The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-09-23
he Steam Motor Line Temporarily
Tied Up, Firemen Discharged
and Engineers Strike.
An Attempt to Reduce Their
Wares Causes the
Trouble.
They Have Not Been Paid For Last Montn
Tho Electric Line-The Broad
water Hotel.

,and in hand. and in succession in Helena,
here have been carpenters graders and now
n engineers strike, and the telegraph an
,ounces printers strike at Missoula, and
here are whispers of miners strike at
g1ran,te. It seems that all the RS flock to-
either and Yesterdays strike was on the
team motor line.
4 For few hours yesterday morning the
motor line was tied up and the work OF
funninq trains was done by the master
mechanic and ''scab' fireman. each man
ling motor. On Sunday night Superin-
lent Humbert notified the engineers that
le had received orders to discharge the fire.
men and reduce the wages of the engineers
rom $115 to 500 per month.
Y The engineers. three in number, belong to
he brotherhood and refused to 60 to work
in any such terms and they took the other
alternative. It appears that they have not
\ ret been paid for last months work and de-
handed their money. They were asked to
20 to work and they would be paid OIL
weekly and the company would pay them
FOR the past month on the installment plan.
They would have accepted this proposition,
but would not think Of going to work at the
.educed scale and do the work of the ire
men besides, who were earning $75 per
month. The result was that they all struck:
The conductors wages were cut down 30
ser month, but they made no complaint
ind are now drawing $75 per month.
| The engineers do not blame Mr.. Hum
who is popular among the no.
9 in financial straits. Before the summer
season opened the engineers did the work
# the firemen for 800; but then they
worked only seven hours and had better
,oal; now they are asked to labor about six
ieen hours, SO one of the men INFORMED
reporter, for the same money.
"If this was company OF poor men,
laid one of the engineers, I'VE would not
,are so much, but would try and help them
along; but every stakeholder is a rich man
and when they are not willing to pay US
what is justly coming to US, why they can
nave families to support and need the
money, and cannot afford to await the COM
panv's convenience. It's our wages for
last month We want and must have it: y
The engineers have placed tho matter in
the hands Of the county attorney who will
occasion the men had to institute legal
proceeding to get their wages.
Only two motors were in use yesterday.
Several attempts were made to hire engi-
neers, but those who were approached re-,
fused to 20 to work. The strikers are Fred
Duggar. Alex. Patton and Geo. Luye. Inc
master mechanic is Dan Hendricks and the
''scab" fireman who manned one of the
motors, is James Shively.
Mr.. Duggar said that it is harder work
to run steam motor on that line than II
! ia to run locomotive, and no commonplace
engineer can do the work successfully
5h1vely got stuck while once going up Sixth
avenue, and the strikers stood by laughing
at him in derision.
Supt. Humbert of the motor line an.
nounces that he will have the trains run
ming on time to-day. OF his connection
with the strike he said last night: IT had {
talk with the men Sunday night. had to
cut down expenses, but wanted to keep the
old hands and intended to have three shifts
at shorter hours. The men said they were
agreeable to my proposition, and assured
them I was working for their interests al
my own. figured everything out and BY
paying them weekly would have the bacl
dues paid in the course of two weeks. After
it was too late they offered to go to work
making two shifts, on the old scale, where
as my proposition was more advantageous
to them, giving them the benefit of shor
hours. As it is don't see how they are 60
ing to get their money. They may secure
"a Judgment, but in the company's fnancia
condition they will not find any one willin,
to buy their judgments and will have t.
wait probably six months. have not
drawn cent of pay in four months mysel
and am the last one to cut wages down
But everything will be running all right to
day.
Picture frames of all kinds made to orde
90 nH hit, IT, nuSo