Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-03-25
SWITCHMEN
STRIKE on THG BURLINGTON.
The Roads Business Again at a Stand
fStll.
REASON ASSIGNED FOR THE MOVE,
Will Not Work With Incompetent
Engineers.
o.

CHICAGO, March 24.-Freight traffic O.
the Burlington, which yesterday wal NOV
ing practically the same as before the en-
gineers' strike, is to-day at a standstil
again.
This condition of affairs is due to the &C
tion of the two hundred switehmen EN-
ployed in the Burlington yards here, VIII
struck early this morning without any no
tice whatever to the road.
The switchmen at Aurora, ILL.,, als'
stopped work, but that was the only out
side affected so far as the company knew
this morning. The officials decided, how
ever, TO move no freight at all until thu
second strike is settled, and, with the ex
ception of the live stock trains, no freight
is moving. Passenger trains are running
as usual.
The company has received no notice q
all from the switchmen and no grievance
has yet been presented or demand made
upon the company by the S~witchmen''
Union. Late yesterday afternoon rumor:
Ofthe contemplated strike were in circula'
tica around the Burlington strikers head
quarters, but q careful investigation failed
to reveal anything definite. Some of the
switchmen told Superintendent BessleI
that no strike was contemplated, but
others said they were tired Of working
with incompetent engineers. The railway
officials claim that this reason is the meresi
pretense, as since the new engineers have
been at work not ~ finger has been
pinched or q coupling bar broken" as one
of them put it this morning.
In the yards this morning, and around
the Brotherhood headquarters, ii was com
mon gossip that the switchmen had been
taken into the fold of the Brotherhood in
consideration of their going out on strike.
Ii has been intimated ever since Judge
Gresham's decision in the Wabash case
that the switchmen would take this step
The o~ficiols of their organization have been
very anxious from the beginning of the
trouble that the Brotherhood of Engineers
should take them into their councils and
place them on IN equal footing, as they
nave done with the firemen, but the eDgi-
neers seemed 10th to do it, and gave IS u
reason that when there was q strike among
switchmen it was rot long before coupling
pins were flying through the air, and not
long after that that the military were
called out. 1t would seem that the two
organizations have finally come to terms.
OFFICIAL OPINION.
The Burlington officials evidently have
hopes that they may reach some sort OF
agreement with the switchman during the
day, for they will do nothing until Mon
day toward filling the vacant places. 1t
is stated that a committee from the
Switchmen's Union will visit the General
Superintendent, and until that conference
is ended at least, nothing will be done.
at simply puts us back for a day or
3d." said General Passenger Agent Nor
ton, who had Just come from a conference
with General Manager Stone and other Of
fcials, when seen by . reporter. There
will be no difficulty whatever in filling the
mems places, if that is found necessary.
The men have no grievance, nor do they
pretend to have any az far as l have heard
they are simply striking out of sympathy
with the engineers. Their sympathy
comes q little late, however, and can
not seriously affect MS for any length OF
There are about two hundred switchmen
employed by the Darlington here, and two
or three hundred at the other points along
the line, so that in all abont five hundred
men are involved.
Chief Arthur was in a calm and peaceful
frame of mind this morning as he glanced
at the morning papers in the parlor of the
Grand Pacific. The information that he
was able to give in regard to the new phase
developed in the strike of the switchmeu
this morning was not great, however.
"The switchmen OF the % have gone
suggested the reporter.
$50 I see By the morning papers," re-
piled the Chief.
"Havs negotiations between the engi-
neers and switchmen been under way to
attain this end?"
mo, SIR"
"Why did the switchmen 90 out?"
''That is their business, not ours.
We have had nothing to do with
the switchmeus strike, nor do We intend
to. The Brotherhood will attend 10 its
owo affairs, and will not presume to
with those of other organizations. F"
"What's the condition Of the strike at
the present tim,?'
1.-THE men won't give in, and the COM
pany say that they will not; that's the
way it stands"
1.-THE men are still hopeful of success?"
Eyes, from the reports that come to u.s."
"Do you know anything about the
brakemen going out tC-day?"
"No, I know nothing about it." Chair
man Hoge and a number of friends were
in the sdjoing room discussing the situa.
ton. When asked about the matter they
professed entire ignorance.
WHY THEY STRUCK.
A member Of the switchmans brother
hood Said to-day: The ~switchman's strike
is not because Of the pay. The MEN object
to working on an engine not handled by a
Brotherhood man. As one of them put it
this morning, 4 don't throw another
for q on-Brotherhcod man, and no
man can make me-"
The general impression among the brake
men is that the officials Of the road will
them to turn in and help out with
the switching. The general opinion was
that in case such a demand should be made
on them the brakeman would strike from
one end of the system to the other rather
than do the work Of the striking switchmen.
1t is thought that as fast as the Grievance
return to their homes all the
between this point and Denver
will quit.
The chairman who presided over the
mass meeting at Turner Hall
last night, gave the following particualis
concerning the strike: Forty switch en-
gines are tied up, which leaves one
hundred and twenty switchmen out. We
will not jeopsrdizs our lives. Why, half
the engineers don't know any more about
an engine than the men who never saw
one. The company's officials say that no
fingers hsve been smashed or bones broken.
Why, there have been three or four of the
boys laid up already. This strike was
not ordered by the Switchmen's
Union. We struck in order to
ourselves. I cannot tell you any
thug that occurred at last nights meeting,
and I do not know when will meet az ain.
The executive committee will call the
meeting"
"How do you intend to approach the
copnanv m this ouestiOnpu