-day. A fe
trains were run by the aid of enginee
dSawn from the shop mechanics, va
foremen, etc. The strikers did not bril-
Il their engines through TO the end of the
runs. but left them at the nearest poi
when O'Clock. came. Thus all our pa
eupers from the Missouri River we
dumped at Galesburg. and those viii
we take from the Illinois Central at F.
est were left at Aurora. From the l.
ter point we were able to bring them
without much delay, but at Galesbu
the passengers were obliged to wait /
O'Clock before we could stsrt them il
The superintendent offic> and /
lobby leading to it are crowded. vi