Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-02-27

At 4 o'clock this morning a circular WI
i issued by Chief Arthur of the brotherhood
/ of Locomotive Engineers of America, oil
dsring all engineers and fremen on IL
Burlington system belonging to tn
brotherhood to cease work and to renal
out until orders should be received to tn
contrary The order was not unexpecte
and there was not an engineer on the 81
Louis and Rock Island division to whor
it did not apply or who failed to act i
obedience to it. The consequences is tina
business on this division is in badl
crippled condition. There are in al
twenty two trains in and out Of Rocl
Island on the c., B. & Q. daily, at leas
twelve of which are passenger, whicl
with two switch engines, make
Two dozen Burlington engineers II
Rock Island, and all are out
Freight trains arc abandoned and it il
with great difficulty that passenger trains
are kept moving. Passenger train No.
8 from st. Louis, came in few minutes
late this morning in charge of Conductor
Terry and with Engineer Bissell at the
helm. The engine men left the locomo-
tive after it had been run into the round
house here, q. j. Dempsey, foreman in
the round house of the road at Rock
| Island. took out No. 2 for St. Louis this
| morning, with Conductor Barber in
| charge. while Master Mechanic Wallace, of
the St. Louis division, brought No out
of st. Louis. and will meet No. 3 at Ver>
| mont when the engineers will change, Mr.
Dempsey returning to this city and tax
ing No. out tonight The passenger
traffic between here and St. LOUIS will
not be interfered with. There was con-
siderable difficulty about getting the
Sterling and Savanna trains out this
morning-there were no engineers who
would undertake the task. although En-
gineer Van Slycke, of the Chicago divi-
sion, who brought in an extra freight at
8 o'clock, was urged to do so, but to no
avail. Finally Conductor Horne, of the
Sterling train, volunteered to overcome
the difficulty by running the engine him
self. Mr.. Horne has had some experience
on the fOOtboard, and with Conductor
Frazer, of the Sterling, in charge of the
cars, and Conductor Horne at the throttle
of the 800, the train moved out about an
hour late.
When the leaving time came for the
Savanna train at 1880 the same diff
Guilty was experienced, but another con
ductor came to the rescue in the person
of Conductor Ed. Teller of the local
freight, who mounted the box of the 362
and at II o'clock Conductor Rogers gave
the signal and the train pulled out.
The BeardstOwn accommodation ar
rived this noon In charge of Conductor
Parker and Engineer Smith, and left for
return at 4 o'clock this afternoon.
There are no demonstrations on the part
of the men whose engines, seven in num-
Der, are dead" la the companY's round
house. The engines marked up to go
out today and to which there was no
response on the part Of the men having
the m in charge, are: SOL (switch engine) |
j. Conden engineer. J, Kali flremen; 356 |
]. Murrin engineer, T, Nelson tiremen;
1862 T. Jones engineer, j Beard fireman
1873 D. A. Mayall engineer, c. Waldman
fireman. Howard Dempsey. who had
been running switch engine 8, took
charge of the 351, aud Foreman G. j,
Dempsey and his son Ed went out on
1856, while Fred Dempsey went out as
fireman for Cor ductor Horne on the
Sterling.
If this state of affairs continues the
road will not be so badly inconvenienced
here after all. None of the engine men
,an be persuaded to aid in the least in
running the trains. Even the wipers in
he roundhouse decline to fire or in any
way aid the road, further than their Or
1inary work prescribes.
The cause of the impending strike may
)est be told by Chief Arthur of the Loco
motive Brotherhood. who made the fol
owing statement last week: "In order
hat the public may understand the diff
,ulty will say this: A committee repre-
enting the national organizations OF en-
,ineers and firemen have been in Chicago
or three weeks trying to adjust the
differences between the men and the
chicago. Burlington & Quincy. They
we're put of with promises, and finally
aw Mr.. Stone, the general manager, but {
we're unable to effect any settlement.
Then they sent for Grand Master Sar-
rent, OF the Firemen's Brotherhood, and /
We arrived here yesterday morning.
We saw Mr.. Stone, Vice President Peas {
ey, and Mr.. Merrill, of the company.
We discussed several propositions until
lnallY the question of wages was reached.
I'VE then asked for 81 cents per mile
or eight>wheel passenger engines. and II
4 cents per mile for six-wheel connect
ID engines. This Mr.. Stone would net
oncede. Then we conceded the 81 cents I
md asked for 81 cents per mile, regards t
ess of the class of engines. That is what
he Chicago s. Alton and the Santa Fe =
ystems granted, but Mr.. Stone would
lot listen to it. We told him then that
f his engineers and tiremen determined
o quit work we would sanction it, and
We retired"
The Brotherhood of Locomotive En- :
rineers il one of the cIoaest labor ORGAN.