The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-08-20


Disgusted Men..-At a Late Hour the
Firemcn Decide to Strike.
BmrA1o, n. Y, August 19.-Un'ess
new complications arc developed before
morning in tho switchmen's strike,
which closes its first week with mid.
night tonight, the public may fairly
measure the accuracy of statements
made by the affected companies by the
movement OF freight which shall be ac-
complished tomorrow. Each Of the
companies has definitely stated, and re-
peatedly, that they had at hand enough
men to replace the strikers and to
handle all their freight il protection
should be assured to the new switch-
m;n
The 5000 militiamen will be picketed
in the morning and under these condt-
tions the companies must tomorrow be
held to practical demonstration that
their reiterated claims OF abundant help
have been well founded :,
Careful inquiry through the strike
districts to-day has demonstrated be-
yond reasonable double to the Associa-
ton Press correspondents that the COM
panies have at hand the mon they have
claimed
In the Central yards personal obser-
vation Of the men who are waiting leads
70 conclusions opposed to the strikers
statements that the new men arc r9-
strained OF their liberty.
It's obviously fact thatthe men who
have struck have enjoyed meagre means
of informations Us to how many mon
the companies have secured, and, while
their claims that the companies state
ments are misleading are, among the
rank and file, undoubtedly made ingood
faith, the cold facts are undoubtedly
contradictory Of the strikers and con-
firmatory Of the companies.
The Central road is tonight moving
traffic in its yards for the first time
since the strike began. The Lehigh
road has in one OF its round houses men
sufficient, the officials assert, to move
its traffic under protection, and the
Nickel Plate, tho last road tied up, is
possibly the only one of these affected
which may not have secured new help.
Tomorrow will be the test day. The
claims Of the companies will be verb
fed, or tho assertions of the strikers
will be proven true. II the roads are
not absolutely crippled, the volume Of
traffic moved tomorrow must prove
that fact. Then it becomes q question,
how long the military shall be main
tanned in tho yards, or how soon tho
strikers concede their cause to be hope.
less.
WHAT NEXT?
The second feature in this strike diff.
Guilty at the close Of its first week, is an
uncertainty as to what can be and will
be the next stroke OF the leaders against
tho railway interests in this city, or
elsewhere. The decisive statements on
this feature Of the strike may not be
made, because at the moment meetings
Of the firemen's organization are being
held in this city. Its outcome may be
a determination to quit work. Another
possibility which remains persistently
in tho fog OF doubt, is that TIE Lacka!
wanna men, who though entirely satis-
fed with their position and pay, may
vet come out to add strength OF num-
bers to their striking colleagues.
There is already something more than
q muttering in Erie county over the
enormous expense thatis to be entailed
by the maintenance OF troops in this
city. Strikers and other citizens as
well have to-day vchemently protested
before the mayor and the shoriR that
1000 troops arc not needed to control
500 men who are on strike. Men COM
ing from homes where three meals are
daily served with regularity naturally
suffer from the spare change to military
rations, but tho men at various points
in the city are complaining bitterly to-
night that even rations have not been
served to them to-day, aud in restau-
rants and hotels about town this even
ing militiamen on leave OF absence were
seen securing adequate aud wholesome
meals.
Subject then to allthe conditions re-
ferred to; the railway situation tonight
is thus:
The only trunk line uninterruptedly
carrying lFelHub 9uSgWdtu 10 tue 0elu-
ware, Lackawanna & Western. Ono OF
the western trunk lines from this city,
the Lake Shore, is clogged, and tho
Grand. Trunk, ofCanada, Is threatened
with a strike. The Michigan Central,
tho other trunk feeder westward. is in
yolyed like the Lake Shore in the for-
tunes Of the Central, and only success
OF to.morrow's efforts OF the roads to
move freight freely is now to be relied
upon for eastward carrying OF traffic.
At exactly this point the tactical posi-
ton OF the Lackawanna Is just as thor
oughly appreciated by the strike lead
ers as by any others, and the import
ance of what the men upon that line
will conclude to do as the sympathetic
strike is beyond cayil.
PROPOSED ARBITRATION.
Master Workman Sweeney this even.
ing addressed to the officials OF tied up
roads formal letter, reciting the his
tor,, az domanda az tho awitnhmon for