The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-08-18

Ofnclals on the grounu baNiuS ,ouhe
them the commission will invite the Oh
ficials to meet in conference late this after
noon. Tne day shift of the West Shore
switchmen went on a strike today. Ineir
demands are similar TO the demands OF the
Central men. The night shift without
doubt, will refuse to work tonight.
General Manager Halstead OF the Deia-
ware. IackawanEa and Western has issued
imperative orders that no freight shall be
received from any of the tied-up roads;
The order also instructs agents at ali
junction points not to accept any freight
that has been diverted from the Central.
Erie or Lehigh Valley roads. Lake freight
that is billed over either of the above INES
will also be refused should it be offered TO
the Lackawanna at this point.
Before going down into the yards TINS
morning General Superintendent wheeler
was asked: "how many swltchmen are
out?"
ssThere are about $50 men in all.
What do the strikers demaRd-fewer
hours or an increase IN wages
"That's lust what I'd like you to make
clear to the public through the press; lt
is purely strike for Increased pay. Inc
pretension of the men that they want
fewer hours is all a humbug. The men
have never before made the slightest OBJ
lection to the number of hours they
work"
"They have made formal demand for
ftp"
.sYes. The demand was refused. The
men EMPLOYED on this road at Buffalo have
been receiving more pay than any other
men performing like services on this ROAD
in the state of New York, and we decided
not to grant their demands.
do you anticipate much trouole as
result of these men going out Z!
81 do not.'
sDo you know If there is much perish
able freight in the yards s''
Eyes: / know there is none"
"Do you expect any difficulty in getting
men to take the places of the strikers ?,
mo- if we are given protection by the
authorities
Grand Master Frank Sweeney was inter
viewed this morning. He said that he had
just received a message from the heao-
quarters of the Chicago Swltchmen,s
union that an attempt was being made
10 employ switchmen in Chicago to take
the places OF the men here, but that the
company had not yet succeeded IN IN
ducing any to accept their offer.
When questioned as to the chances OF
the strike becoming general, Mr. Sweeney
said:
mo man can predict where this thing
will end. 1t may spread like wlld-Hre:
Certain it is that the men nave done All
that men with an ounce of sense could do
to avoid forcing a strike. The Lehlgh
Valley men first asked for reform III GER
tain places on June II last. The company's
officers refused to listen to anything
They have an thatidea they can drive and
frighten them into submission, but they
are mistaken. The swlJchmen cannot be
driven There is no question of the Justice
of their demands. These men ask that
they be paid by the hour and that they be
given time to eat their dinners. The COM
mittee that waited on superintendent
Burrows of the Central was insulted by
him and was at once discharged. 1t re-
ported to the organization, and, rs re-
suit of Burrows brutal and overbeariug
conduct, the men are out. l cannot say
what will be done today. There will be
no lawlessness that the men can prevent.
Mr. Sweeney declined to say whether he
would order the Chicago men out or not.
ANY road that showed disposition to be
fair, he added, would not have any
trouble.
This evening Mr. Sweeney, in an inter
view, made some serious charges. Said
he;
not only not to blame for the acts OF disor-
der that have been committed, but tnat
they have not sanctioned them in any way.
The best proof of this is that there has
been none of them arrested on any such
charges. There is great deal under the
surface in this matter that would
surprise you to learn. When the lirst of
this strike came it became necessary,
somehow or other, to divert public SYM
pathv from the strikers The railroad
lawyers and managers are not fools. and
hey devised the means by which they got
the sympathy and put the strikers In a
hole The strikers did not set those cars
on fire Sunday morning"
do you mean to insinuate that these
roads had the cars set on fire and burned
their own properJy?" the reporter asked,
and Mr.. Sweeney said:
II have heard Jnst that rumor going
about-nothing less. 1t IS well known
that the cars burned We're condemned and
abandoned old hulks shunted onto grass
grown sidings. We can furnish evidence
that they were abandoned and valueless
old cars
President Webb of the Central, focued
the situation thus: I'VE intend to run
our road and move all trains as usual.
There will be no Pinkertons employed.
We shall look to the state of New York
TO protect our men from assault We
have run the New York Central as u non.
'union road for two years and we like 1t. "
Chief Arthur OF the Brotherhood OF
Locomotive Engineers has been sent for,
and is expected in the city some time to-
day. The object of his coming cannot be
learned That strike among the loco
motive firemen is imminent there is no
doubt. The firemen are said TO be IN
hearty sympathy with the Switchmen.
mediate effect to tie up any line on which
the strike was ordered. The engineers are
also in hearty accord with the swiichmen.
tThe Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
may assist the switS Shmen at this crisis.
New YORK, Auge17.-Tbe police report
ed this morning that between 6 aud
o'clock last night some person placed tie
on the track of the New York Central
road at One Hundred and Sixty Seventh
street 1t was discovered before any dam
age had been done and removed by q
yardman.
The strikers kept quiet aud there was
no trouble of any kind all day long. Th,
Buffalo Creek road did not move a car
The Lehigh people would not attempt any
work, because they said there was not pro
lection enough on the ground.
BUFFALO. n. Y, Aug. 1S-l:50 a. M
The Lake Shore switchmen have Just Qui
work. A gang of them were seen. Thel
said that they had been ordered out anC
that the Lackawsnna men will follow
them in less than half an hour.
PHILADELPHIA. Aug, 11.-The followin.
was given out for publication this after
noon;
'PHILADELPHIA, Aug. IL.
ITO Mr.. L A. Swgard. General Manager
= DEAR SIR-1he operation of the yard
at Buffalo. Waverly and Sayre will be re
sumed Thursday. the 18th inst. You ar
hereby instructed TO pay off aud discharg
at once all employees who have gone out OF
a strike except such hitherto efficient anC
faithful men as you are convinced wer
coerced into the abandonment of their du
lies. and who if left TO their own free vii
would not have left the service of the com
pany, and may have families or others VIII
are dependent upon them.