Huntsville gazette., 1888-03-10
THE 80" STRIKE.

! Meeting of the Chairmen of the Grievance
Committees in Chicago-The Sensation of
the Day-Thc co. Off, iaI Don't Think
Much of 1.-THE Company Say They are
Out of the Woods and More Men Com
ing.
CHICAGO, March 6-The main interest
IN the Burlington strike yesterday GEN.
tered around the Grand Pacific. Here, in
one OF the spacious parlors on the first
fioor, the chairmen of the grievance COM
mittees of a dozen or more important
railways, the names of which have al
ready been given in these dispatches,
were in close conference. It was fine
looking body of men grave, dignified of
demeanor and in large measure gray
haired. The doors of the parlor and of
the rooms adjoining (toe latter being oc.
cupied by Chiefs Arthur and Sargeant)
were locked from the inside, and sentinels
stood guard at the outer portals.
The conference began at ten O'Clock,
and, with brief intermissions, sat until
p. m.-ten hours after the commencement.
Before the proceedings opened each del
egate was pledged to absolute and unqal-
flied secresy and during the recess they
were as dumb as oysters. From time to
time, however, loud voices could be heard
"AohAh ohO ChdiuDct. anu ~ was OfAoOuo
that the subject matter of the conference
was being discussed in a style of decided
anima tion.
The sensation of the day was the news
that resolution had been offered in the
House of Representatives at Washington
for the appointment of a special commit
tee to investigate the trouble and to act as
mediator between the company and its
ex-employes. When this was read in the
meeting, it was received with prolonged
| clapping of hands and stamping of feet
Then it formed the subject Of a private
conference between Messrs. Arthur and
Sergeant and later the latter, speaking
for both said:
you can say for us that we are per-
fectly satisfied and ready that any COM
mittee composed of practical railroad
men shall examine and pass upon our
demands at any time. We have been at
| all times ready to meet the officials of the
company and settle our grievances in an
| amicable manner. We are not asking for
| our men any more than is paid by other
lines running into Chicago. We are per-
fectly willing to have House committee
examine the matter and see if they can
| bring about an agreement. This strike
was not of our seeking, but we know that
| the demands of our men are just, and we
can readily convince any intelligent body
| of men of the fact 1t the Burlington
officials would but accede to our de-
mands, which are three and one-half
cents per mile passenger service, and four
cents per milo freight service and sixty
per cent. of the above for the fremen,
every wheel on the system would be turn
| ing within twelve hours"
81 indorse every word of that" re-
| marked Chief Arthur who was sitting
within earshot.
None of the high officials of the Bur-
| lington who could be found last evening
were willing to discuss the Congressional
proposition. 1t is understood upon good
authority, however, that it is hardly like
ly to be regarded with favor even if it
| meets the approval of the committee on
commerce, and is adopted by the House.
The company will in all probability take
the ground that so far as it is concerned
no strike is in existence; that it has all
the men it needs; that its new employees
have been brought g from afar upon
pledges of continuous employment; that
it is bound in honor to fulfil such guaran-
tees; that it would therefore be innI>osSf-
bIe under any tarr,,s- II SeO1iemenO "
+ai. mo strikers back in a body, and that
the best it could do would be to give en-
ployment to a limited number Of men.
In this view of the matter it will readily
be seen that both the proposed inves tiga-
ton and the effort toward mediation
would prove little more t han farce.
The officers of the 90" were in decid-
edly cheerful mood yesterday, quite as
cheerful, in fact, as the band of strikers
that gathered at the hall on Fourteenth
street, though, unlike the latter, they
didn't make the roof ring with "Rally
Round the Flag, Boys" "John Browns
Body" "Sap, Bang Here We Are Again.
and siml ar inspiring melodies.
General Passenger Agent Norton who
presided at the usual three o'clock con-
versa zione of the press contingent, said
that the company was out Of the woods
for good and all; the pas assenger trains were
all running upon schedule time, and the
freight traffic had about resumed
its normal condition. Forty five crews
had been sent out on Sunday; fifteen
more yesterday, and with the men al.
ready in town, and waiting to be exam
ined, they had enough to take the place
of every striker.
Dispatches from Eas tern points state
that still more men are on the way, and
these would be placed at the disposal of
the Chicago, Burlington & Northern in the
event of trouble upon that system The
report that the switchmen and brakemen
CONTEMPLATED striking in order to demon
strate their sympathy with the Brother
hoods was, he said, en- ntirely without foun-
dation. When the switchmen struck,
they tried their hardest to get the engi-
neers to help the m, but they only got
laughed at for their pains; hence it was
very unlikely that they would now turn
around and take a hand in the present
trouble.
Late yesterday afternoon General
Freight Agent Riplay, after conference
with General Manager Stone, issued the
following, which was sent out last night
to all the large shippers in the city:
f NOTICE TO SHIPPERS.
"The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
will tomorrow (Tuesday) receive all
freight, carloads or less, destined to sta
tions on the lines of the Chicago Burling-
ton & Quincy, Chicago & Iowa, Hannibal
& ST. Joseph, st. Louis, Keokuk &, North
western, Chicago, Burlington & Kansas