The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-25
The Officers of the Road Say the Embar-
raSsment Will Be Only Temporary,
And the Places of the Strikers Can Be Easily
Filled if II Becomes Necessary-Interview
with Grand Master Monaghan.

| any no ice whatever to the road. The switch
men at Aurora, H.. also stopped work, but that
was the only outside point affected as far as the
company knew up to o'clock this morning
The officials decided, however, to move no
freight at all until this second strike is settled
and, with the exception of the live stock trains
in transit freight is moving. Passenger
trains are running as usual The company has
| received notice at all from the switehmen
| and no grievance has yet been presented or de-
| mand made upon them by the Switcamen's
Union. Late yesterday afternoon minors
| OF the contem plated strike in cir
| culation around the Burlington headquarters,
but careful investigation failed to reveal any
| thing definite. Some of the switchmea told
| General Superintendent Besser that no strike
was contemp plated. but others said thai they
were tired of working with Incompetent engin-
| GERS. The railway officials claim that this rea-
| son is the merest pretense, as since the new en-
| Rineers have been at work not "a finger has
! been pinched or coupling bar broken" as one
| of them put it this morning In the yards this
morning and around the Brotherhood headquar-
tiers it was common gossip that the swltthmen
had been taken into the fold of She Brpther-
hood in consideration of their going ont on
strike. It has been intimated, ever since Judge
Gresham's decision in the Wabash case that
the switchmen would take this step. Tie of
icials of their association have been very anx-
ions from the beginning of the strike trouble
that the Brotherhood of engineers should take
them into their councils and place them on an
equal footing. as thew have done with the fire.
men, but the engineers seemed loath to do it,
and gave reason that when strikes occurred
among the switchmeE 1t not long before
coupling pins were flying through the air. and
not long after that that the militia military
were called out 1t would seem that the two
organizations have finally come to terms. The
Burlington officials evidently have some hope
that they may reach some sort of agreement
with the switchmen during the day for they
will do nothing until Monday towards filing
the vacant places. It is stated that con7
mittee from the Swtchmen's Union will visit the
general superin tendent to-day. and until that
conference is ended, at least, nothing will be
done.
t'It simply puts us back for day or So" said.
General Passenger Agent Morton, who had just
come from conference with General Manager.
Stone and other officials. when. by re-.
porter, 'there will be difficulty whatever in.
filing the mems places if that is found neces-:
sary. TIE men have no grievance. nor do theys
pretend to have any, as far as have heard; butt
ply striking out of symDathy with the.
engineers. Their sympathy comes little late.
however, and cannot seriously affect US for any
length of time"
There are about two hundred switchme1 en-
poyed by the Burlington here, and two or three
hundred at other points along the line, that,
in all, about FIVE hundred men are involved.
The strike is not because of the pay. The men
object to working on an engine not handled by
Brotherhood man. AS of them put it this
morning: 81 don't throw another switch for a
non brotherhood man, and no man can make
me-"
is that the officials of the road will order them
to in and help out with the switching. The
general opinion that in case such demand
should be made them the brakemen would
strike from end of the system to the other
rather than do the work of the striking switch
men. It is thought that as fast as the grievance
to- hni all zvvifch h.
men between this point and Denver will quit
Chief Arthur was in a calm, peaceful frame of
mind this morning, as he glanced at the morn
inc papers in the parlors of the grand Pacific.
The Information that he was able to give in re-
gard 70 the new phase developed in the strike
of the switchmen this morning was not great,
however.
''The switchmen on the 60 have gone out"
suggested the reporter.
$50 see by the morning papers," replied the
Chief.
Have negotiations between the engineers
ard switchmen been under way to attain this
endw
"No. sir"
''Why did the switchmen go out2"
CHATS their business, not ours: we have had
do we intend to. The Brotherhood will attend
to its own affairs and will not presume to med
die with those of other ORGANIZATIONS"
whats the condition of the strike at the
presen. tme?"
1.-The men won't give in. ana the company say
that they will not That's the way it stands"
''Yes, from the reports that come to u.s."
''Do you know anything about the brakemen
going out to-dayW
mo, know nothing about it,"
Chairman Hoge and a number of friends
in the adjoining room discussing the situation.
When asked about the strike of the switchmeu
he replied that he did not know why they had
gone out. Others present said that Ii was be-
cause the men were afraid work with the en-
gineers. They said the men were afraid to risk
their lives IN working with the men the 20" was
employing. They cited accident which oc-
Cured to three engines at Aurora yesterday,
in which they all came together with a crash
and all of the engines were disabled They said
that the action the result of no plan or
scheme between ahe two organizations what
ever. that they had been entirely successful
from the fact that none of their men had gone
back to work, and as long as the men stood out
and remained firm they would consider
the mselves beaten. The %" was not doing 80 |
per cent. OF its usual business.
The chairman who presided over the switch
mems mass meeting at Turner Hall last night |
gave the following particulars concerning the |
strike: Forty switch engines are tied up, which |
leaves 120 swltchmen out We will not leopard |
ize lives. Why, half of the engineers |
don't know any more about an engine than the I
men who never saw The company's of |
fcials say that fingers have been smashed |
or bones broken. Why there have been three |
or four of the boys laid up already. This strike
was not ordered by the switchmens union We
struck in order to preserve ourselves cannot /
tell you anything that occurred at last nights
meeting. and do not know when will meet
again. The executive committee will call the
NEE ting"
How do you intend to approach the compsny
on this matrerl
I'VE will ask the officials to place reliable and
com petent the engines.
do you think the company will come TO en-
i'm mediate settlenentl
Il do not as the company are determined to
keep their employees under thsir thumb
So far as known, Galesburg is the only point
outside of Chicago where the switchmen have
struck.
All the leaders OF the engineers. we'll the
switch men who strike on the Burlington,
deny that the strike of the switehmen
ganized in pursuance of agreement among
them They ansiap that it is spontaneous and
the independent act of the strikers. President
Monahan, OF the switchmens national orPaniza-
ton. said this afternoon;
the reason why the switchmsn struck is
simply that tney do not want run any
necessary risks. The trade of switchman is
H..