Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-01-05
The ~ Strike Is OFF
Successful Issue of the Cav.
ener Conference.
THE TERMS NOT YET ANNOUNCED.


the Recent Antagonists-rhe Cost of
the Difficulty Away Up In the Millions
What the Burlington Lost in the
Fight-Brief History of the Struggle
Mr.. Stones Statement.
CHICAGO, Jan 5-The officials of the
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad and
the committee representing the Brotherhood
or Locomotive Engineers ca me to a full I'M
derstanding yesterday and the great strike
was declared off
The conference, which has awakened so
much curiosity since it began last Monday,
came TO an end shortly before 6 o'clock yes
terday afternoon The last days session
commenced at !0:30 a. H. and at that hour
it was expected that the result would be
known by noon. Presumably some diff
Guilty was experienced in settling the point
on which the disagreement occurred on the
preceding day, and at l O'Clock no conclu-
sion had been reached. A recess was taken
until 3 o'clock, when the conference was re-
sumed. Shortly after this the representa-
tiyes of the road withdrew from tine room
for the purpose of giving the members of the
committee an opportunity to confer among
themselves as TO whether they should grant
modification of some point in the terms
under consideration. The committee was
alone for three-quarters Of An hour, when
the Burlington people were called I'm,
and it was nearly two hours later when the
meeting broke up. To the reporters Vice
President $ one said:
The Burlington strike is settled BY the terms
OF the resolution under which the committee was
appointed at the Richmond convention Mr. Cav
ener was instructed to report to Mr. Arthur at
Cleveland whenever settlement should be
reached The COMMITTEES. has thprrfOr, rpoupsta1
us not to make the terms Of settlement public I'M
til it has had an opportunity to acquaDt Mr.. Ar
thur with the facts, as il is deemed only proper
and courteous that he should hear it first from
the committee instead OF through the public
press. We have told the members of the CON-
mittee that we will scrupulously respect their
wishes in this regard. They promise ths Mr..
Arthur will advise me soon as he receiv the
report so that l can advise our people al the
public generally of the basis Of settlement
Chairman Cavener would say no NOR than
this. He reiterated the statement of Mr..
Stone and said the public should be advised
as soon as Chief Arthar was heard from to
the effect that he had received the report
At present it was sufficient that the strike
was off.
Thus ends the greatest strike of the de-
cade. 1t commenced Feb. 81, 1SS~. when all
the engineers on the Chicago, Burlington s.
Quincy system voluntarily abandoned their
positions because the company refused to
pay all engineers alike, regardless OF their
experience or time of service. The firemen
also went out and were followed later by the
switchmen. The struggle for supremacy be-
tween the the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers ami one of the most powerful rail-
road corporations i'll the west appeared to be
an even fight for long time, with the ad-
vantage on neither side. The road was badly
crippled, aud sustained losses which would
have bankrupted corporation of less
financial strength Other western roads were
affected more or less, and some of them
criticised the management of the Buring-
ton for its failure to pacate the engineers.
The company, however, stood firm, and
after much difficulty succeeded in employing
a sufficient number of engineers and fire
men to run their trains. These were brought
from various parts or the country, and Of
course we're non-b otherhooi men The
ma ority of them were, however Knights of
Labor, and their readiness to take the places
of the strikers widened the breach between
those two orders, which had never cult
waited the most friendly relations IL was
fully two months after the strike began be-
fore the company was in position to resume
the regular running of all its trains, and up
to that time it had been able to handle very
little business, either passenger or freight.
The losses of the Burlington in consequence
OF the strike are estimated at not less than
IS, COCOON. As bad luck would have il the
trouble came IN year when the company,
in common with all other western roads, was
suffering from the ruinous effects Of the rate
wars and lean traffic, SO that from these
combined causes the Burlington's losses for
1888 were upward of S5uOO,OO0
The drain on the treasury of the Brother
hood has also been heavy, as the idle engin-
GERS have received regular monthly allow
ances sufficient for their support from the
organization for the past ten months Re-
Gently complaints have been made that all
the railroads of the country were arrayed
against the strikers so that if any of their
number applied for employment on other
roads their services were rejected. This
state OF affairs Convinced the brotherhood
that it was absolutely necessary to settle the
strike In some manner, and the annual con-
vention at Richmond, Va, appointed a CON-
mittee of nine, with A. r. Cavener as chair
man, to bring about a settlement, and this he
has, happily, succeeded in doing in manner
that will doubtless give him honor in his
order
Now that the strike is off the idle engin-
GERS will, by the rules of the brotherhood,
be deprived of the financial support which
they have heretofore received. But they
will also be given a chance of securing en-
ployment, as by the terms of the agreement
all vacancies on the Burlington are hereafter
to be filled with brotherhood men