News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1892-07-14

| Ncio Gil AhbNlCDOliASo OAlS' 49,
not as many of the association pres
ent as usual, and several who have
been on the annual trips were greatly
missed. For the success of the ex-
cursion much credit is due the eXecu-
tive committee, who were untlring in
their labors.
Labor and Capital at War at Home
stead, Pa.
The most desperate and bloody
conflict between labor and capital
which this country has ever seen, the
railroad riots of 1877 alone excepted,
! took place on Wednesday at Home
stead, Pa, place eight miles east of
Pittsburg, and the location of the ex
tensive plant of the celebrated Car
negie iron and steel company. All
day long from 4 o'clock in the morn
! inc until five in the afternoon, a bat
tie was waged, which, for blood-thirst-
mess and boldness of execution, has
rarely been excelled in actual warfare.
The forces embraced on the one side
all the men employed by the Carnegie
| company. On the other side were
800 Pinkerton detectives whom the
company had brought to Homestead
on the three barges to protect their
property, and who were not permit
! ted by the rioters to land. The
riot was the continuation of the troub-
les which have been brewing &C Home
stead for the past month. The Car
negie company submitted scale to
govern their workmen in the steel
plants, and announced that it was
their ultimatum. The scale made a
sweeping reduction in the wages of
skilled men, and it was officially an
nounced that unless the terms were
complied with before July 1, the
places of the workmen would be filled
by others. This was followed by q
peremptory refusal on the part of the
company to recognize the amalga-
mated association of steel and iron
workers as such or to confer with any
committee of the workmen short of
an acceptance of the terms offered.
The men stated that they would never
submit to the proposed reduction
and announced their determination
to resist any effort on the part of the
Carnegies to start up their plants
with non-union men. As both sides
were determined, both proceeded to
prepare for the contest which cul-
minated in violence and bloodshed,
Wednesday. The contest was precipi-
tated by the workmen at Homestead
by hanging H. c. Prick, president of
the company, in effigy. liberalization
the company ordered an immediate
| shutdown of the big works two days
! before the time provided by the con-
tract under which the men were work
ing. The employees, about 1000 in
number, at once proceeded to or
ganize for the defensive. The COM
pany had already erected a high
board fence around the entire works,
giving them the appearance of amin
mense stockade, the sides being pierre
ed with port holes. Above the fence
were stretched three strands of barb
ed wire, which could be charged with
electricity. Inside the fence were
other means of defence, and complete
arrangements were made for board
ing there the new workmen who were
expected to take the places of those
locked out. The men on their side
effected a complete military organi-
cation, under competent officers, and
last Sunday a signal station was
built on the roof of their headquar-
tiers so high that it commands a full
view of Fort Prick, as the Carnegie
works are called, and the surround
ing country. A man with a field glass
can here gaze over the ramparts of
the enemy and leisurely contemplate
the goings-on within the enemy's
fortress. What added to the hostile
telling on the part of the men was the
fact that Mr.. Carnegie had retired
from the active management of the
company, leaving in charge III. C..
Prick, already mentioned, man who
was believed to have the "nerve" to
see this contest through, and who, it
was believed, was resolved to break
up the workmen's organizations. Mr.
Prick had conducted with success the
struggle against the Hungarian coke
workers at Connellsville. On the
part of the company it was claimed
that the Amalgamated association
of steel and iron workers had been
growing more and more overbearing
in their demands until they were in
tolerable. The skilled workmen
were paid by the tonnage of iron and
steel turned out, and improved ma
chinery had increased their wages in
some cases as much as sc per cent.
The company claimed that, on ac-
count of these high wages, they were
unable to compete, in spite of the
tariff, with the English manufacturers
who were willing to lay down their
goods on this side of the Atlantic,
after paying the tariff,Eat the price
for which the American goods could
be made. The Carnegie company
announced their intention to get
ready to make repairs, and the off
GERS asked the sheriff to appoint dep
nties to protect their property.
The sheriff sent small squad of men
up to the works, but the strikers as
sembled in force and warned them to
get out of town, as no disorder was
intended and no damage would be
done to any property. Finally the
sheriffs squad was escorted by the
men on board a boat which took
them back to Pittsburg.
WEDNESDAYS FIGHT.
After this repulse OF the sheriff7s
men the company decided to throw
a lot of Pinkerton men into Home
stead, and before daylight on Wednes-
day morning two barge loads of these
blue-coated men, armed with Win
chester rifles, started up the river
from Pittsburg. The news of the ap-
pearance of the detested Pinkertons
+ spread rapidly and the workmen were
on the lookout for them. 1t was lust
four O'Clock when the two barges
e toWed by a tug, were discovered com
J. ing up the river. The news of their
e approach was instantly spread by
messengers mounted on horseback,
and hundreds of men, women and
e children started down the bank OF
e the river to meet the barges. Some.
r one informed the engineer at the cleo.
trlc light works, and the harsh-voiced
: whistle sounded the general alarm
The people responded with alacrity
g They were old men and young men
=. elderly women, mothers with Their
babes in arm, and any number OF
l children half-clad. Thousands OF
: men, women and children lined the