Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-03-06
STUBBORN STRIKERS
An Important Conference
Held by the Engineers.
UNITY OF ACTION ASSURED.
Probability that the Strike Will
Extend to the C. B. Il
N. ROsd.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD

Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD
CHICAGO, March 5.-Chief Engineer
Arthur's headquarters presented a
lively scene this morning. The room
was crowded with members of the
Grievance Committees of various
western and northwestern railroads,
representing both the engineers and
firemen's organizations. They had
come from as far as New Mexico in
response to calls of Chief Arthur to
the Burlington strike. All seemed in
hearty accord with each other. At 10
A. NJ. the meeting was opened by Ar
thur. None attended other than the
grand officers and chairmen OF griev-
ance committees. The proceedings
Of the meeting were of the most secret
character. 1t was expected that the
deliberations would last possibly all
day.
AT THE UNION DEPOT.
The Chicago, Burlington and
Quincy ran into and from the Union
depot this morning with pretty much
the regularity they did the day be-
fore the strike began. Early this
morning a notice was posted in the
conductors rooms showing that all
trains would be run on schedule time
except three through trains which
have been abandoned. All the en-
gines, both in and out, were manned
by new men. None of the officers of
the road are acting as mechanics on
any of them.
About one hundred are being exam
ined as engineers at the Offices OF the
company. They are mostly men
who arrived from the East yesterday.
To-day freight is being received for all
points east of the Mississippi river,
and tomorrow it will be received for
points up to the Missouri.
VOLUNTEERS DESERVING.
Authentic information was brought
to Chief Arthur's headquarters this
morning that six engine crews, COM
posed of Reading Knights of Labor,
engaged by the Burlington read, have
deserted their engines at Galesburg.
-Four other crews left at Aurora.
A REPREsENTATIvE GATHERING.
1t turns out that the number of
roads represented at the meeting this
morning is much larger than the pub
lie was led to suppose. The following
are the roads represented: Alton,
Rock Island, Missouri Pacific, Wa
bash, Burlington, Cedar Rapids and
Northern, Union Pacific. Wisconsin
Central, st. Paul Baltimore and Ohio,
Chicago Burlington and Northern,
Louisville New Albany and Chicago,
Illinois Central, New York Chicago
and st Louis, Chicago Burlington and
Quincy, Atchison Topeka and Santa
Fe, Chicago and Northwestern, Chi
cago and Eastern Illinois, Chicago
aud At antic, St. Paul Minneapolis
and Manitoba ,and Chicago and Grand
Trunk.
SPIRIT OF THE MEETING.
The morning session lasted until
l 80 this afternoon, when an adjourn
ment was taken until 80. None of
the members would aive details OF
the deliberations, but the chairman
OF one of the principal grievance COM
mittees said: "You can say this:
The session was one of the most har-
monious nature. Each one of the
delegates announced himself as stand
ing shoulder TO shoulder with the
Burlington men. 1t is impossible to
say how long the meeting will last"
CHATS WITH CoMMITTEEMEN.
The fact that delegates from the
Brakemen's Brotherhood We're present
at the m. eting of the Grievance Com
mittee indicated one object of the
conference. All the engineers who
could be induced to talk said that the
brakemen were with the strikers.
Mr.. O'Brien. OF the Press Committee,
when asked if strike was contem-
plated on the Northwestern road, said
that the utmost good feeling existed
between the officials and the engine
men on that road. A strike on the
Northwestern was not desired, that
is as division Of matter. 1t is the
intention Of the engineers, he said, to
confne the strike, if possible, to the
Burlington system.
What about the strike on the Bur-
lington & Northern ?"
"The Grievance Committee OH that
road" replied O'Brien, "has reported
that they have examined into the
matter and find that no grievance
exists there. The officials Of the Bur-
lington & Northern have undertaken
to be perfectly neutral in the
matter"
STATEMENT BY SARGENT.
Grand Master Sargent of the Broth
erhood, was shown report of the
proceedings in the House of Repre-
sentatives in which White, of Indiana,
proposed to send a Congressional
committee to investigate the Burling-
ton railroad strike: "You can say for
me-" said Sargent, "that we are per-
fectly willing that any committee
composed of practical railroad
men should examine and
pass upon our demands at
any time. We have been ready at all
times to meet the officials of the Chi
cago, Burlington and Quincy road and
settle our grievances in an amicable
way. We are not asking them to pay
any more wages than is paid by all
the lines running out of Chicago. We
are perfectly willing to have Con-
gressional committee examine the
matter, and see ii they con bring out
settlement. This strike is notof our
seeking, but we know that the de-
mands Of the men are just, and we
can readily convince any intelligent
man of that fact, and had the Bur-
lipgton and Quincy officials to-day
acceeded to our demands, which are
mainly 81 cents per mile for passen-
ger service and cents per mile for
freight service, with go per cent of the
above rates to firemen, the wheels OF
the entire system would be moving in