Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-02-28
THE GREAT STRIKE
ON THE CHICAGO, BURLINGTON AND
QUINCY SYSTEM.
ALI the Trains Abandoned-A Rush Of Applicants for
the Vacant Placss-Knights Of Labor
10 Remain Nsltral-PJw-
derly in Chicago.

10 Remain Nsptral-PJw-
dsrly in Chicago.
CHICAGO, February 27.--The Burling-
ton strike ia on in earnest.
A few minutes before four o'clock this
morning, the Chicago, Burlington and
Quincy yards at Canal and Sixteenth
streets presented their usual appearance.
The early morning mail train had left on
time and the switch engines were at work.
One engineer took q switch trash to the
Chicago and Atlantic junction shortly be-
fore three o'clock. He said he had heard
nothing of an order to strike and that he
would certainly take his train to the juno
ton and run the engine back to the
roun6house. Other engineers of switch
engines also said they had not been ordered
to strike. At 800 o'clock there Was the
ustisl movssnsAt OF care at tdefrelght ana
switching station at Nineteenth street and
Western avenue, where cars for the east
and the stockyards are handled.
Just before the time appinted for the
strike, Trainmaster S. T. Pope issued an
order that no trains should be moved west
of Chicago. This was taken by the feT
trsinmen in the yards as a confession that
the company had secured no men worth
mentioning and that the road would in
moment more be tied up. At 4 o'clock
precisely, switch engine No. 447 went into
the Western avenue rOundh0use. Three
others soon followed it, and the engin-
eers and fiyeinen quit work. The strike
was on.
OFFICIALS IN THE CABS.
The thousands of regular patrons Of the
suburban trains-which for years have been
an important and remunerative adjunct
Of the Burlington system-were greeiiyin-
convenienced this morning. Seventeen
round trips have been made daily between
the Union Depot and Dowsers Grove 'ne
terminal point of saDurban trainc' 10
addition 10 this our accommodation trains
are run between Chicago and Aurora, car
ryipc a immense number of passengers
A couple of suburban trains were the only
ones to come over the road this morning.
Master Mechanic Rowland was in charge
of one engine and Superintendent Rlnth
ran the other. After the arrival OF these
trains, the depot master said he did not
expect another suburban train before noon,
as there was no engineer and fireman to
man one, and until the General Superin-
tendent could secure some engineers and
fremen he was unable to say whether there
would be another train in during the day.
The only train that left the depot up to
10 o'clock this morning was the fast mail,
which departed at 3o'clock and was man
ned by the regular engineer and fireman
from the Brotherhood.
At an early hour this morning the great
huilding at the corner of Adams and
franklin streets, occupied by the Burling-
ton Company, was beseiged By large
number Of Inen, whose objective point
seemed to be the Office Of the General Su-
perinteudent, and their mission TO secure
employ ment rs engineers in place of the
strikers. At 10 O'Clock, when the reporter
left the building, not less thaa fifty men
were gathered in the corridors awaiting
their tara for 40 itcryisw. Ii WAS report
ed that the fast train which left Chicago
at $50 las. night would be tied mp al
Creston, Iowa, on its way to Omaha. that
| st,-io, h..iES ihs end Ci division. At
the Burlington office, however, nothing
had been head Of the matter, and it Is
supposed that the train went through to
its destination.
TEMPER OF THE STRIKE.
The best OF order prevails among the
striking engineers aud firemen, aud they
seem confident Of victory. An engineer
who has grown gray in the service OF the
company, in reply to the question, what
particular mode of wal fare viii! the Brother
hood ad0pt?" replied: 'In tho first place,
we propose to ask all new men who are
put in our places to give up the job. II
that does not influence them then We will
offer them the same wages as the road pays,
or, if necessary, more. If money is what
the new men want We will pay them just
as much as the railroad vii. pay"
"And if that does not fetch 'em," inter
rupted fireman, Il guess we can get a
yoke of oxen and rope and drag them ont
of their box"
Shut up there, will you," commanded
j the veteran, who seemed to be the spokes-
man for the crowd. I'VE don't propose to
drag anybody ont OF his cab; but the nom
unionist who runs my engine will find that
he will be Loycotted everywhere be goes.
None Of the boarding houses where Broth
erhood men are boarding viii feed them,
and they can't get any liquor from saloors
where we drink. If they can tiud any
place In Aurora where they can boy any
thing or where they can sleep, don't
know where ii is. The railroad will
have to furnish them with tents and buy
grub here in Chicago and take il out there.
The brakemen ssy they won't brake for
those who take our places, and the switch.
men swear they won't switch track as
long as such meu run over the line. On,
we mean business, and the railroad people
will find it out before we get through with
them. Not only that, but if any of the
other roads 90 to furnishing the Chcago,
Burlington and Quincy with engineers and
fremsn, they, too, will have strike on
their hands"
ALL OUT BUT ONE ENGINEER.
I'VE are Just about where we expected
to be" said General Manager Stone, Of the
Burlington, when asked what the situs-
ton was on his line. ave brought in all
our suburban passengers pretty much as
usual. Our principal train, the one which
brings in most OF the business mel aud
clerks, was only ten minutes late. The
engineer aad fremen on these trains were
drawn from our force Of mechanics, yaTd
foremen, etc. Each train was manned
with double force of brakemsn and con-
duetcrs, so that if any difficulties were en-
countered, we should have plenty OF help
We shall endesvor TO run at least four
suburban trains day."
ibid every one Of your l 600 fremen
and engineers striker" asked the reporter.
''Yes, sll but one man, an engineer near
Galesburg."
What was the matter with him."
Nothing. Napoleon used to say that
two O'Clock courage was rare thing. l
guess four O'Clock courage is equally
unique. There are doubtless number OF
other engineers among our ex-smployes
who do not belong to the Brotherheoi
and who did not wish to strike, but they
lacked four o'clock cours9e y
I TRAINS ABANDONED.
''Not the slightest trouble has been re-
ported from any point so far and ! do not
anticipate any violence or obstruction from
any source. The strikers did not brins
their engines through TO the!end of theil
runs, bat left them at the nearest point
when 4 o'clock came. Thus, all our pas