Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-07-30
STRIKE OF BRICKLAYERS.
Nearly n Dozen Men Employed on ths
New Post Office and Car Station Add
ton Refuse to Work.

Nearly n Dozen Men Employed on the
New Post Ofice and n Car Station Addi-
ton Refuse to Work.
Eleven bricklayers employed by A. S.
Reed s. Brother, six of them on the new
post-office and five on the addition to
the car station at the middle depot OF
the city railway, have not worked
since Monday week. They refused
to work longer because Of a disagree
ment between them and their employers
in regard to the employment of an ap-
prentice.
A. S. Reed was seen on Thursday by
representative of TIE GAZETTE
and when asked for information con-
corning the trouble said he did not wish
to talk to newspaper men and would
say nothing.
A gentleman connected with the
erection of the new post-office stated
that nine men had quit work there.
The trouble, he said, was caused by the
Messrs. Reed insisting on employing
their brother as an apprentice, not
withstanding he is more than 81 years
of age. The strike, he declared,
will not seriously interfere with the
progress of the work on the building be-
cause difficulty is being experienced in
obtaining stone.
The strikers are members Of the
Bricklayers International Union, which
has headquarters in the Phillips Build
ing, Fourth and French streets. Several
of the men were seen there this fore
noon. The trouble, they claimed, was
occasioned by the Messrs. Reed persist
ing in an attempt to employ their
| t,rnthar Ia1lpxrartb Dad oe onI amman
tice. Continuing they made the follow
worth Reed started to learn bricklaying
and after working OF the business off
and on for about two years he quit
saying he was going to become horse
dealer. That occurred five years
ago and now he is about 80 years old
and married. On July 18th Archie
Reed put Ellsworth to work to complete
his apprenticeship, and when we OBJ
jected he took him off. He said he had
to keep Ellsworth and intended to learn
him the business, and he would give us
q week TO decide to let Ellsworth go to
work. He was determined 10 employ
him and if we had not come over to his
way of thinking by Tuesday week we
could stop work. We worked up to
| laSL MOHQuy Week anu lneH ue-
termined to stop. On Tuesday morn
ing, however, we went to the
two buildings in question prepared
to resume work, but finding Ellsworth
at work on the new post office we left
Our objection to Ellsworth completing
his apprenticeship is because of his age,
A rule of our organization declares that
an apprentice must not be less than IL
years of age nor more than 81, and
another states that If an apprentice shall
leave his employer, except for the pur'
pose of going to another with the ides
of obtaining better knowledge of the
business, he shall be discountenanced
. by the union and compelled to qui
work"
Since the strike occurred the Messrs
Reed have advertised in Philadelphia
newspapers for bricklayers. II is stated
that 80 or 80 men came from that city
Wednesday, but refused to work afte
learning the cause of the trouble. Tel
: more came down this morning, but only
! three Of them went to work, and the,
, were put on the post-offlce job Beside
Ellsworth Reed they were the only per
+ sons engaged in laying bricks at thu
, building.