New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-27
TROUBLE BREWING IN CHICAGO
STRIKES OF SWITCHNlEN LEAD TO AN UGLY
SITUATION.

FORTY-FIVE MEN Go QUE AMI BLUM ln
TRAFFIC on THE ALToN-THE SWITCHING
ASSOCIATION DIssoLVES AND GEN.
ERAL TIE.UP EXPECTED BECAUSE
OF THE STOCK YARDS STRIKE.
Chicago, Aug 26.-The switchmen on the
Chicago and Alton road struck this morning.
detachment of police was sent to the yards OF
the company. The strike began last night ana
continued to-day. The passenger trains are
moving all right, but the freight trains are tied
up There has been violence, also When the
police were called to the neighborhood Of the
yards their presence was required TO quell dls-
turbance among some stevedores.
The cause of the strike, explained by the
tranmaster, is that the company wished to place
one of its old employees in charge of the yard at
Bridgeport, whereas the men wanted man OF
their selection. The company refused to grant
this, and strike is the result. There IS no DIS
satisfaction among the men regarding salaries or
treatment About forty-fve out alto
gether
General Manager Chappell of the read said
We simply take the defensive, and shall neve" re-
employ a single striker The whole trouble arises
from the promotion and subsequent discharge of
one of our switchmen to foreman of the Bridge
port yard The reason for his discharge in
many years held the place. was called back from
the Chicago and Western Indiana road at an in
crease in salary. You see, Mr.. WEIGH left our
road to better himself and took with him our
warmest wishes He was to resume September |,
and SO he shall. Our men demand promotion
from their ranks. Although we are perfectly
willing to do thls we at the same time cannot
and certainly shall not put incompetent persons
where they do not belong.
The strikers are not all union or Brotherhood
men, and it is said the Switchmen's Union has
already informed the strikers that they have no
just grievance. The strike is unauthorzed by the
union, and it is not believed that it will prove
serious Mr.. Chappell said that none OF these
strikers would be reempoyed.
The road is endeavoring to do business under
police protection, but its freight traffic is pretty
cftectually tied up.
The switchmen, in giving their side of the
story, say that they object to Wech only because
he Is tyranDlcal.
The strike of the switchmen Of the Stock Yards
Switching Association after the grievances OF the
engineers and tiIcmen had been adjusted, yeSer-
day afternoon, put new phase on the situation,
and this morning it was decided to dissolve the as
| suciation and allow each road to do It's own
| switching. Superintendent BOyce, of the Rock
Island and Superintendent Hessler OF the Burlng-
ton, together with several other members OF the
old directory Of the Switching Association, went to
the stock yards to assume personal direction o1 The
! tight The striking switchmen weie told that their
| services were no longer required, ana new men
| were procured 10 do the switching. during tne
| early hours of the morning little was done IN the
| wnv NJ clearing cars. Superintendent Marsh went
| down to the yards this morning, at the heaH oi
| 800 men, TO take charge of the police arrange
| ments there and TO see that no violence was com-
| nIit ted. l., IT.
In the yards little purchasing was done Inc
! buvers and sellers assembled under the ruH-"dSs
| and discussed the strike They made no pur-
| chases, though the receipts were decidedly large
considering the circumstances Inc ponce uroNs
| ali of the strikers out of the yards ana lorneu
a Gordon about the place to keep them OUT. Inc
| first road to make a move was the Wsoaeh. Az
had three engines in the yards anu %heu 'is .l .L
| cincers refused take them out Officers ol lhe
road mounted the cabs in the capacity oil engineers
| and frcmen, while others took up the duties Oh
| switchmen and the engines were taken away 70
the round house amid the JeerS OF Inc ldIe mulA'
! tudcs outside of the police c0rdOn .,
| Then came the news to the striking sWlHhmen
| assembled in conference, that re SWltchlhS hs,
| sociaton had been dissolved. The meeting oroke
mn hurricdly the strikers realizing that they were
| striking at empty space. The engineers ie1li%eu
| the change in the situation also ana Wheh or
! dered. proceeded TO take ther ehsiheo y" ~
To.morrow. however. will doubtless see strong
! effort made 10 resume business IN the yarus' lnc
question is whether the engineers WIZ opcS ei,c @
rd.,s ~ ,beir suDeriors nr whether they VIII see
| III 10 transfer the tie-up from the o"lochIi8 ~
| sociation 70 the individual roads composIh9 ~,
The difficulty has cost those dlrec1Ii ie ,yho
| far from half-mion dollars lhe packers WIG WI"
| shinn.d their meat 70 meet certain steamers anu
rkcts Lave been unable TO do SO, ana cU,Iuc'S S
| made have been forfeited. lhefe are iulH ~
oars NJ dressed meat in the yard and each ear con
tGS "i"s 90 900 pounds and the loss at the market
nrice means considerable. Swift N Co. ; c'Is T4' W..
have been standing near tH'lI IL u1v S noUtants
| duv were opened this morning, ana 'he!i Co',II CI
.rc round fo b. spoiled. None of the bl- paINCls
Win thc exception of Swift and Armour "lu ""S
| killing to-day and they did nue. al choir con-
livery Chicago railroad ana az !t .l' ST.,
| rcctions and every railroad in the nllc' NsNES
viii be lied up unless there is wlthuraWMhl M =. ] ,o
| demands of the striking sWiIclilcH VI '''0
N"s T.c yrr the words % General Manager Chap
nell of the Chicago and Alton Railway, touaA r ht
spcaking of the strike at the Sloch isIo LIS ,tcb
r,ro,s will not grant the demands OF the eWl,oh
@ ,SG vii not Weld TO their threats, continued
| MIR Chappcll. No amount oil lnJuIS G ~ phSppnte
" w ,,n,[s M idleness and not even the aosoIute
OF nioe'cS n%epv cent of revenue by every Chicago
rooJ will swervc the railways from TINS course.
.Th, matter discussed at mtc'hiuSS ah Seen ~,
ororaI managers last night, after woru hau pecn
snn;,snd that the Stock lards swltchmell, ntu d
struck The general managers oi heariy an, az T h'
| roads were present, ana tnsy Wcnr 49, leo, ,nrosi
| tbr presence of many presidents aIiu Wv lpms,,i
Tnnti All we're Authorized at a previous consui-
tntion TO enter into an agreement w neI m " And
| end no matter what the resuiI n"A & aS ,rrc>.
everv man spoke and entered mo sucn an Ell Ell
n; ,vbch is that all Chicago railways Win
| stand together one indlViduai 10 OPP Wis
! unjust demands made upon @ snc ~ oo ,%a inter.
| Switching ASsoclSllOl' VI "PN" WIZ
T. is the lrst time the railways ever un.tu: 60
They will stand firm rs rock, ho"SNrl, ~ ~ on5
| nm every road III the country lnucllnio'2, t.
hpnlErnnts all of those waginS the war l. na 1
co,ne t3 n question of the roads being p3hk[uped
by irresponsible employees, and the Ioaus ueoed eS
| ~ ,ht ri~bt here | expect every Chicago roaI
viii bc tied up How much further thf WI war na VIII,
rItend no one eau foretell. But the fullest scopG
| OF stagnation has peeh o"n'"
| our course is laid out -, ,ou mod,
o"a 0Ur course, us agreed upon, has been mace mace
necessary by the demands and laWeSS omens cSnTSs
VI ,i tno Ioavipy thousands of dollars worth oi
TssSi n9ifSSi G'Va to- pefsh on the traces They do not
meet Us first in arbration but inlict nury hne
lo IN, i'm
% poS ~, ho n nower i'm the courts TO check these
e' men To get that power is the TsaSon q the
combine entered into by the railways; Sa hat II
,bis last unwarrantcd demand Will say thao ~
mss s aIi fbc advance Of pay of swtchman in
thc country. The present wages OF the swl,cn- rn'.
is S per month for night 9 oeSn orcmen N, and
Seg for dov helpers These figures are on q
2.is 2o "f ten hours per day for twenty-SX days