, 1890-05-03
CHICAGO STRIKES
CHICAGO STRIKES
Thousands of Men Join the Idle
Carpenters.
No Cause Assigned in Many
Instances.
Governor Hill Signs the Ballot
Reform Bill.

CHICAGO, May 2-The threatened
strikes in this city which may be said to
have technically begun yesterday, when
organized labor took its holiday, were not
made apparent until this morning, when
the men failed to resume work at many
shops. The Black road in the vicinity OF
the Mccormick Reaper works had much
the same appearance today as it had four
years ago. None but strikers could be
seen and they had entire possession.
Every man. boy and girl employed in the
Malleable LION works, Tw~enty-sixth and
Rockwell streets, is out. The total mum
Der of employees is l,2OO. No particular
reason was assigned by the men for
quitting work, A committee was ap-
pointed last night to wait upon the
officials, but they seem disinclined to go
before their employers. President Bailey
called the strikers before him and up
braided them for going out without notice
and told them that when they found out
what they wanted to let him know their
demands. The men seemed not to know
what to say in reply. The chairman Of
the molders committee says they want ten
hours as a days work, fifteen cents ad-
vance wages and so per cent extra for
overtime.
At the great Mccormick Reaper works
about fifty moulders went out, but work
was progressing as usual. A large pro-
portion of the employees at the foundries
of Barnum 4 Richards, the Ajax Forge
company and Chicago Car Wheel com
paDy, went out and these concerns closed.
As elsewhere, no formal demand was
made or the employers.
At the Wells-French Car c~ompany's
shops every one of the 1000 employees
ven out and the shops were closed. The
blacksmiths were the only ones who made
known their demands, which was for
eight hours as a days work.
At the f. Il. Roberts foundry 1t was
said that the men seemed anxious for
either a strike or a vacation, so the works
have been shut Town until next Monday
to accommodate them.and make repairs.
The entire number of employees of N.
K. Fairbank & Co., soaps and lard, will
go out Monday. Coopers to the number
of eighty struck this morning. This was
a surprise as the men employed by Fair
bank are receiving better wages than
those paid elsewhere. They want eight
hours work and nine hours pay. About
six hundred men will strike. The coopers
are in earnest in their demand for eight
hours, and in all portions Of the city men
are quitting work on the refusal of their
employers to surrender. In the north
western districts of the city there is not
one cooper working.
From three to four thousand sash, door
and blind men walked out of the
the various factories in the southwest
lumber district this morning. Their ac-
ton was apparently without warning
The men came to their places as usual
this morning and. with a few exceptions.
proceeded to work. When the whistles
blew an hour or so later they threw
down their tools and quietly walked sout.
giving no explanation. The report is
current tonight that nearly all planning
mill men in the city will quit tomorrow.
1t was also said hat all wood
workers in whatever branch of
business were restless and might join
strike at any moment Everything re-
manned quiet Notwithstanding the large
number OF men idle and the police say
they do not anticipate any disturbance.
Four hundred men in Dinman's furni-
ture factory and seven hundred in the
Chicago cottage organ factory struck this
afternoon for eight hours. Several
thousand lumber showers in the lumber
district along the Black road are dissatis-
fec and a strike is anticipated among
them.