The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-04-19
STREET CAR STRIKE.
Not Horse Car Ru.aiar .. ST., Paul or Hin,
apolls...A Thossapd Nen staldinr o,t.

ussoc!u'!ou. Inc SympuCnleS OF the public
/ seem to be almost entirely on the part Of the
men.
IN MINNEAPoLls.
The company and the police ATTEMPTED to
run the ears, and while doing SO, this incident
occurred:
As this car, tho third one, pulled out from
the barn. aud the second one, which made
the round trip, moved awny from the barn, q
lady OF rather slender form, wearing neat
blnck Rat and a plush cloak. stepped from
the outside Of the crowd and quickly mount
ed the car. She bad hardly taken standing
position beside the stout young fellow who
drove before she began her mission. She
was Mrs McCurdy. the young wife OF q
driver who was among the strikers, but who
boarded the car The lady paid no attention
| TO any one but the driver. She stood close to
him. and aha used her right haud In gesture.
1came n here to ask you not 70 drive this
mani
The driver announced that IL he left the
car so,nebody else would gladly take his
place
"Iappeal to You, young man, as q wifc and
mother. II you have any respect for honest
workingmen, who are simply asking what is
right, not to take this car any farther. beg of
| you not to work against these men. I beg Of
you in the name Of humanity not to work in the
place Of q n,hu who Ia striking To keep himself
from sta, vatiOn. am the wife Of a striker My
poor husband has worked night and day for the
company. and what no got was hardly enough to
keep his little family. If You have one spark Of
| manhood. IL you have wife aud children whom
you respect, y"u will not be tho servant of q
man who is trying to crush the men, am go
ing to stay with you and keep you COMPANY. I
don't know that this is just the thing for . lady
to do. but could not help 1t. I will behave
% myself and not say snythins that is wrong or
unladyltke But l do hope my appeal will
touch tender spot in you and that YOU will not
continue to drive.
The laoy's earnestness attracted much at
tentton along the avenue. She continued to
patitioa tho driver until Eighth street was
| reached. She looked into the face of the
driver. but saw no sympathetic responses,
and after her effort She appeared to feel dis
cOuraged. She turned to q PIONEER Press
Reporter and asked If there was conductor
on the car: The conductor was pointed out,
and Mra McCurdy stepped down upon the
side platform and reached from post to post
ae She passed to the rear of the Gar.
Are You the conductor?" she asked In sor-
"Yes. l am, replied the silent. stocal man who
faced the front and leaned against the near rail-
well, sir. leg of you not to work in the
places OF the strikers. 1t is strike for justice
upon the part of the POOR men who have been
trying to support families upon low wages. Will
yon not heed my appeal? Have you no honor !?
Have you no respect for home?"
Il have no argument to make with YOU" re-.
Piled the conductor, whose name is ". l.. La
affected by the woman's appeal.
you eau hive no argument" she quickly re-
Piled There is no argument for a man in your
what will YOU take and let me alone? will
give You 80 Genus II you will keep quiet" said
the conductor.
Il an moi to be bought off" said Mrs Mccur-
DIV. Il would not work against my fellows for
5000. certainly would not work for IS or
80 as you are doing
This is free country" continued La Dieu,
"a hoy rNto hau hoo,
around a good deal. and there are thousands Of
men who would be glad to take this place
Il suppose there arc, said the lady.
Il nm instructed to collect tares, said the CON.
,luctor, "and If you arc going to ride you Will
have to pay"
lege of riding with 30 unusual q sort Of inan,
and she pulled out her slender pocketbook.
A Arep0rier paid tho Iady's fare, and she
turned to the scribe and said:
I.thank you, sir. cannot touch this mans
tor about tive months. We live i've Upstairs s .'s at
been in poor circumstances. We lost all 5y fiie
university for five years lie is capable of filling
almost any position. but had to accept q position
as driver.
The woman stood up while the car made
the trip to First avenue north anu return.
She felt that her work had not been sue
cess, and US she left the car at the barn sho
looked discouraged. A few gentlemen
handed her n small sum of money us she
started for home.
IN ST. PAUL
The street car EN- are confident that they
will win the night, and the meeting which
they held at the united labor headquarters
on East Seventh street last evening was of a
most enthusiastic character. J. A. johnson,
Of the Brotherhood Of Carpenters, presided.
and numerous speeches were made by the
striking drivers, urging NIL to stand together
and success wus assured. Tho committee
that waited on President Lowry reported
their chilly reception. stating that he abso-
lutely refused their proposition to sub
init the question 10 arbitration. Having
failed to secure settlement of the difficulty
In this peaceable manner, they wele COM
PEELED to take more extreme measures und
order the men to quit work during the after
noon. This step was taken as last resort,
their desire being to avoid any Inconvenience
to the public. When n tair offer OF arbitra-
tion was declined in the mos. decided nau-
ner, nothing else could be done. Miss Eva
Mcdonald, of the Minneapolis Trades and
Labor assembly. was present, and urged the
strikers 70 stand firm and their cause would
triumph. She dec ared that tho reports that
the strikers in Minneapolis had been the
cause OF the trouble there we're false, az all
the disturbance was caused by outsiders, who
are always ready to take advantage of such
occasions to make trouble
The trades and labor assembly held O
meeting at th. same hour in an adjoining
hall, President James Couc HIN in the chair,
and after listening to statement OF the case
made by the officers of the street car mems
union, passed the following resolutions:
Whereas. The street railway company Of Min
neapoiis and St. Paul reduced the wages of its
employees to point that affords them scarcely
bare subsistence; and
Whereas. Said reduction does not apt,csr to
affect the high salaries Of officials or Office en-
plOyes: and
Whereas. The excuse given for the action on
the part Of the company is that tho profits dur
Ing the past year have been too small, while dur
ing the winter Of ] sS7-S they could just pay cx-
p.nses, when IL cost them $4,000 ncr month
the statement OF one of the officials a. the time,
and In the financial statement OF the company
published In yesterdays papers they show that
three times it's actual cost, thereby proving
themselves guilty Of the most fragrant criminal
conspiracy: and
tract with their Minneapolis employees on May
H. 1883. to continue one year from date. every
provision Of which has been fagrantly violated
by tho company, and they now insist on en-
poyes signing an tron-c:ad agreement to tho
effect that they will renounce all allegiance to
labor organizations: and :
Whereas. The employees In both cities have re-
fused To submit aud quit work. and the com-
pany has refused every offer to arbitrate
thereby showing determination To deprive
their employees of their Independence and man.
hood and break up their organizations; there
fore
Resolved, That the trades aud labor assembly
of 81. Paul. representing the various labor Or
RanizatiOns of the city, condemn the con-
duct OF the company as unworthy tho
federation Of free people: that we promisesthe
street railway employees Of both cities our
hearty support and corporation, morally and
financially, trusting that their conduct will be
manly and tina. no attempt will be made to re-
sort TO violence.
These resolutions were presented to the
street car mems meeting. and their spirit
was heartily endorsed. The following reso-
luton was then adopted unanimously:
Resolved. That we. the cmployes'of the st.
Paul Street Hallway company, realizing that:
our position has been forced upon US by neces.
s.ty. and appreciating the Inconvenience which
walk-Out causes to the travelling public, tnnsus
imously hold ourselves in readiness now, as in
the past, to submit our grievance to arbitration
ana thus provide for an equitable adjustment OF
this difficulty.
The meeting also appointed committees
from drivers on the various lines to visit the
barns and use moral suasion to induce any
new men engaged to take out cars not to
work. They We're instructed not TO use any
violence whatever and to avoid uil inteni-
perate or bad language in their efforts
These committees will visit the different
barns this morning. as it IL expected the
company Will make an effort to start out
some cara