St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-04-02
Prospects of a General Tie
Up on Chicago's Great
Transfer Line.
Gen. Porter'S Letter to PreSi-
dent Carson Forces the
Issue.
Strike of Brakemen on the
Kansas City, st. Joe &
Council Bluffs.
Condition Of Things on the
st. Paul, the Panhandle
and Fort Wayne.

CHICAGO, April 1.-The prospect of
an immediate tie-up of the Belt line add
ed graver aspect to the railroad sittu-
alton this evening than at any time since
the Brotherhood of Engineers and Fire
men quit the services of the Chicago.
Burlington & Quincy. Every railroad
entering Chicago depends almost
wholly upon the Belt line as the means
by which an interchange of freight is to
be conducted with any other road.
Practically every railroad track stretch
ing from Chicago is intersected by the
Belt, and there has been general feel
ing 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 and the men in their en-
ploy. The latter have all along been
among the staunchest allies of the
brotherhood, while the management of
the Belt company have apparently
sought, as far as possible, to maintain
position of so-called neutrality. A new
face was put on affairs some time yes
terday when Gen. III. II. Porter, presi-
dent of the Chicago & Eastern Illinois
railway, sent strongly worded letter
to John B. Carson, president of the Belt
inc. The Eastern Hi nos company
holds controlling interest in the Belt
corporation, and Gen. Porter's letter de-
manded
FORMALLY AND EXPLICITLY
that 'the Belt Line transfer cars for
every railroad and individual in the
same manner, and that any and all en-
ployes that do not choose to do their
whole duty and the same duty toward
any one car or railroad company or in
dividual as another shall Immediately
be dismissed, and no employee shall in
any way be allowed to handle any par
ticular car that will not handle every
other car IN the same way" President
Carson replied, asserting to Gen. Por-
ter's letter. To-day meeting OF the
employees of the Belt Line was held at
which the whole subject was earnestly
debated. 1t was currently reported this
evening that the Belt men decided to
stand by their guns and see whether the
company would discharge them en-
masse. No provocation for an eXte u
sion of the strike was given to-day by
the Burlington. Whether, as alleged, it
was for the purpose of resting the new
men, or that there was no business, or
that, it being Sunday, and many men
idle, the danger of riot was increased,
there certainly was no attempt in any
quarter to handle the Burlington cars,
even in the Burlington's own yards.
The managers of the Milwaukee & st.
Paul pursued an exactly opposite
course. They made the most strenuous
efforts to
KEEP THINGS MOVING,
and as result it is probable that the
strike on the st. Paul will eliminate to-
morrow in a renewal of the strike on
the Pan Handle. A train was got in
readiness so that tomorrow an attempt
can be made to transfer St. Paul freight
to the Pan Handle, and,aS the employees
of the latter were pledged to support
the st. Paul strikers, there is little
doubt they will refuse to handle the
freight and strike will ensue. Eight
switch engines were at work in the st.
Paul yards to-day and cleared a block
ade at Union street and another at
Western avenue -Four freight trains
were started to Milwaukee, and the SUI
burban passenger service was got into
much better shape than on Saturday
Large crowds of sight-seers were scat
tered along the tracks and on the via
ducts throughout the day, but there was
no attempt at rioting. A stormy meet
ing of the St. Paul strikers was in prog
ress during the afternoon. The major
ity of the engineers and fremen are
said to have favored returning to work
on the terms offered by General Man.
ager Miller, while the switchmen and
brakemen insisted on standing out.
Without reaching any conclusion, adj
journment was taken until tomorrow
morning