Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-08-14
A SUDDEN STRIKE.

Trains ON the New York Central Road
Abandoned in . Moment-Cause OF the
strike-A Passenger Gorge.
NEW YORK. Aug. 9.-The storm among
the thousands of employees OF the New
York Central and Vanderbilt lines, ow-
ing to the discharge of Knights of La
Dor and Brotherhood men. broke out
shortly after seven o'clock last night.
ALI the length of the Central was tied
up Trains were left by the crews
where they stood when the order came.
Two passenger trains were left at
Eigh ty-sixth street in the tunnel, one
going in each direction. The latest re-
port is that the West Shore railroad is
tied up throughout its length, as we'll
as the New York & New Haven rail-
road Great throngs Of people are
crowded into the Grand Central
depot trying to have tickets
changed and asking all man
ner of questions No one seems
to know how it was, or who ordered the
strike. Even j. J. Holland, the labor
leader, denied that he knew who Or
dered it or even that it was ordered.
The representatives of the railroad
company called upon Acting Superin-
tendent of Police Byrnes for protection.
Vice-President Webb, of the New
York Central, on being interviewed by
| a reporter, said that the strike extend
ed only to West Albany. All men who
went out from the employ of the road,
he said, would be promptly discharged.
Those men who remained true to the
company would be we'll taken care of
and amply protected, as we'll as all men
who came to work for the road The
road would take on all good men who
applied for work in the morning, as far
as they were needed to fill the places of
the deserters and they would be
guaranteed against all harm as
we'll. With great emphasis, the
vice-president announced that he would
| fight the strikers to the bitter
end. He said that the new set of de-
mands he had never seen and knew
nothing whatever about In effect these
demands are for a minimum days
wages of S1.5O; station agents to receive
AN increase of SIS month; men in yards
at Troy and Green Island shall receive
the same compensation as at Shenec-
tady and East Albany; all firemen on
six-wheel connected engines shall re-
ceive 81 cents per mile; all engineers
on same, 4 cents; four-wheel engine en-.
SAhOOho o/2 SOACS pS1 ulAAO, hIOhCA, =
cents per mile; for all men over time,
double pay.
Mr.. Webb announced that the fast
mail had pulled out OF the depot at $500
o'clock with four mails, but no passen-
ger cars were attached to the train.
The vice-president further announced
that no attempt would be made to run
any trsins last night. Every thing
would be left at standstill just where
the men left off. There were no means
to get to Albany or New England last
night, but the opening up of the great
avenues Of trade would be begun to-
day.
1t is announced that the e-president
will give out an official statement of the
roads position in the present contro-
versy that the people of the country may
Judge who is right and who is wrong.
The strike was ordered on account of
the discharge of certain employees. I'm
der the orders every train was aban-
doned, no matter where it might be.
The ITO train for Mon treal was waiting
the signal at the Grand Central Depot
when the engineer, fireman and brake
man left it and walked out of the depot.
Efforts made to secure men to fill their
places were without avail. Men on
other trains also left them. Travel was
thus not only blocked on the Central
road but also on the New York & New En-
gland and New York & Harlem roads
| which use the tracks of the Central
road as far as Melrose. There is great
excitement at the depot, where great
crowds of people are gathered. who ex-
| pected to take trains out of the city.
The hotels in the neigh borhood are
crowded with disappointed travellers