The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-03-06
NO WHEELS ROLLING.
The Great Strike on the Chicago,
Burlington and Quincy.

ance. The carly morning mail Tram hau lelt
on time, and switch engines were Mt WORK
One engineer took switch train to the Chi
cago and Atlantic junction shortly before
O'Clock. He said lie had heard nothing OF the
order 10 strike, and that he would certainly
take his train to the junction and run his en-
zine back TO the roundhouse. Other engineers
OF switch engines also said they had not been
ordered 10 strike. Just before the timo
appointed for the strike, Tranmaster s. L.
Pope issued an order that no trains should be
moved west of Chicago. This was taken by
the few trainmen in the yards AZ a confession
that the company had secured no men worth
mentioning, and that the road would in a mo-
ment more be practically tied up.
At 4 O'Clock, precisely, switch engine No.
ei1 went into the Western Avenue round
house Three others soon followed it, and the
engineers and hremeu quit work. The strlko
was on in earnest The strike promises TO be
the most remarkable ever known for IN II the
strongest single labor organization in existence
has been pitched against the largest railroad
corporation in the west. and one OF the great
est in mileage and wealth in the world. Should
the strike long continue, II is probable that, III
addition to 400 men directly involved, n great
majority of II 900 employees Of the company
will be thrown out of work, 5000 members of
the engineers brotherhood through
out the country will DO called upon
TO contribute of their savings and tho indus
tries of vast section Of country tributary to
the road subjected to partial paralysis. The
far-reaching effects of the strike can be infer
red from the fact the road has six thousand
miles OF main and leased lines, Eridironing the
states OF Illinois Iowa, Missouri and kebras-
ka. From Chicago it reaches TO Denver, over
1000 miles away, and Cheyenne, Wyoming.
equally as far Minneapolis to the north, and
st. Louis to the south are within its reach, the
territory of an empire.
The financial loss Of tho company by the
strike is subject to curious comment. In or
binary times the gross earnings of tho road
range from $1,000, 600 TO S3,000,000 n month,
but owing to the rate war in progress for some
time past among western railroads a large pro-
portion Of the Burlington's business has been
done at an actual loss. Whether tho margin
OF profit on the remainder of the traffic. taken
as a whole, was SO small as TO make tho strike
almost a boon to the company, officials proba-
bly, alone know. 1t is point that seems to
have escaped close attention by the engineers,
and one which, taken in connection with the
hostility Of the Knights of Labor, may provo a
fatal weakness to the strike.
A couple Of suburban trains we're the only
ones TO ccme in over the burlington road this
morning. Master Mechanic Rowland was in
charge OF one engine and Superintendent Rinth
ran the other.
The Burlington is tho only road that has
access into the lumber district The situation
there is critical, the tracks are full of cars
loaded with lumber ready for shipment, and
cannot be removed, and no foreign engine will
road consented to pull them. Men who arc in
sympathy with the strikers will not work.
PlrTsBUHG, February 2S.-Agents of the
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy system, it
appears have been successful in securing
number Of engineers and iremen in the east.
This morning car load OF fifty men passed
through the city en- route to Chicago TO take
the places Of the strikers Tie party was in
charge of well-dressed man, who refused TO
give his name. but admitted that the men were
Chicago q
lington and Quincy road. AS far MS he knew
they were not knights of Labor, al
though members of that organization might
be found in tho party.
r. Is. Barry, member of tho executive
board of KnigtW of Labor, is in city. When
asked concerning the published report that
Reading railroad knights are going to Chicago
10 take the places of striking members of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, he
said:
There is no foundation for this report, not
withstauding tho fact that members of the
Engineers Brotherhood are "scabbing" in
places of the knights of Labor strikers Tho
Reading knights of Labor have never
''scabbed," as charged by the brotherhood and
have no thought of doing so now, Every
time, however, that the brotherhood has had n
chance, they have 'scabbed'' on the Knights
of Labor, notably, in the southwest and Read
ing strikes"
PmLApELPuIA, February 2S.-E. ID. Ward
who has been in this city for the past few days,
has examined and engaged forty-seven en-
gineers and eighty firemen to go TO Chicago
FOR service ON the Chicago, Burlington and
Quincy road.
William Forsyth, mechanical engineer a
the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy system,
reached this city this evening, and during a
three days stay will make his headquarters nj
the Continental hotel. Ho will personally
take charge of the examinations of applicants
FOR positions, beginning his work with an ex-
animation OF twenty tonight. In the corodors
OF the Continental tonight there were between
100 and lI0 men waiting for instructions from
tho companys agent, Thirty of these came
from Pottsyillo aud they report seventy-tive
Others waiting at that point for orders. APP
pliCantSwill berequired TO come TO Philadelphia
for examination before being accepted Mr.
Forsyth said 10 q reporter tonight:
I'VE shall pay the engineers 81 and the fire.
men SD per day during the strike and after
that the regular schedule rates will be paid.
The company furnishes transportation and
necessary living expenses duriug.he Journey"
remainder fremen, Included among the
number was Bernard !. Sharkey, James
Gleason and Frank Mccall, members of the
central committee OF the Reading railroad
strikers, each of whom declared that they
We're acting individually and had made appli-
cation to the burlington company's agent for
positions and had been accepted. Sharkey
said that fully two hundred men Of this city
and an equal number from points along the
limo had expressed desire to 20 10 Chicago
PrrSBuRG, February 2a.--Fiyo carloads of
engineers and fircmen passed through the city
this morning en- route TO Chicago. There was
two hundred In the party, and they were
nearly all knights of Labor and mostly former
employees of the Reading road. They were
fne-looking body of men. In an interview
one of them said:
The statement that has been published of
there being three hundred knights Of Labor
engineers out ON the Reading is correct The
balance are 70 follow us. Brotherhood en-
gnoers are filling every place. You see this
party? How can YOU blame us for going to
work on the Burlington system? We are not
going rs knights of Labor, but as individuals
Every man in the party is an experienced en-
gineer, and each Of us has with him his fire
man, so that the question cannot DO raised as
TO whether we are competent to take the places
Of the strikers. We are compelled 10 make
this move. We could get work nj no place
else. IL is a question of home and family with
us. On the Reading road the brotherhood
jumped IN and assisted the company To defeat
us, and we now so TO Chicago to take the
places OF their own men There ARE three
thousand six hundred men who were in Read
Ing, who may all SO TO Chicago" Officers Of
the brotherhood now admit that nothing salts
factory will come OF their order 10 the engi-
neers and nromen Of the Reading road to Quit
work, and dispatches from the east this morn