The record-union., 1892-08-26

Station. They were harassed by con-
tlnuous fire from the rear, during which
three men killed and several wounded.
NO further attempt was made to restrain
the pllIage and arson of the mob until
July I'D, when Colonel NOW General)
Guthrie marched the Eighteenth Regi-
ment into town from Torrens Station,
TOOK command, and succeeded in uuell-
ing. TO great extent, the disturbances.
The Government estimate of the total
damage done in Pittsburg by the riot is
S5,OO9,000. The actual loss to the railroad
company exceeded 100000. The greater
part OF this huge loss was saddled by the
courts upon Allegheny County.
The year 1880 was the first for which
any Federal report of strikes was made
Joseph ID. Weeks reported for that year,
IN the tenth census, that 762 strikes had
occurred in the United States. Of these
3l4 were in Pennsylvania, and I04 in
New York.
The Government report of 1857 states
that between 1886 and 1880 there occurred
altogether ,491 strikes of importance, be-
SIDE vast number or smaller ones. From
1881 to 1886 inclusive, there were 1892
strikes, in which 22,304 establishments,
and l,323,20 men were involved. In
1886 alone 900 strikes occurred, the loss
In wages for that year being over s., S5S,-
l9l, while the loss of the only fifty-eight
Trims involved which made reports
amounted to S3,000,0C0.
THE READING STRIKE.
Perhaps the most important strike after
that IN Pittsburg was the one among the
employees of the Philadelphia and Read
ing Railroad, beginning on December 20,
1881. The struggle began over the refu-
sal OF the company officials to recognize
the knights of Labor. Nearly 5000 men
struck, and their places were filled by
1D1an1N
eral strike of 1887 broke out Simultane-
ousIy in Philadelphia, Pittsburg and
other. places, lasted $50 days, and cost
over 1856, 264.
The big Carnegie strike of 1888 broke
out in the Edgar Thompson Steel Works
at Braddock. On December %, 1887, the
men presented their annual scale, ard on
the following February Mr.. Carnegie
formally declined to sign it. A reduced
scale was proposed, but the knights Of
Labor Committee refused to accept it.
conference with Mr.. Cargenie was held
in New York. He offered fairly salts
factory scale, but insisted upon the men
working twelve hours per day. This
was refused by the men, and the strik e
began. The 5000 strikers remained out
four months and lost $3.50, 900 in wages.
In the following year $500 the Pittsburg
puddlers struck, and their strike cost
considerably over $4,000. The Turtle
Creek miners also went out in 1890, and
their strike cost $lS9,000.
The eight-hour question caused the most
OF the strikes in 1890. Chicago was the
center of disturbance, and in that city
alone $4,000 men struck during the first
quarter of the year. In Boston 10000
builders, and in indianapolis 1000 mill
hands went on strike. The total cost of
strikes during 1890 has not been eoti-
mated, but it amounts to several millions
Of dollars.
The cost of the present strike at Home
stead will be simply enormous when
damage to property, maintenance of
troops, loss OF wages, stagnation Of work,
and expense Of probable prosecutions are
taken into account.
There can be little doubt but that the
condition of mechanics and laborers has
greatly improved during the past hun
dred years, but its Improvement does not
come anywhere near being in proportion
to the value of the lives, property and
money recklessly squandered during the
myriad strikes OF the century,