Omaha daily bee., 1888-03-25
THE los" LATEST TROUBLE.
Serious Embarrassment Caused By
the Switchmen's Strike.
ALI FREIGHT TRAINS TIED UP.
The waikout n Complete Surprise 60
omciais of the Road-The Chi
cago Elevators and
Yards Blocked.
The Burlington Again blocked.

will have another entry 10 make on the wrong
side of their ledger TO show for their hard
days work to-day, and 200 or 200 more of
their employees will probably find themselves
out of work for some time to come. No
freight was moved on the line to-day as the
result of the strike Of the switchmen here
and at Aurora and Galesburg his morning.
When the officials heard of the determine
ton of the men they decided to attempt to
move no freight at all to-day. The night
switchmen struck at midnight and the day
crews failed to report for work this morn
ing. Thus again are the ''Q'' people unable
TO handle the freight which has piled up in
the Chicago yards. The switch engines that
have been handling freight during the last
few days are sidetracked where the crews
left them last night. The strike is not be-
cause of the pay. The men object to work
ing on an engine not handled by brotherhood
men. AS one of them put it this morning:
II don't throw another switch for o non
brotherhood man, and no one can make me-"
Clearly the sudden move of the switchmen
was a surprise to the Burlington. Three
weeks ago Manager Stone anticipated a move
of some KIND, but as nothing occurred his
fears were quoted, and for once the strikers
were given the benefit of the doubt. Mr..
Stone saw the whole import of the delay this
morning, which was to allow the road to
thoroughly equip itself, with new engineers
and then play a trump card and put the road
In almost as helpless a condition as it was on
the day after the brotherhood stepped out.
at was a surprise to u.s. ~ said General Pas
senger Agent Morton. We had heard rumors
of such a move. but had placed but little
faith In them. In fact, Mr.. Bessler had had
q talk yesterday with some of the switchmen
and they had emphatically declared that they
were not going to strike. They nave no
grievance-none at all. They have sent no
one here to complain of their grievance. /
have heard that they struck on a plea
that they did not wish to endanger
their lives by working with in
competent engineers, referring, of
course, to the men who have taken the broth
erhood mems places. Well, now, that is all
nonsense. There has not been an Academic
a single switchman since the strike began on
account OF the incompetency Of the new en-
gineers. The only cause for their striking is
their hope to assist the brotherhood. Well,
they will do nothing of the sort. 1t is the
policy of this road to run its own business
to do as it deems to be in accordance with it's
best interests. You and all may be assured
that it will continue to follow cut that pol
icy
"What effect will the switchmen's strike
have upon youl"
at will temporarily embarrass us. AT
present we are only working our passenger
service on this end of the line, and unless the
brakemen strike-a thing we do not for a
moment contemplate-there will be no inter-
ruption of that department. Our freight
business is at a standstill- that is, so far as
new business is concerned. We are moving
e all our stock. however. This SnQnnpSIpp will
continue until we secure new men to take
the strikers places. We are ready to hire
new men as rapidly as they put in an appear
ance and show themselves competent
Chairman Hoge said that all the informa-
ton he had regarding the switchmen's strike
was what he had seen in the papers. He
denied point blank that there was any com
bination between the brotherhood and the
brotherhood's money would be used to sup
port the idle switchmen. 1--WE are going on
as BEFORE he SAID ATTENDING to our own
grievances and leaving all others alone"
Have the switchmen had no conference
with Mr.. Arthuran
2 "No, SIR"
The chairman who presided over the meet
ing at West Twelfth street Turner hall last
night said to a reporter:
Forty switch engines are tied up, which
leaves 100 switchnen out. We will not
jeopardize our lives. Why, half of the new
engineers don't know any more about an
engine than the men who never saw one. The
company's officials say that no fingers have
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
preserve ourselves. | cannot tell you any
thing that occurred at last nights meeting,
and / do not know when we will meet again.
The executive committee will call the meet
ing.''
SHOW do you propose to approach the
company in this matteri'
"We will ask the officials to place reliable
and competent men on the engines"
"Do you think the company will come to an
immediate settlements"
81 do not, as the company arc determined
TO keep their employees under their thumbs.'
Switch engine $40 took twenty empty cars
from the yard at Western avenue to the
freight houses on Canal street. Four yard
masters did the switching. In the cab of the
engine were two Pinkerton men and on the
foot board on the back of the tank were two
more. No one was allowed TO ride either on
cars or on the engine. One of the Pinkerton
men said;
1--WE are going to nave tough times of it.
You knowthe switchmen hate the sight of q
Plnkerton man. Tomorrow they will get
drunk and then the fun will begin. / expect
there will be bloodshed, although / should
not say so.h
From Madison street to Western avenue,
along the Burlington road, Pinkerton men
can be seen dressed in citizens clothes. The
two passenger switch engines had CITY police
on for a while this morning, as the men
expected trouble. Three stock trains arrived
this morning and were Immediately taken to
the yards The lumber district and the Gle
vators are again blocked. In this district
none but experienced switchmen can handle
an engine, as there are SO many tracks and
also yards that the new men would be at sea.
AT the headquarters OF the Switchmen's
Mutual Aid Association of North America,
on Washington street, 1t was stated that the
only information they had was from what
was stated in tho morning papers. The strike
was not ordered by the association and the
meeting held last night was not of the union,
but of employees by the Burlington road.
President Monaghan is in Columbus, o., on
business for the order and the statement in
one OF the papers that he presided at last
nights meeting is, therefore, wrong. About
nifty switchmen visited the headquarters this
forenoon 10 make inquiries about the strike.
Ever since the completion of the organiza-
ton OF the switchmen's union, which now
embraces 90 per cent of the competent
switchmen of the United States and Canada
the knights of the semaphore have sought TO
affiliate with the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers in the manner in which the fire
mems brotherhood has made and held COM
mon interest with the engineers. The
switchmenh hello that while they do not run a
locomotive from the foOtboard, their work is
of unite as much imnOrtanea i'm the railroad