The Portland daily press., 1888-03-30

New Men on the Burlington Roughly
handled by the Strikers.
Hints OF a Plan to Depose Arthur
from the Leadership.
PowderIy Warns His Followers
Against the Dangers OF Striking.

PowderIy Warns His Followers
Against the Dangers OF Striking.
CHICAGO. March 29.-The 20" company
hashired all the swltchmen needed, and all
will be at work tomorrow afternoon. A
hundred are in the city and % will arrive
from the Reading district In the morning. No
freight has been offered any other roads, ex-
cept the Stockyards Transit Company, the
manager Of which notified the freight agent
Of the Burlington road that he was unable to
do anything with 20" cars because the com
| pany's switchmen would not touch them.
The probability Of the brakemen going out
continues. The Chicago, St. Paul and Kan
sas City road has 700 cars consigned to the
Burlington road on its tracks, and other
roads are in similar condition. II the 20"
cannot take care Of its freight the other
roads will tender it all the freight In their
hands to avoid blockade.
| AZ 4.3O p. u., a 20" switch engine and
| crew attempted 10 transfer some freight cars
i to the Northwestern tracks. A crowd Of
| switehmen from the other roads began to
| jeer at the new men. At Kenzie street and
Western Avenue the train ran of a turned
switch and number Of the cars were
ditched The mob then set upon the crew Of
| the engine and train. The fireman and en-
| gineer took to their heels getting numerous
cuffs. The new switchmen followed but
were pursued and roughly used.
Six or eight Pinkerton men on the train
attempted to protect the train men but the
mob disarmed them. After few efforts TO
defend themselves. the Pinkerton men took
to fight to escape the drubbing they we're
receiving at the hands Of the furious mob.
Several were hurt, one ii is thought seriously
On the train was Division Superintendent
John Bester, Of the Burlington road. He
hurried TO the front where he was recOg-
nized, attacked and badly used up. He es-
capped and ran to the switch house, locking
| himself in.
/ The riot created great excitement and
Pinkerton men and officers fiocked to the
| scene. The mob quickly dispersed, only one
| man being arrested. The mans name Is
| William Quirk. Police were ordered 10 the
/ scene from nearly all stations. Quirk was a
/ Chicago, Milwaukee Il st. Paul switehman.
When it became known that Quirk was ar
| rested the crowd followed him TO the station
| house aud endeavored TO get him released.
| Numerous offers OF bail were made and 5000
| surety for his appearance offered, but he was
| locked up. The Milwaukee x st. Paul men,
| in a rage, decided TO strike and Immediately
| the whole yards force Of switchmen, engi-
neers and fremen, 227 In all, quit work, leay-
ing rs engines on the tracks, IL Is rumOred
| that the brakemen on the same road will 90
| out tonight. The strikers say the Mllwau-
| kee Il st. Paul road Is particularly friendly
to the Burlington, They have been ready
and willing to quit for some time.
Mr.. Morton OF the 20. road said the riot
| was anticipated and the company would try
/ TO prevent its repitition.
| A meeting of 800 engineers, fremen and
| switchmen was held this afternoon. Repre-
| sentatives from all the roads were present
| and 10 was resolved that a general boycott
| be declared against Burlington freight on
| all roads. The sentiment was that the Bur-
lington road had gone too far and there was
no reason why the engineers demands
should not be granted. They were reasOna-
BILE and the time had come to enforce them.
At $50 p. m, two officials Of the st. Paul
company succeeded In having Quirk released
on bail. He went at once to the st. Paul
strikers meeting aud 1t was speedily resolved
to resume work. BY 0 p. m, the men were
again at their posts.
Arthur's Policy.
Chief Arthur said today; "When the
| strike began, my advice to the men were to
| abstain from acts Of violence. If the compa-
ny succeeded in getting men to fill their
| places, we could retire like men. We do not
believe the company has obtained good and
| competent men. Nor can it In a year, or $50
long as the men on the 20" are willing to
/ continue the conflict As an organization
we disclaim all responsibility for the action
| or utterances OF individual members" Mr..
/ Arthur also said: II have no thoughts OF
resigning in the midst Of the battle"
MutterIngs Against the Chief.
Talk of calling national convention Of
the Brotherhood of Engineers continues to
| be heard at the headquarters Of the Bur-
lington strikers, and there seems to be a
growing belief that If such meeting Is held
the radical element win be at the head Of the
brotherhood when 1t adjourns. The 80"
strike, as far as the engineers are concerned
has not been profitable venture. The road
has pretty well recruited its forces, and
would be doing business on fair scale we're
it not for the interruption caused by the
strike Of the switchmen, and the officials as
| sert that by the end Of the week the latter
will have ceased to embarrass their opera
| tions. What general eonvenvention Of the
| brotherhood would do Is, Of course, prob
lem. 1t might order resumption OF the
| boycott Of 20" freight for one thing, in spite
| of all the talk of possible prosecution for
| strikers than there has been Of worrying the
i Burlington stockholders into forcing the
/ management to compromise, and for this
reason the convention plan finds many
i champions.
To put the radicals in power would mean
| to put the conservatives out Of Office, and a
| new chief Of the Brotherhood Is one Of the
| possibilities. There Is a feeling in some
quarters that Mr.. Arthur has not been sutii-
| ciently reckless OF the interests of the whole
country in fighting the Burlington.
PowderIy to His Followers.
| PHILADELPHIA, March 29.-General Mas
ter Workman Powderly, In this weeks issue
of the journal Of United Labor. Issues u
four-column special call to the order at large
IL Is supplementary to a similar call issued
on the 10Th of March, 1886, ON the dangers
staring the order in the face. and especially
treats of the uselessness OF strikes and the
necessity Of vigorous policy OF educational
work. In closing. Mr.. Powderly asks each
assembly to hold special meeting, discuss
the circular, and then let each assembly ap-
point a committee Of three TO draw up and
transmit the wishes Of the assembly.
These answers will then be collected, and
| a great mass Of Information as 70 the wants
| of the order will be forthcoming. The par
/ ticular questions specified as requiring ans
| wers are: First-DOes your assembly be-
lieve in entering at once upon an active edu-
| eatonal campaign? Second-DO you believe
| we should send out good, competent brothers
| to teach the principles Of the order? Third
Shall the General Master Workman levy
| an assessment Of Is cents per capita to de-
fray the expenses Of lecturers? Fourth
Will the General Master Workman be sus-
tanned In enforcing discipline In all depart
ments Of the order? The letters are all to
be sent TO Mr. POwderly. and the envelopes
are TO be marked Especial advice" Mr..
| POwderly, In his closing sentence, makes a
mysterious promise. He says: IF the
note Is in the Affirmative on each Of the
questions, pledge myself TO do work for
this order such as has never been done be-
fore"