The Portland daily press., 1888-04-02
GENERAL STRIKE IMMINENT.
A Crisis in the Troubles Of the Rail-
road Men.
Chicago Belt Line Men May Settle
the Difficulties.
Prospect Of a General Tie Up by
Wednesday Morning.

CHICAGO, April 1.-The prospect of an i'm
| mediate tie up of the Belt Line has added
graver aspect to the railroad situation this
evening than at any time since the Brother
hood engineers and iremen Of the Chicago,
Burlington & Quincy struck. Every railroad
| entering Chicago relies almost wholly upon
| the Belt line as means by which the inter-
/ change of freight is conducted with any
| other roads. Practically every railroad track
| stretching from Chicago is intersected by
| the Belt, and it has been a general feeling
| from the start that the issue OF the struggle
might be swayed one way or the other by
the attitude Of the Belt line officials. The
men in their employ have all been among the
staunchest allies of the Brotherhood while
the Belt company has apparently sought, as
| fas as possible, to maintain position of so
| called neutrality. A new face was put on
| affairs when, sometime yesterday, Gen. Por-
| ter, president of the Chicago & Eastern Illi-
nois railway sent strongly .worded letter to
| John Il. Carson, president OF the Belt line.
| The Eastern Illinois company holds a con-
| controlling interest in the Belt corporation
| and Gen. Porter's letter demanded, formally
| and explicitly, that the Be- line transfer
cars for every railroad and Individual in ex-
4
| employees that do not choose to do their
| whole duty and the same duty toward any
| one car or company or individual, as another,
| shall Immediately be dismissed, and no en-
| handle any car differently from every other
| car. President Carson replied asserting to
| Gen. Porter's letter.
| Today meeting of the employees of the
| Belt line was held at which the subject was
| earnestly debated. 1t is currently repor ed
| this evening that the Belt men have decided
| to stand by their guns and see whether the
| company would discharge them. en- masse.
| No provocation for an extension Of the strike
was given today by the Burlington, and there
was no attempt to handle Burlington cars in
| the Burlington's own yard. The managers OF
the Milwaukee q St Paul pursued an exact.
| ly opposite course. They made most stren-
Gus efferts to keep things moving and, as a
result, it is probable that the strike on the st.
| Paul will culminate tomorrow in renewal
| of the strike on the Pan Handle. train
| was got in readiness so that tomorrow an at
| tempt can be made to transfer st. Paul
| freight to the Pan Handle and, as the en-
| ployes of the latter are pledged to support
the st. Paul strikers, there is little doubt that
| they will refuse to handle the freight and
| strike will ensue. Eight switch engines were
| at work in the st. Paul yard today and
cleared the blockade at Union street and
| another at Western avenue. Four freight
| trains started to Milwaukee and the suburban
| passenger service was got into much better
service tnan on Saturday.
A stormy meeting of the st. Paul strikers
| was in progress during the afternoon.
| majority of the engineers and fremen, 1t is
| said, favored returning to work on the terms
| offered by General Manager Miller, while the
switchmen and brakemen insisted on stand
| ing out. Without reaching any conclusion,
| an adjournment was taken until tomorrow
morning.
| Judging from appearances, and from the
| talk INDUCED in by railr0ap men, Wednes-
day viii see the commencement OF a general
strike.
1t is admitted by railroad men that the
| only preventative of a strike tomorrow morn
| ing is the nearness OF election, but Wednes-
day, when the political battle is over, the
railrovd war will bloom into vigor.
Kansas City Switchmen Act.
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, April 1.-The switch
men, engineers and fremen on all of the
roads entering the city. with the exception
of the Burlington. had meetings Saturday,
and resolved that after u o'clock noon on
Monday. April 3D. they would refuse to han
die any 20" freight, except live stock or per-
ishable freight started previous to that hour.
A committee called on the superintendents
today and notified them of the order.
On the Fort Wayne.
CHICAGO, April 1.-The Fort Wayne men
are determined not to handle any 30" cars,
and many refuse to have anything to do with
st. Paul transfer. Saturday night Foreman
Behmen of the shops asked the men to 60 to
10th street after train but they refused.
The Lake Shore switchmen have about de-
cided not to handle any more 20" cars. The
Chicago e. Eastern Illinois, and Louisville 81
New Albany will 90 out.
A Prediction from Pittsburgh.
PTTTsBURG, April 1.-Representatives of
the lodges of the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers in the Pittsburg division held
meeting this afternoon and it was stated
that no strike on the Fort Wayne had taken
place and none would occur. The Western
strike was then taken up and every repre-
sentative warmly supported the strikers.
After an interesting discussion 1t was
agreed to support the G. B. & Q. strikers
through thick and thin. One member said
there will be such stoppage on the Western
lines within few days that no live stock or
ther freights from West Of Chicago can be
forwarded to Pittsburg. 1t will all be
stopped at Chicago.
Strike at st. Joseph.
ST. JOSEPH, No., April 1.-All the freight
brakemen on the Kansas City, st. Joseph
and Council Bluffs road struck today. They
assert as reason the danger to their lives in
working with scab engineers.
Arthur will not Resign.
CLEVELAND, March 3I.-To a Cleveland
Plain Dealer representative. this evening
Chief Arthur said, in answer to an inquiry
whether or not he intended to resign his
Office owing to the revolts of the radical ele-
ment in the Brotherhood, mo sir. The rad
ical element, as you term it, represents but
small part of the Brotherhood. The vast
majority of our members sustain the course
Of the executive officers. Until such time
as the opposition may gain the ascendency,
the officers will stick to their posts and do
their duty L have no intention of resigning.
Ii l had listened to the opportunities of
these bot heads. every road in the country
would have been tied up. 1t lies in the pow
er OF the executive officers to stop traffic in
the United States en- tirely, but we refused
to do so. These new strikers in Chicago are
mostly local and effect business in Chicago
only: believe the different roads will re-
consider the action compelling the men to
handle "Q'' cars and that the trouble will be
settled in that way. The Santa Fe strike
was as outrage No, don't know as / will
say that. 1t was a grave mistake which we
rectifed as soon as possible"
Chief Arthur further stated that his con-
sent had been given to no others than the
Burlington engineers and that the st. Paul
engineers went out on their own responsible
ity and would not receive the support of the
Brotherhood, which could only be given with
his sanction. The status Of the Burlington
strike was unchanged, and the road very
much crippled in its business.
encouragement for Canada.
TORONTO, April 1.-Delegates from va
rious branches of the BrotheThoods of En-
gineers and Firemen throughout the Domion
ion, met here this afternoon and expressed
confidence in Chief Arthur and Grand Mas
ter Sargent, and endorsed the stand taken.
Colby University.
Correspondence Of the Press.l
WATERvILLE, March 81.
The spring term opened Thursday with
| all the professors and a greater sportion Of
| the students present. The new course Of
study goes into effect this term. Under
| this course the students have greater free