The semi-weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1890-1891, 1890-10-15
Men at the Dam and Shelters Quit
Work or Are Forced
to Do So.
REPUBLICAN DEMAGOGUES RESPONSIBLE
The Men Hold Meeting in the City and
Are Addressed by the Chief
Agitator.
Most of the Men Have Returned to
Their lodgings and Many Will
Resume Work Today.

the dam went to work and for a short
time everything went on as usual. Stone
masons, timbermen, %quarrymen and sur
facemen were at work. Suddenly "a
squad of men appeared in Kirkendall's
camp and asked the men there at work
to quit. They did so and the crowd
swelled in numbers passed down to the
dam. The first men met were working
for White q McSherry on the canal
walls. These men, after some argument,
were induced to quit. The crowd also
went to the stone quarry below and tried
to have the men stop work. Some report
that the strikers were successful, while
the men themselves say they did not stop
work. The men then proceeded along
the dam and induced many men to quit.
The men having quit here, the crowd
marched down to the Union smelter.
Here all the men were induced to quit
with the exception of a few who remain
ed to blow out the blast furnaces.
The men having caused ali work to
stop, dispersed and discussed the matter
in its various phazes. At l o'clock
White u McSherry's stone workers and a
few of the helpers went back to work.
About rs men went back to work on the
dam, including both carpenters and
wheel-barrow men. The quarrymen on
the south side of the river also worked
during the afternoon.
There was a good deal of misunder-
standing among the men, some claiming
that a general strike had been ordered,
others SAID that only the 1926 men were
to go out. At 2 p. m. a large number of
men gathered on the south bank of the
river, and as some were still in the dark
the crowd adjourned to town to confer
with the president of the union. Vari-
GUS wild rumors were aaoat and some of
the excited strikers madc open threats of
violence, but the men as a rule were quiet
and good order prevailed.
On arriving in town the men assembled
in the Arvon block to get the opinion and
advice of the president. Considerable ex-
cited talk was INDUCED in, but
he counselied that no man should COM
nit an act Of violence, He urged every
union man who was working on a job
where men were employed at less than
$3.50 per day to stay out and if neces-
sitfy quit altogether and leave town.
The whole affair seems somewhat
mixed. The strikers claim that no vio-
lence or intimidation was used. Some
light may be thrown On the subject by
the following statements:
H. A. Underwood stated: l am work
ing for Cornelius; he pays all his men
80. so and up per day. | am not u union
man, but the boys came along, told me
they had struck and asked me to quit. !
did SO.
L. White, of White & McSherry, con.
tractors for the the canal wall, stated
The strikers came to my men and TOLD
them they had to quit. Some of my mer
objected, when the strikers took theil
tools away and then my men stopped
work. l am perfectly willing to pay al
Il man is worth. Some laborers are
worth all they demand and others no
worth their board. When | see a mar il
a good workman | increase his pay.
r. A. Light, working in the s%tonequar'
ry on the north side, stated: 1.-THE boy
all came down and told us that they hat
gone Oh a strike and we would have tt
90 with them. l said l was no
one of their men, that l was get
ting good wages and was going to keel
at work. The men stood around in tn
way bothering us about an hour. | tolt
them to get out of the way. One of then
took my hammer but he laid it dow
again. / told him | would make holes il
any s-of a b-who tried to keep M
from work. They said they would
throw lis in the river or drive us out O
the country, if we did not quit" Thes'
men were at work IN the quarry at 1:3
p. m.
Joe Mayors stated: ~ am a teamsteI
A big crowd came to me and said the.
J were on a strike and told me l had to g
with them. l did not want to quit, blu
they insisted and / did So"
A number Of the men openly stated
that the whole thing was a political NOV
t directed against Paris Gibson.
During the afternoon John Stagmiller
president of the union at North Grea
! Falls, was arrested on a charge OF dis
t turbing the peace. He was released OF
i bonds and will have a hearing at II
O'Clock this morning before Judge Race
After discussing the matter IN the meet
ing at Arvon block, many of the men re
turned to the works. An effort will b.
, made to have the strikers hold out unit
I their demand is granted.
} Reports from the dam and smelter
last evening were that most of the me-
, had returned to their lodging places an
+ that many were ANXIOUS to return t.
work which they will doubtless do today
t Work On both the dam and B. g. NJ
smelter will likely be in full progress
today Operations at the Union smelte
, will also go on.
MIR. THOMPSON MAKES STATEMEN: