Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-27
A sIRIKE PRoBABLE.
Train Men of the Union Pacific System De-
Knand More Pay,


Train Men of the Union Pacific System De-
mand More Pay.
The Denver News says that general
strike of train men on the entire Union
Pacific system from the mountains to
Texas is threatened. While a desperate
effort is being made by the officials to
conceal the impending trouble, enough
has leaked out to cause the matter to as
sumo a very serious aspect. A confer
ence between all the high officials of the
road and delegations of traiumen is now
being held in Cheyenne. 1t is no secret
that serious hitch has occurred, which
may lead to strike which will involve
thousands of trainmen throughout the
entire West aud Northwest, wherever
the track of the Union Pacific extends.
The trouble has been brewing for
some time, the trainmen claiming that
there was no uniform scale of wages and
that on some of the divisions employees
who had EASY runs were paid more and
were given longer lay-overs than others
on the longer runs. AS the company did
not see n disposed to remedy this injus-
tice, the trainmen on some of the noun
tain lines asked that their wages be in
creased. No heed was paid to this re-
quest, and finally the matter was taken
up by the members of the order of rail-
road conductors on the entire system and
the brakemen and baggagemen Joined
them in demanding recognition. This
caused the officials to open their eyes,
and a conference was suggested. Chey-
enne was the place suggested to hold the
conference.
Delegations of train men from each d.
vision of the road were appointed and
began to gather at Cheyenne Sunday
night. The delegation from Denver
went off Sunday night. The railway Of
fioiaIs began to arrive on Sunday also.
The general managers of all the divisions
of the system were notified to be present.
,Nsae resident Holcomb, fully impressed
WIN the Importance of the conference,
hurried from Boston to be present. He
was joined by General Manager Ressugie
of the mountain divisions, General Man.
ager Dickinson of the Kansas and Ne
braska divisions, General Manager Meek
of the Colorado and Texas divisions,
General Superintendent Brinkerhoff of
Kansas Pacific divisions, General Super
intendent Choate of the Colorado lines,
besides all the division superintendents
General superintendent Choate has been
in the East for more than month, and
was hurrying back to Denver when he
was summoned by Vice President Choate
to attend the conference. He arrived in
Cheyenne Tuesday morning, but the sit
uation was so threatening that he has
not had time to run down to Denver for
even a few hours.
The first conference was held between
the employees and officials on Monday
out that seems to have only been pre-
urinary skirmlsh. It was immedisza7y
seen that the differences were too great
to admit Of an early adjustment, and
both sides drew off for consultation. The
employees, feeling that they occupied the
point of vantage, made DO further over
lures, and finally the officers asked for
another meeting. This lasted several
hours and finally adjourned without hav-
ing accomplished anything. The train
men were firm in their demands. They
ask that their pay be increased, that they
be given larger lay-Overs at the ends of
their run aid further that the company
adopt uniform scale of wages over the
entire system. AS to whether or not the
officials object to conceding any one OF
the demands or all of them cannot be
ascertained, but the conference has
struck q snag of some kind and the OBJ
SLacl6 Is OF SuCn u serious udiuE0 IudL no
further progress has been made.
The railroad officials are throwing an
air of mystery over the conference,
which only serves to intensity the ex-
element, and the widest rumors imag-
Unable are afioat. Immediately after the
conference of Tuesday Vice-President
Holcomb sought his private car, and
half an hour later was flying east. His
departure was very unexpected, and no
explanation was offered. It is stated
that he has gone to Boston, to lay the
matter before President Adams and the
executive committee of the board of di-
rectors. In the meantime the confer
ence will continue indefinitely until some
amIcable adjustment is made.
General Manager Meek arrived from
Cheyenne yesterday afternoon, but he
declined to see q News reporter who
called. The reporter sent word to the
general manager through his clerk that
it was reported that q general strike of
5000 Union Pacific employees was about to
be instituted, but Mr.. Meek made no
reply. He also refused to state whether
or not there was any prospects Of an
early adjustment of the trouble.
q