, 1888-03-01
THE GREAT STRIKE.
Indications of a Speedy Set
Element of the Trouble.
Conferences Between Perkins
and Arthur.
General Manager Stones Let
ter to superintendent.
INDICATIONS OF A SETTLEMENT.

CHICAGO, Feb. 29.-The Chicago
Times tomorrow will say: Within
tw~enty-four hours possibly the Burlington
strike will be ended. 1t is said that
President Perkins tonight personally met
Chief Arthur and reached a partial un.
Outstanding. When they separated it
was with the agreement that they should
come together tomorrow and resume
consideration Of the difficulties between
the company and the men, bringing the
trouble, if possible, to a mutually salts.
factory conclusion. The details of the
conference we're not made public, but the
impression was sought to be created that
the strike was largely the result OF a
misunderstood on both sides. The only
persons present at the meeting besides
Perkins and Arthur we're Mr.. Sergeant
of the Firemen's Brotherhood, Mr.. Per-
kins' private secretary and prominent
knights ofLabor."
Whether the strike is settled tomorrow
or not, the affair is rapidly approaching a
crisis. At the union depot tonight 10
skilled engineers arrived from the East
under contract for the Burlington road.
They are Knights of Labor from the
Reading system. Officials consider their
prospects very flattcring and predict u re
sumption Of the entire passenger service
within two days. Members of the broth
| erhood, as far as was asccrtained, to a
man ignored the order of the company to
report at noon to-day or consider them
selves discharged.
Late last night Mr.. Perkins admitted
that he had been in conference during the
evening with Messrs. Arthur and Sar-
geant. He declined to say whether any
result was reached. Chief Arthur and
Mr.. Sergeant were still more reticent.
From another source it Is learned that the
misunderstanding which was removed lay
in the fact hat Perkins had declined to
meet the strikers grievance committee,
and had placed the matter IN the hands
of General Manager Stone. Mr.. Perkins
misunderstood and explained why he
could not possibly haye come to Chicago
at the time.
Arther and Sergeant agreed that
under the circumstances 1t could
not been expected that he should
meet the committee. Then the engi-
neers' demands were gone over in de-
tail and Chief Arthur shows where vital
concessions could be made, provided the
mileage system and the wages asked were
conceded. The ground having been fully
covered, an adjournment was taken.
Perkins purposes, 1t Is understood, to
consult with General Manager Stone and
| Chief Arthur and Sergeant are to confer
with the chairman of the strikers perma,
nent committee on grievances.
LETTER FROM MANAGER STONE.
General Manager Stone to day sent O
long letter to all division superintendent,
in which he says that the company is ex,
tremely anxious that such of the old men
as are competent, sober and industrious
should come back to the service. The
time is at hand, he says, when a great
deal can be lone by personal talk to induce
the good men to give up what must inev,
itably be a contest full of disaster to them
if proceeded in. He says the company
fully realizes the situation, knows the diff
iculty in filling places with good men
who know the road and know the losses
of a prolonged conflict.
All this has been fully considered and
taken into account, but it is simply i'm
possible for the company to yield to the
demands which have been made. The
general manager hopes, therefore, that
those holding a position in the service,
which will enable them to do so, will use
the utmost exertion to convince the men
by personal persuasion, and induce them
to come back into the service, satisfied to
let the company and its officers manage
its W property.