Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-25
The Strike of Employees on the Illi-
nois Central at Chicago Assum-
ing Serious Proportions.
A LONG LIST OF GRIEVANCES
Presented BY the Strikers to the Manage
ment, and an Emphatic Demand is
Made for the Immediate
REMOVAL OF THE SUPERINTENDENT
stcppage Of Freight Traffic This Road Will Affect
All Roads Using Their Tracks


freight conductors, switehmen and brake
men on the Illinois Central Railroad has
become serious and threatens to blockade its
entire business The immediate cause was
the resignation of Trainmaster Berry and
his assistant, Irwin E. Pushie. A rumor
went the round that it was the intention of
Superintendent Russell to dismiss Berry
and Pushie. As the tra;nmaster and his
assistant knew of no reason for their dis
missal they took the bull BY the horns and
went to the Superintendent's Office to learn
the truth of the rumor. They also formulat
ed grievance which has been sore point
for some months with the brakemen and
conductors.
CHARGES OF FAvoRITIsM.
Under the old rules freight train arriv-
ing in the depot first was always allowed to
depart before the others, but Mr.. Russell
inaugurated a new rule by which certain
men we're allowed to run their trains before
others, despite the fact that they had ar
rived at the depot much later. To Train
master Berry's inquiry whether the Super
intendent would insist on the new rule, he
answered Eyes," and being questioned
further as to their intended dismissal, again
replied in the affirmative. Berry and
Pushie then handed in their designations.
AS the news spread through the yards
groups of excited men gathered together and
decided to stop work until their grievances
were settled. Last evening the matter was
laid before the switchmeu, who struck at
once, and at q subsequent meeting, at
which the suburban service men were repre-
sented, demand for the removal of Super
intendent Russell and the reinstatement of
Berry and Pushie was formulated. This
was presented this morning, and, as it was
not complied with, the suburban men Joined
the strikers
STOPPED THE PASSENGER TRAINS.
The strikers did not wish to be held re-
sponsible for interfering with the United
States mails, the express companies and
bonded matter. They therefore attached
the mail and express cars to the engine of
the New Orleans mail train, but left the
coaches with their exasperated passengers
unconnected. 1t was the intention
TO send the dismembered train
but Mr.. Sullivan, the General Supetintend-
ent OF the road, explained that the road has
no contract with the United States Govern
ment to carry mails except on regular pas
senger trains, and the train dispatcher was
not authorized to give orders ior the train
to start until it could start with all its
usual passenger coaches. The strikers re-
fused to allow the whole train to move, and
warned Mr.. Sullivan, as they had not pre-
vented the transportation of the mail and
express matter, that the railroad detaind it,
at the company's own risk.
WILL SUPPORT THE SUPERINTENDENT
General Manager Beck, General Superin-
tendent Sullivan and the heads OF traffic de-
partments had conference to-day with rep
lesentatives of the strikers in General Man
ager Beck's ONCE. The men demanded that
Superintendent Russell's name be stricken
from the card and stated their determina-
tion not to return to work until this was
done. They said there was no room for COM
promise on the subject. Not one Of them
would go to work again under him or con-
sent to receive another order from him.
General Manager Beck was ordered to sup
port Russell, but the situation was admitted
by the official and his subordinates to be
very serious. The officials ended their con-
ference at 1:30 P. NJ. for the day. The only
conclusion arrived at was that they would
resist the mems demand for Russell's dis
charge. They now await overtures on the
part OF their employees who are out, and it is
said that unless the men return to work to-
morrow morning the company will proceed
TO hire new men.
SUBURBAN TRAFFIC STOPPED.
The tieup will cause serious trouble, not
only to Chicago, but throughout a large
section of country both west and south.
The suburban traffic of the road is enor-
nous. The trains run in and out of the city
every few minutes from o'clock A. NJ. un-
til midnight and are usually crowded. All
these people are now thrown upon their own
uesources of transportation.
But it is not this that will trouble the
commercial world. To stop freight traffic
on the Illinois Central means to prevent
thousands and thousands of people in
Northern Iowa, in Southern Illinois, in
Kentucky, in Tennessee. Mississippi and
Louisiana from getting products to market.
The yards in this city are already filled
with freight cars, and the stalling of the
trains now in transit will jam every transfer
track touched by the road. The Michigan
Central, Baltimore and Ohio, the Big Four
roads, which enter the city over the Illinois
Central tracks, were seriously interfered
with owing TO the blockade created by the
motionless trains OF the Illinois Central.
CHANGE of life backache monthly ir-