Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1888-03-31
The Switchmen's Strike.

CHICAGO, March A.-trelght traffic on the
Burlington, which yesterday, was moving
strike, is to-day at a stand still again.
This condition of affairs is due to the ac-
tion of 200 switchmen employed in the Bur-
ington yards here who struck early this
morning without any notice whatever to the
road. The switchmen at Auroria, ILL.,, also
stopped work, but that was the only outside
point affected as far a. the company knew
up to o'clock this morning. The officials
decided, however, to move no freight at all
until this second. strike is settled and with
the exception of the live stock trains, in tran
sit no freight is moving. Passenger trains are
running as usual. The company has re-
ceived no notice at all from the switchmen
and no grievance has yet been presented or
any demand made upon them by the Switch
mems union. Late yesterday afternoon
rumors of tho contemplated strike were in
circulation around Burlington headquarters,
but close investigation failed to reveal
anything definite. Some Of the switchmen
told General Superintendent Bessler that
no strike was contemplated, but others said
they were tired working with incompetent
engineers. The railway officials claim that
this reason is the merest pretense; that
since the new engineers have been at work
not finger has been pinched nor COUP
ling bar broken, as one of them put it this
morning. ~
In the yards this morning and Ground the
brotherhood headquarters it was common
gossip that the switchmen lad been taken
into the fold of the brotherhood in consider
alton of their going out on q strike. The
officials of the switchmen's association have
been very anxious from the beginning Of
the strike trouble that the brotherhood of
engineers would take them into their coun-
Gil and place them on an equal footing, as
they have done with the firemen, but the en-
gineers seemed loath to do it, and gave as
reason that when strikes occurred among
the switchmen, it was not long before COUP
ling pins were flying through the air, and
not long after that the military or militia
were called out. A committee from the
Switchmen's union viii visit the general
superintendent on Monday, and until that
conference is ended, at least, nothing will be
done.
SANTA FE SWITCHMEN STRIKE.
CHICAGO, March 24.-The switchmen in
the Chicago yards of the Chicago, California
& Santa Fe have also been affected by the
strike, all the men having gone out at an
early hour this morning. At first it was
conjec,ured that this was a concerted action
with the Burlington switchmen, but investi-
CATION proves it to be entirely independent.
The switchmen and the Santa Fe company
have been at odds for some days about their
yardmaster, and the men concluded to
bring the matter to settlement by striking.
Only few men are concerned in the strike,
and the disagreement will probably be ad-
justed at a conference to be held between
the strikers and officers of the company this
afternoon.
AT GALEsBURG.
GA1EsBURa, ILL, March 24.-There are
fifty union switchmen in the Burlington
railway yards at this point, and all bat one
man struck this morning. All freight
trains are laid up but passenger trains are
running as usual.
At KANSAS CITY.
KANSAS CRY, March 24.-The strike OF
the Burlington switchmen has not affected
the seventy men employed in their yards
here, and they have all been at work with
out interruption. The men are very reticent
and refuse to discuss the possibility of join
ing the movement started in Chicago last
night. -----