The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-10-02

edge OF revolutionary tactics, and as
serted that the Pinka rtons, who were
getting S. per day as speclal guards
were responsible for IL 70 damages DIS
they wished to keep up the eXcltenlen1'
Some twenty of the str 1kers were ar
rested. chiefly on the char 70 OF lhtlml-
dating non-union men, and Aux OF them
were convicted and imprisonei Tor from
tbraa 70 twelve months EACH. This
strike never was declaredN off by the
Knights. but they were undoubtedly
badly defeated.
The next strike of any importance
among the railroad men was that ON the
Missouri Pacific in 1886. 1t came about
in a curious way. The Texas Pacific
road was in the hands of receiver an.
pointed by the United States court and
foreman named Hall was discharged
The knights of Labor, under the leader
ship OF man named Martin Irons, came
to the conclusion that they could coerce
the Texas Pacific by striking the Mis-
souri, Pacific. Vice President Hoxie be-
came very angry, claiming that he had
no power over road in the hands of n
court, and the fight became bitter one.
There was some rioting, the usual shoot
ing of Innocent people who had come to
look on, anu the usual employment of
Pinkerton police. For time st. Louis
was isolated from the rest of the coun-
try, but the strike finally petered out
and many of the strikers We're forced to
find new places. This trouble lasted
about two months and a hGlf, and in
volved the Texas Pacific, the Missouri
Pacific, the old Iron Mountain and the
Missouri, Kansas and Pacific roads,
Over 40, 900 men were thrown out of en-
ployment and about $4,000 were con-
eerned in the strike A curious Incl
dent in the strike was the bitter CORE
spondence between Mr.. Jay Gould and
Master Workman 7. V. Powderly, in
which there was some hard hitting on
each side.
In this year the men on the North
Shore road struck because of the refusal
of the officials to discharge eight nom
union men. The strike was settled in
six days by finding other work for the
eight men. In December, 1887, the
strike on the Reading road took place,
which is worthy of line because of the
effect it had afterward. The Knights of
Labor engineers began it, and men from
the Brotherhood Of Locomotive Engin-
GERS took their places, the strike being a
failure in consequence.
The Brotherhood of Locomotive En-
gineers has always been considered one
of the most conservative labor unions
in the country. 1t was thought to
be one of the most powerful until
February, 1888, when it inaugurated
what is known as the &C., B. and O."
strike. The men at the throttles of the
engines on the Chicago, Burlington and
Quincy, the Burlington and Missouri
River, the Hannibal and st. Joe, the
Kansas City, the st. Joe and Council
Bluffs, and the Chicago and Iowa roads
were members Of the organization.
The roads were paying them by trips
and grading the pay SO that the men on
the branch did not get as much as those
on the trunk lines for their work. The
Brotherhood asked for pay per mile of
run and equal pay to all. These being
refused Chief Arthur ordered a strike.
1t was the opportunity of the knights to
get even with the Brotherhood for their
defeat on the Reading. They fairly
focked to Chicago to take the place of
the striking men and as fast as Broth
erhood engineer went out Knight of
Labor stepped in. The strike was fore
doomed to failure, and although Chief
Arthur called the Brotherhood men from
the Reading he was unable to save it.
No violence was attempted except in
one case where some men attempted to
place dynamite on the c., B. and @.
track, for which they were duly punished.
The next important strike was by
Knights of Labor on the New York Cen
trail railroad, the history of which isstill
current. A. B.