Morning journal and courier., 1888-02-28
THE GREAT sTRIKE BEGUN.

The Engineers ON the C. B. DC q. Go
Out and Tie Up the Read-One of the
Country.
before o'clock this morning the Chicago,
Burlington e Quincy yards at Canal and Six
tenth streets presented their usual appear
ance. At 4 o'clock precisely switch engine
No. 447 went into the Western avenue round
house. Three others soon followed it and
the engineers and 6rennen quit work. The
strike promises to be the most remarkable
ever known, for in it the strongest
single labor organization in existence
has been pitted against the largest
railroad corporation in the West and one of
the greatest in mileage and wealth in the
world. Should the strike long con-
tinue, it is probable that in addition to the
fourteen hundred men directly involved the
great majority of the fourteen hundred en-
ployes of the company will be thrown out
Of work, the twenty-five thousand members
of the Engineers Brotherhood throughout
the country be called upon to contribute of
their savings and the industries of vast Sec
ton of country tributary to the road sub
jected to partial paralysis. The far reach
ing effects of the strike can be inferred from
the fact that the road has six thousand
miles of main and leased lines, gridironing
the States of Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and
Nebraska. From Chicago it reaches to Den
yer, over a thousand miles away, and Chey-
enne, Wyoming, equally as far. Minneapo
lis to the north and St. Leuis to the south
are within its reaeh-the territory of an en-
pire.
The Burlington to-day sent out the follow
ing notice to connecting lines:
company will be able to recsiye freight from you
and 1t will therefore be advisable and for public in
and designated for competitive points to such other
roads as in your judgment can best take it to its
to decline receive freight for local stations
soon we able we will give this the prefer
ly dependent on US: You will be duly advised of
our ability to handle our freight
This afternoon six hundred of the freight
handlers of the Chicago, Burlington and
Quincy line were laid off and every freight
office in the city shut down in consequence
of the engineers strike. These are the same
men who obtained work during the freight
handlers strike of 1886, and are all said to
be loyal to the company, but have to be laid
of, as no work remains for them to do. The
Burlington division at the stock yards was as
silent to day as on Sunday. Only one car of
stock arrived by the Burlington road, al
though the road brings more live stock
to this market than any other road.
The Burlington is the only road
that has access into the lumber district. The
situation there is critical as the tracks are full
of cars loaded with lumber ready for ship
ment and cannot be removed. No foreign
engine will be allowed to take away the cars
even if another road consented to pull them.
The men who are in sympathy with the
strikers will not work.
Chief Arthur of the Brotherhood of Loco
motive Engineers and Mr.. Sargent of the
Firemen's Brotherhood are still in the city.
Mr.. Arthur said the engineers and fire.
men we're solid body and would
hold together to the end of the fight.
Mr.. Arthur was asked what attitude he
expected the Knights of Labor to assume
toward the engineers during the strike. 81
do not see," he said, "why the Knights
should be hostile to the Brotherhood of En-
gineers and have no information that they
will assist the company in any way"
"It is claimed that you sent men to take
the places of the Reading strikers" "That
is a lie. I do not know what individual
mem bers of the brotherhood may have done,
but never interfered in any way with any
strike of the Knights of Labor. I would not
do it.. At the time of the
told the brotherhood engineers that we had
contract with the company and to keep out
of the strike. If contract means anything
then we pursued the right course"
Taken all in ell the first day of the battle
has closed with the advantage in favor of the
company Yesterday the officers of the road
feared general tie.up which would bring
both the freight and passenger traffic TO an
absolute standstill So far as freight is
concerned this has been true. Not
pound of it has gone
mile nor is any likely according
come But with the passenger traffic the
officials of the operating department
have had better luck, SO much better, in
fact, that to night they are jubilantly declar-
ing that within forty eight hours SO far as
human freight is concerned nobody will
know that a strike has been declared. Four
trains each way carried the suburban pas
sengers and two through trains for Council
Bluffs were sent out
Rock Island Freights Tied Up.
KANSAS CITY, Feb. 1.-THE Rock Island
road quietly put some Burlington cars in its
freight trains to-day with the apparent inten
ton of helping the latter road in its freight
business. The Rock Island engineers on dis
covering this became furious and every en-
CINE in the yard was pulled into the round
house, leaving a score or more trains on
the tracks. The fremen joined in the
movement and the consequence is total
tie up of the Rock Islands freight traffic. at
least-fo this night. Both company and en-
ployes look for resumption of work to-
morrow on the understanding that the Rock
Island will not repeat the attempt to assist
the Chicago, Burlington end Quincy.
A Public Building at Nerwalk.
WASHINGTON, Feb. Ex-senator Platt in
troduced bill in the senate to-day for the
erection of q public building at Norwalk.
CT. 100000.