Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-01-17
FIVE HUNDRED OUT
Chicago. Milwaukee and st.
Paul Strikers Claim;
TIE COMPANY SAYS ONLY SEVENTY.

So ne Prospect That the TrouDis with
the Operators and Agents May Involve
the Locomotive Engineers, Resulting
Ia Disastrous Tie-Up-The Company
Working Hard to Keep Things In Good
sh.Pe-How It Is Managing.
CHICAGO, Jan. Photograph operators
ant station agents on the Chicago. Mil
walkee and st. Paul railway system be-
gar vacating their positions yesterday
mo ming, and the march was kept up un-
til hight. when the reports received at the
stri ke committees headquarters in Chi
cage indicated that about 500 men had
left the company's employ. These figures
are taken from the reports sent in from
ten divisions of the road sOn some di-
visions" Grand Chief Thurstou said, anot
as many men Went out as we expected, but
adv ces from other divisions show that
mut larger number have resigned than
were counted on, so that on the whole we
have got out as large a force as we hoped.
This number will be increased from day
60 dry The great majority of the men
who have gone out have gone out for good.
They will never return to the service of
that company. Others will return only
upor the conditions already named. We
have had call for men from other roads,
and We shall fill these positions with our
men as fast as possible.
How the Company Is Managing.
1t appears that the railroad company's
Office rs have been riding over the road in a
| speci Al train discussing the trouble with
the men, and endeavoring TO persuade
| those who signed the agreement TO quit,
1 N bdraxp THAR rh.4 l..
ers' committee say that the officials
did not meet with much success ana ha, Q
| lately been hiring all the operators that
| applied for situations. The company is, in
/ fact, straining its resources to prevent a
| tie-uI. Unimportant stations along the
| road have been closed and the agents sent
| to more important points. At stations
| where an agent has an assistant who has
picked up a smattering of the business the
| force has been divided. In other cases,
| where two competent men are needed, one
is taken off and his place filled by stu
dent, Who acts as assistant In this way
the CO npany has succeeded in keeping its
trains moving, but if the strike becomes
general over the entire system the COM
pany will find il difficult to prevent n
genera tie-up.
Engineers Threaten Trouble.
| Al the StHtrdi IfidndStf ttlt
way officials and clerks said there was nc
strike; there had not been a strike, and
there would be none. Only seventy men,
they said, had resigned and there places
had be N filed. II others quit there were
plenty of good men, they said, ready 20
take their places. The movement, they
claimed, was not to be dignified by tn.
name of strike. The greatest fear the
railroad company has is that the strik,
will spread among the operators an6
agents TO such an extent that only indif
ferent men can be secured for their places
| This in itself they might stand for time
but the question arises as to how the en-
gineers will like to receive clearances from
incompetent operators. The officers o
| the road realize that the strike is really il
the han,is of the engineers. Ifthey objec
vigorously TO working with incompetent
men a cup might TO low. Theengineer
are open ly in sympathy with the strikers
and il is feared they may seek a cause T.
| to dema nd their reinstatement.