Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-04-23
A BIG STRIKE PENDING.
Over 10000 Men Ready to Insist upon
the Eight-hour Day--The Different
Tradas

Over $4,000 Men Ready to Insist upon
! the Eight-hour a Day--The Different
Trades.
PITrsBuRG, April 19.-Over 125OO0 men
are ready to strike for eight hours work
| per day, or an increase of wages, on the
morning of May LIST next. The most event.
| full May day labor ever had will occur this
year. ominous mutterings from all over
| the civilized world indicate the coming of
| the fiercest battle that has yet been fought
between capital and labor. The growing
| discomfort among workmen of every class
| has reached its elimination, and operators
not only in the great cities of this country,
but in Europe. have been warned that on
| May LIST the storm will be upon them.
More than $4,000 workmen are ready to
strike for an eight-hour day or more
wages, and the coal miners, building
| operators, iron mills, carriage works and
stone quarries of the land will be num-
bered with paralysis The end of the bitter
| struggle cannot be seen at this distance.
In addition to the army of men who will
be directly affected there is another army
twice as large which has been affected by
these unprecedented agtations, and which
will continue to be affected long after the
trouble In sight is past. The Pennsylvania
railroad has already begun sweeping dis
missal of employees and reduction of its
working force. As far east as Jersey City
and all along its network of lines men are
laid off on SATURDAYS.
The bituminous coal trade has suffered a
terrible blow from the coke strike, and will
suffer greater one on May LIST. As far as
is known up to this time the eight-hour
strike on May LIST will be Joined in by the
5000 bituminous miners of the Clearfieid,
Huntingdon and Broad Top region and
the 10000 miners in what is known as the
Pittsburg district of railroad miners. The
latter are distributed along the Baltimore
Y Ohio, Pennsylvania and Pan Handle
lines within radius of rs miles of Pitts
burg The $1,000 coal miners of Ohio,
West Virginia, Indiana and Illinois are
also in the movement and most of them
Will make stand for the eight-hour day
In New York the situation is alarming
and half dozen trades unions will go out
Of work on the refusal of an eight-hour
day. At ST. Louis the outlook is black
Carpenters, marblecutters, carriagemakers
and others are in line with the army of
strikers, and will listen to no compromise.
The stonemasons and marblecutters of
Pittsburg go out to-day on the shorter day
issue, and other unions are prepared to
follow, In Baltimore the stonecutters
have set their teeth in the face of en-
ployers. and unless their requisition is
heard before May LIST they will, to man,
march in the host of the idle. The situa-
ton in New England is far from bright.
Boston workmen want a nine-hour day
and more pay. and the smaller cities are in
sympathy with the Hub. Excepting the
miners the trouble does not appear to be
dangerous in the cities of Ohio, Cincinnati
and Cleveland
In Philadelphia everything seems peace
full. The carpenters, stonemasons and
bricklayers have fought their fights and
won. But in the smaller towns in this
section the same disconnected feeling that
has stirred up the French Socialists and
will place $4,000 London workmen iii a
labor parade on May LIST is arousine them
70 make the stubbornest fight Of their
lives.
At all points capital is firm and unyied-
ing. SO far not whisper has gone forth
from the employers TO indicate desire on
their part for compromise. Both lines
are made up The diminishing has begun.
Artillery is being wheeled into place, and
the battle will be one week from next Fri |
day.
The following table shows in figures the |
workmen in leading cities who will go out |
May lst;
Western Coal Mines
Estimated, in Pennsylvania, Ohio, In
diana, Illinois and West Virginia. \, $4,000 |