St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-16
NOT A WHEEL TURNED. s.
The Company Is Playing a Wait
ing Game With Good Success.

Waiting for the street cars to start.
That is what the crowd of about three
hundred men and boys was doing at the
Ramsey street barns of the city railway
company yesterday morning. 1t had
been reported that car was to start out
from there at half-past o'clock. and
the striking street railway employees
were present to witness the unusual
sight. Their friends and inquisitive
sightseers formed part of the crowd.
Some of them had been there the night
before, and large portion remained
| throughout yesterday, waiting in vain
for the street car to star.
The police were there also-a mounted
officer at times and all day from two to
four good-looking, brass-buttOued blue
coats. Possibly their presence had
something TO do with the Quietness that
reigned. 1t was an orderly crowd. Its
leaders were, evidently, disposed to be
though they meant it. Their example
had the desired effect upon the loiter-
ers. Among them were, of course, sew
eral Sullen ones who manifested spirit
Of agresSiveness, but they did nothing,
and said little further than to berate the
man Kaufman. dubbed "WhiSkerS,"
who was working against their wishes.
When he passed them at the noon hour
on his way home to dinner they whistled
and called RATS after him, but that
was all.
Not one of the strikers accepted the
invitation of the company to return to
work. and only one of all the strikers
called for his wages. In the Office of
Supt. Scott the clerk said this mans
name was Merriman, one of the grade
men. He called there, with his identi-
ficatiOn paper, but had not brought his
badge. He promised to bring it. AS
he went out he was met by others, and
did not return. At the superintendents
Office many labOrerS from the East Sew
enth street cable line applied for their
checks during the day, but the pay rolls
were not finished, and will not be until
to-day. Therefore, these men will have
to wait for their money until this even
ing. There are about 700 men on the
different pay rolls.
When strangers passed through the
crowd near the Office they were watched
closely, and some of them interviewed,
and whenever they showed disposition
to seek mployment by the company,
they were ur ged to take walk, and, to
man, accepted the invitation.
About II o'clock a new man went
into the barn at the Oak street entrance.
to see him, but
IT WAS TOO LATE;
he was at work among the horses.
Finally dozen men of various nation
alitieS arrived at the barn during the
morning, seeking employment, but they
were quietly persuaded to depart.
Some of these were strapped" and
their needs were provided for. Repre-
sentative strikers remained on duty all
day, looking out for such men, and the
company received few, if any, new ap-
plications for work: A GLOBE reporter
| found Supt. Scott in his Office and put
the oft-repeated question: "Will you
| start car out to-day?'
81 can't say" said the superintend-
| ent, shaking his head in the negative.
when do you expect to resume busi-
ness?"
THAT is question I cannot answer.
Well let you know when we have de-
| cided.''
Little groups of five or six gathered
| on the streets to hear what newly-ar-
| rived friends had to say and to assist in
| diSSuading wOuld-be applicants from
seeking positions, but no overt act was
| committed. The course of the cable
| line men caused more unfavorable COM
ment than anything else. On this sub
| ject Driver Quaden, of the strikers
committee, said:
| The cable men are acting very queer. I
| really think that they have an understanding
with the company. We shall see about it.
We wish to be peaceable and orderly, and
| we are not disposed to have any trouble We
| have found it a hardship to be docked and
| put at the foot of the list if we were minute
late. Our hours were so onregular-so late
into the night and seven days to the week
that we needed to Iest day or so each week
| ia keep from breaking down entirely. and
we are dissatisfied with such a strict
rule on this point. 1t would lose
| us anywhere from day to three
months and maybe more, according to the
| number of extras (drivers) that were on.
have been in the employ of the company a
| year. The first three months was at Is cents
all hour, then l6 cents, and then II cents.
| Now they cut us down TO 10 cents an hour
straight through. If the run is ten hours the
| pay amounts to $1,000 for seven days, but if
| day is taken for rest the weeks pay is only
| So, and if man is a minute late he is set
| back so that his poverty is complete. Most
! of us have families. We only averaged
| about $40 a week before, and this really
! means much less. The barn men are also
| cut from $40 to 50 week They work from
| 3 O'Clock a. m. till 6 o'clock p. m. with forty
minutes for breakfast and forty minutes for
| dinner.