River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-03-01
IN DEAD EARNEST.

IN DEAD EARNEST.
/ Progress of the BurIinston's Big strike
Nearly Eys-y One of Its Engineers and
FiIemen Quit Their Posts-very Few
! Trains Running, and Traffic of All Kinds
/ Almost Suspended.
| CHICAGO, Feb 2S-The Chicago. Burling-
ton q Quincy engine men went out at 4
O'Clock a IN. yesterday. All freight traffic
was suspended The passenger trains were
handled as far as possible by the railroad
officials Neither side offered to make con-
eessions All freight-handlers were laid of
until the strike is concluded few new
men were taken on by the company. Both
sides are confident of victory. The Broth
erhoOd held a meeting and Endorsed the ae-
ton OF Mr. Arthur
Aside from the incidents necessarily at
tending the strike of :. 900 men and the
stoppage Of traffic on a great railway sys-
tenn nothing sensational occurred yester-
day. The round-houses. stations and yards
OF the company along the road We're filed
with curious people. The engines out
when the strike hour o'clock a NJ
arrived were run into their stalls and aban-
eaoned The entire force of engineers and
trenen complied with the order of the
Brotherhood, During the day Chief Arthur
received kilograms from Aurora Galesburp
Burlington, Keokuk and Lincoln saving
the men " ere all firm and all out Commit
tees at the points at the ends of divisions
were Offering applicants the same pay
not to work that The company proposed to
give them TO take the places of strikers
This plan was not resorted to until argu-
ment failed The officers of the Brother
hood were content and cool They de-
clined TO make any predictions concerning
the outcome of the strike. 1t was in its in
ception, and guesses were rash. On the
company's side il was claimed that all the
trains would be running within a week.
Tie company ran four suburban trains of
the seventeen usually engaged by the
country residents No through trains
were run and freight traffic was sus-
pended Perishable freight was abso-
lutely refused and other freight accepted
subject to delay The freight-handlers.
conductors, switchmen and other employees
who had to quit work for want of it ac-
cepted the situation in the best manner
possible The brakemen and switchmen
are said to be loyal to the strikers; the con-
conductors and freightmen to the COM
pany. The few trains run were in the hands
OF master mechanics and shop foremen.
The Knights of Labor at some points
sought work of the company, but no re-
taliatory measures of a general character
were inaug lrated Only about $50 Read
ing Knights are out, it is said, and the local
leaders of the order thought few of these
would come to Chicago.
An accident occurred at Naperville, a few
miles west OF this city The official report
of the affair is as follows:
'Train No. 9 at O'Clock to-day was short OF
steam at Naperville. and the engine was run
by G. +. Geyre, general foreman OF the shop at
Aurora. They cut on to run ahead TO get up
steam, and coming back to couple on the train
they were in too much of hurry, and were
going down hill, and did not check
the engine from striking the train. En-
gineer Geyre had his nose cut, and Fireman
Parsons was cut on shoulder and legs. George
Clark, mail clerk face cut and back injured.
William Stenson, mail clerk, ankle injured. J.
7. Durkin, mail clerk, knee bruised. T. Foster,
employe, Aurora, arm scratched and knee
bruised
At meeting of the District Assembly "a,
Knights of Labor, last night, resolutions
were adopted relative to the attitude of the
Knights of Labor toward the Chicago,
Burlington 4 Quincy strikers After
Ieciting the fact that many rumors
had been circulated regarding the willing
ness of the Knights to aid the road in retail
iation for supposed grievances against the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. the
document protests in the name of District
Assembly "a. Knights of Labor, against any
Knights assisting the road in any way, and
calls upon the order generally to refrain
from joining hands with that great corpora
ton
AURORA. Ill, Feb. 2S.-Promptly at 4
o'clock yesterday morning every member
OF the Brotherhoods of Engineers and Fire
men connected with the Chicago, Burling-
ton Quincy system at Aurora packed
up his traps, ran his engine TO the
round-house and quietly walked
home. Every ten or fifteen minutes an
engine with few cars went flying past the
depot and as soon as possible the engine
was run to the round-house turned over to
the hostler, and from that moment the en-
gineer and fireman ceased their connection
with the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy sys-
tenn
The Chicago fast mail arrived a few
minutes after o'clock The engine crew
always changes here, and at the appointed
time one of the Brotherhood engineers and
a trusted fireman ran an engine out, at
tached it to Uncle SANS freight. and sped
away with hearty cheers from his brother
engineers
No interference whatever was offered to
the manning of the two or three trains
which left here yesterday.
GALEsBURG, Ill, Feb. 2S-The strike o
the Burlington road here was complete
only three engineers here remaining at
work BY the aid of the division officials
six trains out of sixty were manned and
sent out from this point Seven hundred
men are idle-engineers, tremen and yard
men who are laid off-but the best order is
pr served
ST LOUIS, Feb. 2S.-Every engineer and
fireman on the Burlington here quit yes
terday morning Not a pound of freight
was moved ON the road : this point and
freight is being billed at the office, but it
trains are running as usual to and from st
Louis.
OMAHA, Neb., Feb Is Every thing is at
a standstill in the Burlington yards here.
Three passenger trains and many freights
are stalled at McCOok with no prospect of
securing enginemen to man them
DETROIT, Mich, Feb 2S.-Samuel Com
pers, president of the American Federation
OF Labor, was asked yesterday what action
his order would take if any, in the Bur
lington strike 3 We will take some ac-
ton, but what it will be 1 can not dis
cuss. 1t will not be antagonistic to
the Brotherhood, you may be sure do
not uphold the action of the Reading
Knights in taking the places of the Burling-
ton strikers out of revenge Il is bad poll
cy, and will only help the railroads The
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers is
an excellent organization, although = has
done wrong in isOlating itself on labor mat
tiers In their present strike the trades
unions are with them"
A Of