Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1892-11-26
GREAT STRIKE ended.
The Lockout at Homestead De-
olared off.
Cost of the Fight Estimated at Nearly
Six Million Dollars.


At last the great strike at Carnegie
Homestead Steel Works has been declared
of.
After Ave months struggle, which for
bitterness has probably never been equaled
in this country, the army Of strikers finally
decided to give up the fight. This action
was taken at meeting OF the lodges OF the
Amalgamated Association at Homestead,
the vote standing 10l in favor Of declaring
the strike off and 81 against it.
Among those present at the meeting were
vice-President Carney, Secretary KigclloD
Treasurer Mad len snd ravid Lynch, Of the
advisory board. The officials addres ed the
members, and in plain words told them the
strike was lost and advised them to take
steI TO bet their condition.
The remarks INST with considerable opposi
ton, but when the vote was taken it showed
a ma jority Of 10 in favor II declaring the
strike Il. Those who were in favor of end
ing the struggle were jubilant, while those
who vere against it were badly put out
Most OF the latter ere men who were OBJ
stinate, and many of them had either sP-
piled for positions in the mill and had been
turned down, or felt sure that their names
were on the company's black list and could
not get pos tions.
A member of the advisory board sa that
he tes been try ng TO get the strike declared
of Tor weeks, as he knew it was 10 I, and IL
would have been bet er for the men, as o
great many OF them could have gotten the1
placts ack
Those who coul not get back are in bad
hx, as tire relief funds will be stopped and
many hundl eds of them have nothing TO live
On. The people in Homes lad, especially tina
business men, are highly elated over the 40
ton Of the meeting, for if TIE strike had con-
unued much longer il would have Iuined tho
town. Many business houses have fell into
the hands of the sheriff since the strike has
been on. Business is expected to resume its
normal condition soon.
The Homestead strike has proved one OF
the most disastrous IN the history OF tha
country. 1t originated from reduction in
the departments In VIII ca members of the
Amalgamated Association Of iron and Steel
Workers were emplo, ed he hitch was on
what is known as the sliding scale. 1t is q
scale which reg ilatts the mems weges by
the market price of steel billets. Ne rly
every mill ia this vicinity signed the scale
including other mills of the Carnegie Com
pany.
AT the refusal of the firm to sign the scale
for the Homt stead mill lockout occurred
were joined by the mechanics and lal orers
who struck out of sympathy only, the wages
not being reduced The strikers were deter
mined 10 keep I on-GnIon mon out OF the
mills and adopted military discipline.
Tie story OF The arrival and bloody Il hit
with the Pnkertons on July ., the subse-
quent riotous proceedings and the calling
out OF the N ,tiona Guard and its del arturo
after three months' duty is too well known
to repeat. For SIX weeks the mill hiss been
running almost as well as before the strike,
Lut until within tho asst week the strikers
have steadfasly refused 10 admit defeat.
The news declaring the strike off was re-
ceived with dismay by the strikers In the two
Lawrenceyille mills of Carnegies. These
men were sympathy strikers, aud went out
ut thu time the men at tie Beaver Falls and
Duquesne struck. The Duqussne men gave
up the fight in three weeks, and ths Beaver
Falls strikers decided togo back to woIk
The LawTenceyille men, however, W. re steSo
fast, and had no intention Of giving IN. They
are now in the position Of striking for no
cause. They are very an ry at the Home
stead men, and will declare the strike of.
The strike at one time involved near 10.
900 men and the Il SIS in wages will reach, it
is said, in the neighborhood of 81, OO0,OOO
Then there is the imm nse loss TO the nrLn,
which cannot be estimated, but which con
sentative people put at at least douoe the
can be added nearly $500, 600 paid to the STA
troops and the cost to the county OF Ale
gbeny for the riot, treason ind other cases
growing out OF the strike.
There are 180 Homestead strikers who ara
indicted for the crimes Of treason, murder,
aggravated riot and conspiracy TO be tried
at the present and December terms OF court
Little more than two-ihirds have been ar,
rested About 140 have been bailed out in
the Criminal Court or by 'Sq1iI Q McMssters>
Tn, SO are the persons WI 0 wIll b. tried. Only
three, O'Dounel, Clifford and Critchlow, are
In jail 1t is said the officers co not expecs
to ARE t any of the missing men.
At least IS deaths were directly OF indi-
rectly caus d by the strike. Besides those
killed in tue battle OF Ju y 9 many soldiers
contracted fever, which resulted fata ly, one
soldier was accidentally shot by comrade,
another was killed by the cars; one striker
committed suicide, one was drowned, one
was Kill cd by the cars: several non-unioD
men died fr' m fever and several were xii e
In he mill and one was murdered by another
non-unionist. The attempted assassination
OF Chairman FricF, Of the CarneIie Com
piny is al o indirectly credited to the striks