Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-04-02
A GRAVER ASPECT.
The Strike at Chicago De-
velOps a New Phase.
THE BELT LINE INVOLVED.
A Firm Boycott Against "Q'
Freight Instituted at Kansas
City and Milwaukee.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.

CHICAGO, April 1.-The prospect Of
an immediate tie-up of the Belt line
added a graver aspect to the railroad
situation this evening than at any
time since the commencement of the
Burlington strike. Every railroad
entering Chicago depends almost
wholly upon the Belt line as means
by which an interchange Of freight is
to be conducted with any other road.
Practically every railroad track
stretching from Chicago is intercepted
by the Belt. The employees of the
latter line have all along been among
the staunchest allies of the Brother
hood, while the management OF the
Belt Company has apparently sought
as far as possible to maintain posi-
ton of so called neutrality. Affairs
assumed
A NEW PHASE,
When, some time yesterday, Presi-
dent Porter, of the Eastern Illinois
road( (which holds controlling interest
in the Belt llne), sent a strongly
worded letter to the management of
the Belt line demanding that it trans
fer cars for every railroad and indi-
vidual in the same manner, and that
any and all employees who do not
choose to do their duty be dismissed,
To-day meeting OF the Belt line eln-
ployes was held, at which the subject
was earnestly debated. 1t was cur
rently reported this evening that the
Belt men decided to stand by their
guns and see whether the company
would discharge them.
MORE TROUBLE EXPECTED.
The Burlington road to-day did
not attempt to do any switching in
their freight yards. The st. Paul
people, however, got out four freight
trains, and the suburban passenger
service was in much better shape than
Saturday. They made most strenu-
GUS efforts to keep things moving and
as result it is p' obable the strike on
the st Paul will culminate tomorrow
in a renewal Of the strike of the Pan
handle men. A train was got in read
mess SO that tomorrow an attempt
can be made to transfer st. Paul
freight to that road, and as the Pan
handle switchmen are pledged to sup
port the st. Paul men, trouble is ex-
pected.
AN ERRONEOUS RUMOR.
The reported ordering of the strike
in Chicago on the Lake Shore, Pan
handle, Alton and Santa Fe roads late
Saturday night, proves. to have been
erroneous. No such action was de-
cided on. A meeting of the st. Paul
strikers was held at night, at which
an answer is said to have been re-
ceived from General Manager Miller
to their proposition, saying they might
return to work if they chose without
handling 20" freight if they would
allow 80" engines to come into the
yards and do the work of switching.
This was repudiated by the strikers,
and
''No 90 CARS"
Was made the ultimatum. The meet
ing was very disorderly. A new feat
uro WdS ucNoiOpcu tHdt piuS AdiA W
split up the engineers and firemen
into two factions. The refusal OF the
passenger crews to quit, except on the
Evanston line, caused the trouble.
The switch engineers accused the
passenger men Of bad faith, and de
manded that they declare their in
tentions. A passenger engineer made
a speech, saying he would refuse to
join the strike, and that he spoke for
number Of others. He was assaulted
and received severe beating before
his friends could rescue him. A
majority of the engineers and firemen
are said to have favored return to
work on the terms offered by General
Manager Miller, while the switchmen
and brakemen insisted on staying out.
No conclusion was reached.