Milford chronicle., 1892-11-25
A Great Struggle ended.
HOMESTEAD STRIKERS FINALLY GIVE U
THE FIGHT.


The great strike at Caruegie's Homestead
steel works has been declared off. After
FIVE months struggle, which, for bitterness,
has probably meyer been equall in this coun-
try. the army of strikers finally decided to
give up the fight. This action was taken at
meeting of the lodges Of the AmaIgamated
Association at Homestead Sunday afternoon.
the vote standing IoI in favor Of declaring
the strike off and 81 against it
Those who were in favor of calling the
strike off were ipbilaut, while those who
were against it were badly put out, Most
Of the latter we're men who were obstinate,
aud MANY of them were men who had either
applied for positions in the mill and had
been turned down, or felt sure that their
names were on the compauy's black list and
couldn't get positions A member Of the
advisory board said that lie had been trying
10 oct the strike declared off for weeks,a he
tpew it was lost, and it would have been
better for the men, as a great many Of them
could have gotten their places back.
Those who could not get back are in bad
6x.as the relief funds will be stopped, ard
many hundreds Of them have nothing TO
live on. The people in Homestead, espee-
iallv the business men, are highly elaied over
the declaration to call the strike off, for if it
had continued much longer it would have
ruined the town. Many business houses
have fallen into the hands of the Sheriff
since the strike mas been on. Business is
expscted to resume its normal condition
soon
The Homestead strike has proved one Of
the most disastrous in the history Of the
country. Itorigiuated from reduction in
the departments where members of the
Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel
Workers were employed. The hitch was on
what is known as the sliding scale. It IS
scale which regulates the mems wages by
the market price of steel billets. Nearly
every mill in that vicinity signed the scale,
including other mills OF the Carnegie Com
pany. At the refusal of the firm to sign the
scale for the Homestead mill lockout oe'
Cured by the Amalgamated Association, and
thev were Joined by the mechanics and la
borers, who struck out of sympathy only,
their wages not being reduced
The strikers were determined to keep non
union men out of the mills, and adopted
military discipline. The story Of the arrival
and bloody fight with the Pinkertous on July
9th. the subsequent riotous proceedings and
the calling out Of the National Guard and its
departure after three months duty is too
we'll known to repeat For six weeks the
mill has been running almost as well as be-
fore the strike, but until within the last week
the strikers have steadfastiy refused to admit
defeat.
The news of to.days action was received
with dismay BY the strikers in the two Law
renceville mills of Caruegie's. These men
were sympathy strikers, aud went out at the
time the men at Beaver Falls and Duqresue
struck. The Duquesne men gave up the
fight in three weeks, and the Beaver Falls
strikes decided to go back to work Saturday.
The Lawreuceville men, however, were
steadfast, and had no intention ofgiving in
They are now in the position Of striking for
no cause. They are very angry at the Home
stead men, and will prabably declare the
strike OF tomorrow.
The strike at one time involved nearly
10. 600 men, and the loss in wages will reach,
it is said, in the ueighborhood of s., 100000,
Then there is an immense loss to the firm,
which cannot be estimated, but which con-
servative people put at least double the
amount lost by the men in wages. To this
can be added nearly half million dollars
paid to the State troops aud the costs to the
county of AIlegheney for the riot, treason
and other cases growing out Of the strike.
At least IS deaths we're directly due or in
directly caused by the strike. Besides those
killed in the battle of July 9th, many soldiers
contracted fever which resulted fatally, one
soldier was shot pccideutly by comrade,
another was killed by the cars, one striker
committed suicide, one was drowned, one
was killed by the cars, several non-union
men died from fever and several were killed
in the mill, and one was murdered by another
non uniouist.
The attempted assassination of Chairman
Frick ofthe Carnegie Coapany is also indi
rectly credited to thestrike.