The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-08-20
Aid Promised by the Other Railroad
Employees.
FIREMEN MAY JOIN THE STRIKERS.
The Situation Still Critical-The Companies Claim
TO Have Men Enough TO MOye the Trains
Under Military Protection.
Special TO THE MORNING CALL.

BUFFALO. Aug. 19-Unless new compn-
cations develop before morning in the
switchmen's strike. by the result OF the
efforts of the railroads tomorrow Will be
Judged the status of the strike. The cont
panies claim they have sufficient men 10
operate the roads if proper protection is
given them. Two thousand troops had
been ordered out. but they were claimed not
TO be sufficient. and 5000 more were ordered
out and are now here. Their assignment to
duty at all points where the companies feel
there might be danger has been going for
ward to-day, and tonight every command
is assigned TO duty. Careful inquiry has
demonstrated beyond doubt that the COM
panies have sufficient men to man the roads.
The strikers say the men that are being
held in readiness are restrained from their
liberty, and also that the men were hired to
work on Western roads, and did not know
they were expected to work on the tied-up
roads In Buffalo. Ii these allegations are
true the men may desert upon the first Op-
portunity. 1t is not deemed probable, how
ever, that such defectlons would constitute
more than a small minority of those now
waiting TO 60 to work.
The Lake Shore road has enough men In its
yards tonight to man the usual number OF
FIVE trains. and has in the quarters more than
the number OF men usually employed.
Willing to Arbitrste.
The second feature of the strike is what
can and will be the next stroke Of the lead
ers against the railway interests. The con-
vlctl0n is that efforts are being strongly
pushed toward the withdrawal from work
OF the firemen or trainmen. or both. The
bremen are now holding meeting, the out
come of which may be a determination to
quit work.
Master Workman Sweeney this evening
made an attempt TO secure an arbitration OF
the differences. He addressed letters to the
affected roads, reciting the history Of the
case and Offering TO submit the cause of the
strikers 10 arbitration. The Erie responded
that the matter would be referred to head
quarters; the Lake Shore disputed the ale
cations in Sweeney's letter. and the Central
Sharply declined arbitration, as the Read
Ing had done before.
The Railroads Blocked.
Briefly, the situation is as follows: The
only trunk line uDinterruptedly Carving
freight eastward is the Delaware, Lacka-
wanna and Western. Que of the western
trunk lines from this city, the Lake Shore.
is elogged, and the Grand Trunk of Canada
Is threatened with strike. The Michigan
Central, the other trunk feeder westward,
is involved, like the Lake Shore in the
fortunes of the Central, and only the success
OF iO-moIFoWs Efforts OF the roads to move
freight freely is now to be relied upon
Tor the eastward carrying OF traffic At
exactly this point the tactical position of
the Lackawanna is brought stronglyi TO
light. This position Of the Lackawanna is
just as thoroughly appreciated by the strike
leaders as by any others. And the i'm
portance OF what the men upon that line
HtlA lALN~ry- o-JI4s-- e,sy'ra. -
Ready to Go Out.
Mutterings were heard all day among the
Grand Trunk switchmen and IL IS believed
that they will join the strikers whenever
the word comes. One hundred and fl ty
ears Of Erie freight are standing in the
Grand Trunk yards at Victoria, on the
Canadian side, and the swtehmen refuse
point blank 10 handle them. Should strike
occur on the Grand Trunk there is hardly
reason to doubt that the military of the
Dominion would be ordered out.
Late tonight, while the men were hand
ling the fTeght-cars of the New York Cen
tral, crowd gathered on the Lackawanna
trestle and jeered the men at work and
finally began throwing stones and bricks
The w0rkmen escaped, but two soldiers
were struck by the missiles, though not
seriously hurt. a detachment of soldiers
were sent to the trestle, but the mob fed.
1t is reported that e trainload Of soldiers
were attacked by strikers in East Buffalo
and stoned also that several arrests were
made IN consequence.