Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-03-19
THU STRIKE
on THE WESTERN RAILROADS.

KANSAS CITY, Mo-, March 1.-THE
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers is
evidently in desperate straits.
They now realize that they must use
every means to save themselves
Chairman Carroll, Of the Union Griev-
ance Committee, admitted this morning
that the reports which he gave to the As
sociated Press reporter yesterday were I'M
true and had been given simply to create q
scare throughout the United States. There
was no truth in the statement that the
roads would be called out on each day.
This morning there was a large defec-
ton from the Santa Fe strikers, which
was the result of a warm fight in a session
of the committee held last night. At a
meeting sixteen of the engineers announced
their intention of going back to work to-
day ON the Santa Fe. At this writing
there is a great stir among the engineers,
and for the first time since The beginning
of the strike, the members of the commit
tee are ont ~amopgthe men pleading their
cause.
The Usage City train, which is due to
leave at 9:55 a. NJ, still stands on the
track, while Engineer Chick receives the
attention of the strikers until lie is full of
enthusiasm for the order. Then he re-
ceives a visit from the officials of the road
aud concludes TO go out. at present he Is
in the hands Of the engineers.
No. 8; which was to have gone out at
1910, is on the side track preparatory to a
start, and from the length of the train
thirteen coaches, it is evident that the
road intends to make to make 1t answer
the purpose of the trains Nos. } and 5.
Just now the impression is gaining ground
that the men on the Santa Fe will be back
TO work before six o'clock tonight.
J. w. Lewis. of the Chicago and Alton,
SAWS he has received forty cars OF freight
from the Burlington and they will remain
on the sidetracks Of the road until after B
o'clock tonight, when he will see whether
they will handle them or not.
In talking with several Of the Gulf en-
g~ineers, it was discovered that Chairman
Hitchkins is between two fires. The men
do not want to strike and strongly protest
against such action, while the Union Grley-
ance Committee are as strong in the I'M
portunities for him to order the men OIL
their engines. The matter Of a strike on
the Gull, therefore, is simply a matter OF
the relative strength Of the Union Griev-
ance Committee and the body Of engineers
on the road.
1t has been definitely as~centained that
the Union Grievance Committee now have
men among the brakemen on all the roads
endeayoring to get a strike in that order,
but, while the brskemen profess friendship
for the engineers, they say that they called
on the Brotherhood for assistance in their
last strike and failed to meet with o re-
Spouse; in consequence of this they are not
very anxious to aid the engineers now.
The Fl. Scott and Gulf trains were all
moving promptly and with regularity this
morning. .
The train on the Southern Kansas went
out at HOS with a non-Brotherhood engi-
neer.
Chairman Carroll, speaking in regard to
published reports OF the financial strength
of the Brotherhood, says: 1.-THE papers
are trying to make Us out "a being very
poor, but the fact is we can stand as large
a drain az any railroad and then not be
hurt. 1t is true there is about $500, 600 in
the contingent fund, but in addition to
that we have a building fund in our treas
ury amounting to $3.50, 000, which we
have been accommodating for years for the
purpose of erecting buildings for the
order. This can be used to pay the
expenses of the strike if necessary.
Now, in addition to these funds, amount
ing TO $3.50, 900, we have a widows and
orphans fund, which we will not touch.
There are 81, 500 members in good stand
ing, and each Of them could quit work for
six months and go on a pleasure trip, If he
wanted to, and not be financially embar-
raised by it. Each of the men can put up
800 at a moments notice, if it is neces-
sary, ard you can zee we would then have
49, $40, 600 for q fighting capital. At least
rs per cent of the engineers to-day in SER
vice have homes and u have q competence
laid by, so you see we are not quite in 20
bad a fighting trim as some people would
be glad to believe.