Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-03-31
TIE GREAT STRIFE.
The Trouble Tar from EDded-Thc
haitchmen Determined.
H. tnIn..rat-h ~ ~. n--nal-n

CmcAGO, March 30.-The decision OF
the switchmen at their meeting ycstcr-
day t. enforce a rigid boycott on go
cars will involve any amount OF compli-
cations. The idea. a. explained byJ. 4.
Hall, chairman, is something Ike this
go cars will be switched back and
forth in each Of the different yards as
often and to whatever point IN the yards
the companies may desire, bat the
engineers will decline TO put their
engines to draw thea ont, and # the
80" should perchauce succeed in pee
trating into the yards with any Of ITS
new engineers then the switchmen will
decline TO turn the switch = Freight
delivered by the go to other roads
will Likewise bee refused first, by the
switchmcn, who viii decline TO turn the
switches and attend to the trains on the
ground that their lives are endangered
by the new engineers Incompetence.
The new SCENE has been thoroughly
formulated and viii be systematically
carried out The statement that Chicago
might yet be shut or entirely inside OF
few days may be now in a fair way OF
realization. Assistant yarlmasiers Of
the 80" road have also followed the
striking switchmen. OF the sixteen
working in the Yards only two of them
have remained in the service Of the
company. -Four night yard-mastcr5,
the strikers claim, also quit work.
Ninety-eiqht switchmen from the
Reading road arrived in the city last
night over the Fort Wayne road. They
were not interrupted by the delegation Of
striking sWitchmeu some distance out, as
was minated would be the case, and
we're not given the alternative Of return
ing East or engaging IN active warfare
with the strikers. = hey were taken to
the Briggs House, and encountered sew
eral strikers at the entrance OF the hotel
The new arrivals were warned not 10 60
to work on the 90, audaquauclresuit-
ed in which the Reading men drew re-
volvers and declared that they would
protect themselves # intcrfered with.
They left the hotel this morning at .
O'Clock. and we're escorted by Pinkerton
men to the 80" yards. Twcnty-scyen
more switchmcn from the East arrived
this morning, making l25 that reached
here last night and this morning.
The St. Paul yardmcn who started to
90 10 Work last night at 10 o'clock had
but begun TO get their engines started
ont when q message came to the Western
avenue rouud-house that all the men
should wait until Assistant-GeneralSu-
perintcndent Earring had seen them be-
fore resuming work Earring soon ar
rived, accompanied by Diyision-Super-
intendents Collins snd Hartigan. Jerry
Dougherty, an engineer, acted rs
spokesman for the men. Earring
stated the case briefly rs he un-
derstood it. and then said 1--WE have
submitted to many acts that We have
considered unjustihable on your part.
This afternoon the men in our employ
deliberately derailcd aud wrecked a mum
Der Of cars that are our property. In
addition to that they assaulted and beat
Superintendent Bester, OF the Burling.
ton road. This is ineXcusable. We wlll
consent TO overlook this and You can go
to work, but the first work that is done
will be to replace those cars upon the
track and put them on the track where
they belong"
Never I" shouted q score of voices.
Dougherty claimed that the men were
not responsible for the condition of the
cars.
"As an engineman. asked Earring,
twill you volunteer to place that tram
where it belongs"
mo; will DO nothing Of the kind, "
said Dougherty. 1.-The st. Paul road
has attempted this as feeler, and hope
they are satisfied. We will never con-
sent to handle any cars pulled by o.
engine. We regret that these happen to
be your cars, but cannot help it.
This ended the conference, the men
Withdrawing from the room. The OIL
Gals held short consultation and de-
parted. The strikers hung around for
awhile and one by one went home. The
strike WAS on. The round-house was
incapable of accommodating the COM
bined force OF day and night engines,
and several of them were left on side
track.
The men who struck last night en-
braced twenty-four switching crews OF
five men each--a total Of one hundred
and twenty men.
As the immediate and direct conse-
duence OF tho strike the entire night
freight traflic-both through and local
was completely suspended. Freight
trains he'd been made up and have been
sent west. The passenger engineers
we're with difficulty restrained from
striking. The leading spirits among the
strikers decided not to interfere with the
passenger trains, at least not until this
morning. The st. Paul and Council
Bluffs express trains departed on schedule
time.
"This trouble has been brewing for
three weeks" said Dougherty last night
ave have reason to believe, in fact we
know. that the st. Paul has been aiding
the % from the start. If We thought
that the handling of their few cars would
end the meddling with 90 freight We
would offer no objection. The line had
10 be drawn somewhere, aud We have
drawn it. 90 engineers now ON a
IL