St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-03-18
Minneapolis Engineers Re-
fuse to Handle Burlington
Cars in the Yard.
The Manitoba and Northern
Pacific Men Inaugurate the
First Local Strike.
A General Strike Threatened
Unless 60" Cars Are Sc
verely Let Alone.
Indications That the Strike
Will Become Very Seri-
Gus Tonight.

The first real result of the great rail-
road strike fell upon Minneapolis yes
terday through the Manitoba and North
ern Pacific roads. Not pound of Man.
itoba freight left Minneapolis after the
noon hour, and it appears the trouble is
merely in its incipiency. The Manitoba
has contract for switching all 20"
freight between Minneapolis, st. Paul
and the transfer, and notification was
given some time ago that the brother
hood would handle no "Q' cars under
any circumstances. The Minneapolis
& Manitoba claimed it was compelled
to handle the cars under its contract,
which would be readily enforced
through the courts, but the engineers
held to the contrary. The Minneapolis
& Manitoba continued to handle
the prescribed cars and yester-
day the switch engineers of the
brotherhood left their engines. There
are more engines used in switching
through the Manitoba yards, four on
the East side and five on the West, one
of them hauling the trains to the trans
fer. Early yesterday MOI ning two or
three of the engineers failed to appear
for duty, alleging sickness, according
to the company, though this is denied
by the brotherhood. At l o'clock the
entire day force of eighteen men, en-
gineers and firemen, left their engines
and the yards were deserted. Later in
the day the trouble crept into the
Northern Pacific yards, and at dusk not
a switch engine was in motion. In the
afternoon meeting of the brotherhood
was held, but the engineers declined
to give out the results.
Last night GLOBE reporters made the
tour of the various yards and stations
and gathered the fullest ideas of the
situation. At the union depot not an
official could be found who would open
his mouth, while nearly the same state
of affairs existed in the yards. An of
fetal at the round house said the night
force was at work, but it was learned
that but two engines were switching,
both of them by foremen. The regular
freights to the transfer we're not started,
and not pound Of Manitoba freight
left the city.
At the Northern Pacific there was
nothing like formal strike, the men
leaving their engines, but claiming only
to be tired. They use three engines by
day and two by night, the day men leav-
ing work about noon. An official at the
yards said last night that the two en-
gineS were at work, but when pressed
he gave two numbers which the re-
porter afterward saw in the round
house. Not an official of the road would
say word on the subject of the trouble
and the order had evidently lone out to
smother it as far as possible.
Tho cuitob aDUipaC on thp ATi1waOIypl
and st. Louis roads were running as
usual and the other roads handling
Minneapolis freights are not issued as
their cars In and out OF the transfer are
handled by contract by other roads.
The resorts where railroad men con-
gregate at night were all filled, last
night, with idle yard employees OF the
Minneapolis q Manitoba and Pacific
roads. They asserted that absolutely
nothing was in motion in those yards,
no matter what was said by officials.
At the transfer there was no trouble.
The men remarked that the customary
Minneapolis & Manitoba freights did
not arrive. Twenty-seven cars of Q.
freight are stationed on the back tracks,
and Supt. Hastings has sent down many
imperative messages, but the men re-
fused TO move them.
The difficulty has thus far been con-
fined to the switch engineers, but there
is strong probability of a general
strike among the brotherhood if the
order to handle @. cars is not rescinded.
At the meeting yesterday the men were
very quiet, but very firm, and at a meet
ing to be held to-day decisive action will
probably be taken. It was said last
night that the engineers were united,
and that general stoppage of trains
would result unless Q. cars were let
severely alone.