The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-04-02
LOCAL ENGINEERS AND r1nEsrEN.

LOCAL ENGINEERS AND FIRENIEN.
A Strike Depends the Action OF Their
Committee To-Day.
The dissatisfaction of the indiana apolis engi.
neers 6remen and switchmen. which has been
growing for several days. is showing itself in
other ways than repeated remarks of no official
Significance. Ever since the c.. B. 6 @. strike
was first inaugurated the strikers have had the
unqualified support of the members of the In
danapolis brotherhoods. At the end of the first
week of the strike the engineers held q meeting
here and congratulated the 90" men on the
fight they were making. AT that time there
were rumoTs that the local men would be called
out, but the leaders of the Brotherhood said they
had no desire to precipitate a strike unless the
success Of the Chicago strikers depended upon
such move.
The DEVELOPMENTS of the last two weeks Al
Chicago have been such that the local engineers
claim they viii be justified in going out. The
majority of them say they regret the necessity
os even considering such a step, but they now
claim the strike affects every union engineer in
the country, and it is question of life or death
with the Brotherhood. They have determined
= teider all the assistance possible in the strug
Eie with The c., B. & @. men. They have but
one grievance, and that is the assistance outside
roads are giving the boyeotted company The
engineers all the roads running into Indian
apolis acknowledge they have cause to COM
plain of their own treatment, as they say they
have always been well paid and that their
demands have at all times been
willingly considered. In addition they say their
wages have been increased from time to time.
All these things however, are forgotten in their
love for the Brotherhood and in order to save
their organization from going to pieces they are
ready to extend the strike.
Yesterday was very active day, especially
among the engineers and firemen. In the morn
ing nj. L. Bixler, of Chicago, striking c., B.
q @. sWitchnan, and secretary of the fremens
grievance committee, reached this city, and at 2
O'clock in the afternoon over two hundred en-
gineers and afiremen met in joint convention in
the hail. atthe corner of Market and Delaware
streets. 4, The session held with closed doors,
and lasted until nearly 6 o'clock last evening.
Even after journment it was with much diff
Guilty that the reporters could getany information
as to whatswss done When they asked for
news there were frequent remarks of don't
( give them thing" and don't tell them a word,
for the papers against u.s." Finally, some
one suggested that if the newspapers we're given
information there would be less msrepresenta-
ton. and several of the members presen admit
ted that Was William J. Hugo. who pre-
sided. andfFsB. Alley, the secretary. were will
ing TO tell all the news that they could make
public, bus they said some things were done
that were net to be made known yet The joint
convention was for the purpose of discussing
the situation here and determining what
should be done Mr.. Bixler addressed the meet
and asked for whatever assurance the
joint brefherhoods deemed advisable
The engineers said that after great deal of
discussion they ina lily decided that their going
out, well as such action on the part of the
1 firemen, would depend upon what the Indianap-
oils roads did in regard handling O., B. & @.
freight. The boycott against that road was
join ed and it as decided that in any local
road handled its freight the men should be called
off. In accordance with this action grievance
committee was appointed, whose duty it will be
to ascertain what roads, it any, handling
90 freight and order out the men whenever it
is deemed necessafy Quite number Of
lutions were adopted, but the only given to
the press wasth following. introduced by T. B.
Alley:
Whereas, our brothers lately employed on the O.,
and the C., B. & @. Railroad Company refuse to
arbtrate compromise their grievances upon basis
of equality and Justice; therefore be it
Resolved by the members of Division No. IL Broth
erhood of Locomotive Engineers, and Lodge No. IA,
Brotherhood tdocomotive flremen IN joint conven-
ton assernbied that do hereby pledge our unquali
fed support morally and financially in the great struR-
gle now being waged against members, and that
will stand by them to the end; and be it further
Resolved, That we have unbounded confidence in
r NJ Arthur grand chief and r. T. Sargent, grand
master of the Brotherhoods of Locomotive Engineers
and FIrefnen respectively and we CONNIE nd them
ton to the
M. Bixler said he was highly pleased with
the support the Indianapolis engineers and fre- |
When asked what he thought the prospects
were for strike here he said it all depended on
she managers of the roads. If the roads will |
refuse to handle any c.. B. s. @. freight" said |
he ''there will be no strike. If they do handle |
she freight the men will be called out A gen. |
eral boycott offrhe c., B. d O. has been de- |
clared. Al roads that refuse to join it may ex-
pect strike. Meetings were held in all the |
cities today that have roads handling 20" |
freight and tha ignt is A union meet |
ing was held at Terre Haute to-day, and 1t viii |
perhaps take some important action. We mean |
that no c., B. g. O. freight at all shall be |
hauled. and even the hauling of one car will co.,
stitute cause for a grievance"
In reference toothe outcome of the Chicago /
strike. MIR. Bixler said he had no doubt but that /
the would win it. ..Ths majority of the |
reports that have been sent out about the c., B. |
& @. road getting along all right are untrue"
said ne The truth is, the road cannot afford |
to hold out much longer It is true that they |
have good many trains running, but, with the |
present incompetent force of men ths rolling /
stock of the road will be rnined in short time. /
have been ont getting estimate OF the /
amount of property destroyed by the iucompe
tent men. and have already list OF eleven |
locomotives that have been made worthless. |
The road never can win the strike To do it |
they will have TO wreck the Brotherhoods of
Locomotive Engineers and Firemen, and they |
caynot do that
An engineer who attended the meeting stated /
AmxN