New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-22
THE STRIKE MAY SPREAD.
Jersey CENTRAL MEN LIKELY TO BECOME
INVOLVED.

IF THEY ARE ASKED TO HAUL LEHIGH FEfi"hl
THEY WILL REFUsE--AN EFFORT WILL
PROBABLY BE MADE TO SEND TEST
CAR TWO MILES To-DAY-THE SIT
UATIoN UNCHANGED YESTERDAY.
AN the indications point to extension OF
,he Iebigh Valley strike to-day. In spite OF
tbe seemingly neutral position taken by the
,eacials of the Central Railroad of New-Jersey'
there Is the strongest likelihood of sympa-
tbetic strike Of the Centrals employees to-day
or tomorrow
This became evident late yesterday afternoon
when request was made of the Cehtra'
40 haul car of Lehigh Valley lreis"1
from East Brilis to Newark. a distance OF
less than two miles If there is strike on 'he
Central to-day it will not be ordered because
the men are badly treated by the Cehti"' =
officers. The employees of the Cen'ral are per-
fectly satisfied with the treatment they are re-
ceiving from their employers. They 10 ho'
hesitate to say that they are receiving better
pay than any other railroad men IN the S'a'e
of New-Jersey They have the kindliest feel
Ings for President Maxwell and the other ON
cials. who are always ready TO listen to their
complaints. and who generally effect salts
factory compromise when there is grievance
But In spite of these facts. which TO the ordi-
nary observer seem to insure the Centra
against strikes there is great danger of a gen.
eral strike on the road within twehty-lour
hours Such strike would affect nearly TWO
thousand employees between and including Jer-
sey City and Newark. 1t will surely occur as
soon as the Central engineers are ordered TO
haul either incoming or outgoing Lehigh Val
ley freight.
FINDING OUT HOW THE MEN FEEL.
The fact that an attempt was made yesterday
afternoon to have car Of Lehigh Valley
freight hauled over less than two miles of the
CentraPs tracks by the Centrals men leaked
out last evening. The attempt was made evil
IDENTIFY to ascertain the temper of the Centrals
employees. 1t took just about twenty minutes
TO do this by telephone and the subject of haul
Ing that was temporarily dropped IL WILL
however be renewed to-day.
Freight traffic on the Lehigh Valley is at
complete standstill. but the Lehigh freight
agents announce that they are receiving non
perishable freight just if there were no
strike. Only meaning can be reasonably
attributed to this course. 1t means that the
agents and their superior officers have reason
TO believe that they will be able to have the
enormous amount OF freight now on hand and
constantly increasing in volume moved within
q few hours. Under no other consideration
would they for moment think of receiving
freight for early shipment. In view of these
facts the significance of the one-car episode
]. i. Yesterday afternoon is apparent
d y1Ae Lehigh Valley has not yet made a formal
16smand upon the Central to haul its now greatly
, delayed freight. If such demand is made
There can be no escape for the Central. The
~lAw Of common carriers defined by the Inter-
..stst Commerce Law is imperative on. this point.
10 10
tehigh Valley asks the Central to accept Le-
high Valley freight for transportation it must
90 10.
WHERE THE QUESTION WILL BE RAISED.
The three points near New-York where this
question is almost to be raised Jersey
City, Perth Amboy and East Brilrs All in
coming Lehigh Valley freight is hauled into
Jersey City over the Centrals tracks either by
way Of Perth Amboy or East Brill's Junction.
Shortly after O'Clock yesterday afternoon a
telephone message received by the yardmaster
ht East Brills created a sensation among the
thirty forty employees of the Central who
were stationed there. East Brills Junction is
the point where the Lehigh Valley Railroad
touches the Jersey Central, about two miles
this side of Newark. Half a mile out on the
Lehigh road from East Brill's Junction is what
Is the Lehgh terminus proper. 1t is called
place. There Is considerable incoming Lehgh
freight stalled there now. 1t was from there
that the startling telephone message came to
East Brilps. The Centrals engineers at East
Brill's were told that a message had been
ceived from "PY'' saying that there was a
car Of Lehgh Valley freight there. and that
1t desired that one Of the Centrars engi-
neers should run down there and haul it up at
o'clock. The engineers were told that the car
was consigned to Newark where It was to be
taken by Central engine driven by Central
engineer. They were also told that it was
"only one car that was to be hauled only to
Newark" which is less than two miles be-
yond East Brills.
ALL But ONE MAN REFUSED TO ACT
As soon as the message from "P Y" was re-
ceived the Central's men at East Bulls includ-
Ing engineers, firemen. trainmen and switchmen,
held informal meeting around the signal
tower. All of them with exception. de-
clared that they would not couple their
gines to any "scab" freight The one engineer
who said he would qualified his declaration by
saying that soon as he received orders from
the committee Of his lodge not to handle "scab'
freight he would obey the order About ten
minutes before O'Clock word was received in
the signal tower at up Y" that the Central's
men at East Bulls were in an ugly mood and
would probably refuse point blank TO haul
even one car of Lehigh freight to Newark.
few minutes later the men at East Bulls were
told that the car had not yet arrived at "P "
and probably would not before GSrday The
Centrafs engineers smiled
To-day at Perth Amboy and East Bulls there
Will be some attempts made to have Lehigh
freight hauled into Jersey City, and when 1t
gets to the Central tracks there Is sure to be
trouble. The strong bond of sympathy that
binds the Lehigh Valley strikers and the Jersey
Central's men together Is remarkable. 1t
cannot be accounted for by their membership
in the same railway mems brotherhoods and
Associations alone The two roads run along
side by side for most Of their length and the
men who work for the Lehigh are neghbors,
and in many instances relatives Of the men
who work for the Central
The sympathy of the Centrals employees for
the strikers has been shown in peculiar man.
ner In the yards in Jersey City during the last
two days. The Lehigh passenger trains start
from the Central station In Jersey City When
q Lehigh passenger train is made up II IL
backed into the Centrals passenger station.
Then about ten minutes before the train is due
to depart the Lehigh engine that Is to haul II
70 manned with non-union crew, and begins
TO back toward the station. After moving a