Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-31
The Fifth Avenue Line Gripmen Out
on Strike.
FEW CARS MANNED AEDOPERATED
Statements From the Strikers and the
Company officials.
FURTHER 7IE-UPs ARE PREDICTED

short time to accommodate all its patrons.
The strike took place about 3 o'clock,
when the union men received the following
notice from I. N. Ross, Master Workman OF
d. A. No. 8.
DISTRICT ASSEMBLY No. g.
KNIGHTS OF LABOR,
PITTSBURG, d ecember 30.
BRoTHER-By the authority vested in your
committee through the action of L A. 2l26. x
of L., you are ordered in defense of your
brothers wrongfully discharged for connection
with this order, and for your own protection to
leave your car at Oakland until your rights are
respected and situations guaranteed through
faithful duty and obedience of the general rules
governing the road. / N. Ross,
District Master Workman Knights of Labor.
Master workman L. A. 2l2s, K of L.
The first man to leaves his car was Louis
Burke, gripman of No. 2. He was going to
East Liberty at the time, and upon arriving
at the Oakland power house threw down the
brake lever, and jumped out of the cab
window. His action was greeted with
cheers by the discharged men who were
standing opposite the power house. The
next car also stopped at Oakland. The first
car to pass Burke on its way to the city did
not stop, but the one following it did.
Within half an hour there was string Of
east and west bound cars standing on both
tracks. The gripmen and conductors con-
gregated in front of their boarding houses
near Oakland avenue and waited develop
ments.
THE STRIKE UNFORESEEN.
The strike at that hour was wholly unex-
pected by the officials OF the company.
They had expected the men to leave their
cars early in the morning. Not having
done so, it was thought that tine blow would
be struck this morning. AT the time the
men tiled up" Chief Engineer Davis was
in the city. He was telephoned for by his
assistant, Superintendent Edward McDow-
ELL who also notified Detective Burbridge,
at the Seventh Avenue Hotel, to bring his
men out.
The new men who were brought here bv
the company from Chicago were hurried out
to the power house, and put on the cars.
Some of them had not been over the road
before, but with the assistance of expert
enced conductors they were enabled to
"jump in'' at once and run the cars with
safety. One of the strikers called at The
DISPATCH office last night, and said two
grips had been broken by the new men, but
the officials deny this. The first car into
the city after the strike was inaugurated
met with an accident at the foot of Soho
hill. The gripman lost the rope as he was
going around the curve, and the car stuck
until pushed into town by the car follow
ing it.
As each car came up to the power house
and the crew jumped out, there was a Wild
shout of enthusiasm from the strikers. |
Those vino did not leave their cars were ap-
pealed to, but upon refusing to Ego OUT
they were left alone.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Roger !
O'Mara, who had been on the ground since |
6 o'clock in the morning, had number of |
officers with him to preserve the peace, but |
there was no attempt at disorder! Boger |
made several of his characteristic speeches |
to the strikers, advising them to keep within
bounds The men respected his wishes, and |
it was soon found that there was no necessity |
for the police. Inspector Whitehouse, of |
the Second district, was also on hand with a
number of his men. A patrol box stands on |
the corner of Oakland and Fifth avenues, ,op-
posite the power house. The Assistant Su-
perintendent had the wires SO arranged that
be could call any number of police within
few minutes.
AN ORDERLY STRIKE.
In speaking OF the strikers afterward, Mr.. |
O'Mara said: 81 have been engaged in
nearly all the strikes in this city within the
past few years, but 1 never saw more
orderly lot of men. There is no attempt
made by the officers to keep them from con-
versing with the men who refused to go out
They have not done anything bordering on
violence, and 1 do not see much necessity
for police protection. The strikers under
stand that we are here 70 prevent disorder,
and we will preserve the peace if we have to
run in every man connected with the road"
AT 43O o'clock the company had all the
cars manned again, and running as usual.
Chief Engineer Davis said they averaged 26
cars daily, and had "a of them out at sup
per time last night. He said they would
have the other two running this morning.
The strikers were greatly incensed at the
action of one of the gripmen named James
Duddy, who came here from Philadelphia.
A committee of them stated to The DIS
PATCH representative that buddy was the
first man to talk about the organization.
They stated that he induced other men to
join the organization, and when they did so
and were discharged, he went back on them.
When Duddv arrived at Oakland he asked
for police protection, and Special Officer
McTighe was put in the car with him. In
addition to the IA men from Chicago the COM
pany called upon some of the officials to take
out the cars. Chief Engineer Davis said he
would run a car himself if it became neces-
say, but his services were required at the
powerhouse.
CAUSES OF THE STRIKE.
The cause of the strike was printed in
yesterdays DISPATCH. The men Joined L.
A. 2126, and some of them were discharged.
After holding a consultation with Master
Workman DeLowTy, OF the Traction LAS
sembly, Mr.. Ross decided to call the others
out to make the company re-instate the
men. This the officials claim they will not
do. The order to the men was not issued
until after the reinstatement of the men was
denied by the labor officials.
One of the gripmen, a tat, jolly-faced lit
tie fellow who was taking in everything in
a good humored way, and who was among
those discharged On Sunday, said yesterday: |
81 do not know what / was disch arged for
unless the company thought was getting
too fat and they were carrying too much
flesh for nothing. I took my car to the
power house Saturday night and the next
thing 1 heard was that / had been fred.
Yes, was one of the men who got into the
union; but do not think the company has
any right to tell me what shall do after
am off duty. 1t want to attend meeting
OF the Knights of Labor think that is-mY
business as long as / do not go there on the
company's time. If the officials of this road
have the authority to say shall or shall not
belong to any labor organization they may
as well say what church man dst attend.
The only thing that would prevent them
from doing this is the tact that we never get
time to attend church. Itwould be aWfully
funny to hear Colonel Elkins say: Say, I
there, No. 10. you go to the Methodist
charged
There is no use kicking about the mat
ter. We are out now and from the present
indications think MO wi1I sto,- o,,t n,l,,. /