The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-28
Letter From the Chief Of the
Locomotive Engineers.
4 Neutral Policy Advised in Strikes Of
Other Organizations.
Reply 10 Charges Of General Master POEdfrly.
Chicago SWitChmen'S ASsOCia.
tiOn Dissolved.
Special Dispatches to THE MORNING CALL.

Special Dispatches to THE MORNING CALL.
NEW YORK, Aug. 27.-The letter given
below was written by P. NJ. Arthur, Chief
Engineer of the Grand international
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, to
the Engineer of the Third-avenue Elevated
road The letter is in response to letter
on the subject of the Central strike, and is
the first utterance of Arthur, which fully
defines his position toward the Central
strikers and the Knights Of Labor. The
letter is as follows:
ARTHUR's LETTER.
CLEVELAND, Ohio, August 23d.
r. II. Holn1dn-DEAR SIE AND BROTHER
Your letter of the 23d inst, with Powderly's
letter and other clippings from New
York papers inclosed. received In reply
l will say | have not received any letter
from Powderly. He claims to have written
me a private letter on the trouble. and
wants me to define my position.
II he considers his letter that ap-
one, l don't. nor will answer letters that
reach ME In that way. 1t is unnecessary
for Powderly or any one else to ask me to
define the position of the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Engineers in the present
trouble on the New York Central. The
policy of the brotherhood is we'll known TO
him and the public. as it has been repeat
edly explained from the public platform
and published in the newspapers.
THE CLEVELAND APPOINTMENT.
He says: "Some time ago 1 telegraphed
him (meaning me) that l would meet him in
Cleveland, and when l arrived there 1
could not find him high or low. | learned
the telegram had been received by him,
but my efforts to locate him were fruitlesS.
Now the facts of the case as far as |
can recollect are these: Some four years
ago l received telegram from Powderly
requesting me to meet him at the Union
Depot in Cleveland on the arrival of cer-
tain train on the Lake Shore road. Owing
to my absence from my office | did not re-
ceive the message until after the departure
of the train, and so informed him by letter,
addressing 1t to him at Scranton. do not
believe he stopped over and looked for me,
if he had he would have had no difficulty in
finding me at my office or at my home, as
am always at one or The other when in
Cleveland.
EASILY FOUND.
He tells wllful falsehood when he says
the other leaders were unable to find me
when they tried to do so. Any man who
tries to find me when am in Cleveland can
do so with very little effort, and no man,
whether leader or q private in the ranks OF
labor, ever came to my Office that he wa S
not treated courteOusly. While l differ
with men as to the best methods to be en-
ployed to secure q certain end. l have
always been liberal enough to concede to
every man the same rights and privileges
ask for myself. When the present trouble
on the New York Central first occurred
advised the engineers to abstain from
strictly to their own business.
l gave the same advice when the strike
occurred ON the Gould system few years
ago. My advice to the Brotherhood En-
gineers, when the men employed In other
branches of the railroad service have been
on strike, was to mind their own business
and not to do anything that did not prop
erly belong to them as engineers. Can
Powderly say the same? l think not.
Whenever the engineers have been on
strike we never asked any other labor or
ganization to assist us.
NEUTRAL POSITION.
1t is true some members Of the order
during the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy
strike imp0rtuned the Switchmen to quit,
but they did it on their own responsibility,
not by the authority of the organization.
Consequently hold that we are perfectly
justified in maintaining strictly neu-
trail position when others are engaged
in q conflict with their employers.
Powderly accuses the members of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers of
taking the places of striking firemen. If
that is true the division Of which they are
members will deal with them. 1t is not
within the province Of my authority to deal
with individual members. l wonder If
Powderly had the Knights expelled who
took the places of our men on the Chicago,
Burlington and Quincy. Yours fraternally,
p. Nj. ARTHUR.
CHICAGO swITCHMEN.
CHICAGO, Aug. 27.-At the stock-yards
this morning, while business is not at
standstin, operations are not being con-
Quoted with their former, facility. The
engines, except those Of the Lake Shore
road, are manned with officials Of the re-
spective companies. All the packing houses
are killing to-day.
The striking switchmen are marking every
car that leaves the yards with private
be handled by regular men of the various
roads.
1t is rumored this morning that switch
men on thes Pittsburg, Fort Wayne and
Chicago road have struck.
The strike of the switchmen on the Alton
Railroad continues. This morning the fire
men and engineers decided not to go out in
support Of the swtchmen. Later in the day
number of non-uniOn switchmen were Sc
cured and sent to Work under police pro-
lection.
MEETING OF GENERAL MANAGERS.
General Managers of all the roads center
ing in Chicago were in session nearly all
day, discussing the strike of the Stock
yards Switching Association. The most
positive action taken during the day was
the adoption of two resolutions touching
kindred subjects. The first declared that
under no circumstances would the demands
of the striking switchmen for increased pay
the action Of Monday dissolving the Switch
Association. The Switching Association,
while it may have been held in abeyance up
to this time, is now certainly dissolved, and
it is hoped by. the General Man.
ayers that this will offer a speedy
solution of the strike, as the roads are
doing their own switching. Considerable
time was consumed in the discussion and
adoption of certain neediul regulations to
control the interchange of the freight
traffic. The General Managers declared
their action in regard to the strike to be
final and adjourned sine die.
THE NEW YORK CENTRAL.
NEW YORK. Aug. H.-Ihe knights OF
Labor have played their last card against
the New York Central. All they can do
now is to await the result. BY tonight
they will have called out every man who
owes them allegiance, and the strike will
be enforced as strongly as an organization
can enforce 1t. The railroad officials laugh
at the efforts of Powderly to tie up the road
and say they are managing their business
better than ever, Notwithstanding the shout
ing Of the strikers.
THE TIUMEN TRAGEDY.
Russian Exiles Ruth!essly Murdered by Co.'S
sack Guards
New YORK, Aug 2S.-The World says
that. Russian named Alexander Kwiat-
koWski arrived here ON Monday. direct