The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-06-25
TRAINS AT A STANDSTILL.
COMPLETE SUSPENSION OF BUSINESS
ON THE ILLINOIS CENTRAL.

Fifteen Hundred Conductors. SwItohmen.
and Brnkemen strike - No Mail TraIns
Neutrality-suspicious. Results to Commerce.
Grievances OF the Employees.
CHICAGO. June 2i-The strike Of freight con-
ductors. switchmcn, and brakemen on the lille
nois Central Railroad, which began last night,
has become serious The suburban trainmon
struck this morning. and thore are now 1900
mon idle and the business OF the road is paral-
y2ed. The bone OF contention is i. g. Russell,
superintendent OF tho northern lines OF the
Illinois and Wisconsin Railroad lie came to
Chicago year ago, and since the men under
him have been dissatisfied.
The immediate cause was the resignation OF
Trainmaster Oliver Berry and his assistant,
Irwin Z. Pushle. A rumor went the round Of
the freight yard yesterday that 1t was tho !n-
tention OF Superintendent Z. G. Russell to dis.
miss Berry and Pushle. The trainmaster and
his assistant went to the superintendents TO
learn the truth OF the rumor. They also formu-
lated a grievance which has been q sore point
for some months with tho brakemen aad con-
ductors.
Under the old rules o freight train arriving
in the depot first was always allowed to depart
before tho others, but Mr.. Russell allowed cor
tain men TO run their trains before others.
Berry inquired whether the superintendent
would insist on the new rule. He answered
yes, land being questioned further as to
their intended dismissal again replied In the
affirmative. Berry and Pushie then handed In
As tho news spread through the yards the
men decided to stop work Last evening the
struck at once. At a meeting demand for
the removal Of Russell and tho reinstatement
OF Berry and Pushie was adopted. This was
presented this morning and as it was not COM
piled with tho suburban men Joined the
The strikers attached the mail and express
cars TO tho engine OF the New Orleans mall
train but left the coaches with their exasper-
ated passengers unconnected. 1t was the
Intention 10 send the dismembered train out
ut the schedule time but Mr. sullivan said the
railroad company has no contract to carry
nails except on regular passenger trains. and
the train dispatcher was not authorized e
Ht Wh 2f n0 no hS
strikers refused TO allow the whole train TO
pr Se tho f transportaton Of the mail and
express matter that the railroad detained 1t
at the comp,g9nys own risk. ,,, c.
tendont sullivan, and the. heads Of the trailc
DEPARTMENTS had q conference ~ today with
tho card. and announced their determination
They said there was no room for compromise
on the subject. Not one OF them would 60 to
work again under him, or consent to receive
another order from him..
General Manager Beck was ordered to sup;
10 be- very Serious ru he ended at
1870 p. NJ. for the day The only conclusion
arrived at thnt thy Tnd resist rt The
now await overtures on the part Of their en-
Ployees who are out. and It is said that un-
less the men return to work to. morrow MORN
ingg the company will proceed 10 hire new men.
throughout large section of country, both
West and South. The suburban traffic of the
road is enormous. The trains run in ana out
OF the city every few minutes from 3 in tho
morning until midnight, and are crowded. All
these people are now thrown upon their own
resources for tran Sportation.
TO stop freight traffic on the Illinois Central
means to prevent thousands OF people in north
ern Iowa, southern Illinois. Kentucky, Tenneo-
See. Mississippi and Louisiana from getting
products to markets. The yards in this city
are nllcd with freight cars. nnditho sta ling OF
the trains now in transit will Am every trans
fer track touched by he road. The Michigan
Central. Baltimore andOhiOand Big Four roads
which enter the city over tho Illinois Central
tracks. were seriously impedeh owing to the
lam o: Illinois Central cars on the tracks.
At to-days meeting Of the strikers an order
was made extending the strike over the whole
of the Illinois Central IN Hin Is Wisconsin:
Superintendent Russell has control"