Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-03-17

stock and fruit lt cannot be moved,
and il the strike continues any length OF
time the company will be liable for the
whole amount. In addition 70 this, there
are over !, 100 carloads of merchandise
tied up on the various divisions. II IS
stated by officers of the company that
they will make every effort to find en-
gineers and firemen with which to move
this freight and get it to its destination.
They believe that traffic will be resumed
within few days.
A union meeting OF engineers and fire.
men was held last night. Nearly all the
enpine-men OF the Eastern Division OF
the Santa Fe road were present The
following statement Of the situation was
authorized TO be published
"Tho question Of the right to stop
WAS fully considered. and for the pres
ept il was unanimously agreed that as far
as We are concerned the Santa Fe man
agement having agreed that they would
not handle any % freight, the engl-
ncers and firemen knowing full well that
the Santa Fe has violated this agreement
every day for the past week, there IS
nothing left for us to do but to quit haul
ing any cars until this trouble is settled.
This is a question Of life and death with
the brotherhood of Locomotive Engi-
necrs and Firemen and they had
been fully advised that the man
agement of the different roads
connecting with the 20. are working in
an underhand manner to defeat them,
and they think in justice TO Themselves
now and the travelling public hereafter
it IS better that this matter be brough: to
a settlement At once, and have used this,
their last resort, TO bring about an equita-
bic settlement. They also desire to state
to the people Of Topeka that the manage
ment OF the Santa Fe road had been fully
warned and knew what was going TO
happen more than week ago, instead OF
thirty minutes, as was stated IN the last
evening papers.
CH1cAGo, March 16.-Chief Arthur
to-day said TO a reporter who interviewed
him concerning the Santa Fe strike {:
" 1t is altogether beyond my power to
give YOU any explanation Of this action.
/ don't understand it, The men have
not notified me, and l am completely IN
the dark.
Are you not ordinarily informed Of
such things?"
"Always-yes, sir; and this is what
makes the matter still more unintelllgl-
Die. ! don't understand it at all, re-
peated the Chief.
Don't You consider this action as
stranger"
Tits nothing less than open rebellion,
for it looks much as if either the men
were tired Of the grand officers advice
or wilfully disregarding their duties to
the laws and constitution.
"Haye the men ever acted indepen-
IDENTITY Of you or SARGENT"
Never and never have they acted
in the past rs they are acting III the
present troubles"
The following copy Of telegram sent
To ConrOe, chairman of the Atkinson
Grievance Committee, by Chief Arthur
is printed here.
"IoL C0woc, Chairman, etc.,:
at is reported here that you have
ordered the men TO quit work. Revoke IL.
Your grievance can be settled here with
Mr.. Smith, vice-president. Come to
Chicago 10y first train.
"P. NJ. ARTHUR"
The general officers of the Santa Fe
Company here express complete surprise
and say they have not handled Burllng-
ton freight.
A special from Topeka, Kan, says that
Gcneral-Manager Goddard, General
Traffic Manager White, and General
Superintendent Sands were at the Santa
Fc Office until an early hour this morn
ING and were in constant Geographic
communication with their division super
intenieuts all along the system. The
report from these superintendent was
that the men have gone out all along
the line, and business is practically sns-
pended, except for the passenger trains
which are now on the road, which will
not be stopped until they reach the end
Of the line. There are about seven hun
bred engineers and seven hundred fire.
men employed on the Santa Fe system
gnd $500 trainmen employed with them,
making 4,200 men thrown directly out
of employment.