The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1893-11-20
.LEHIGH Valley STRIKE
Both Sides Seem Determined to
Win the Contest.
Z COMPLETE FREIGHT BLOCKADE.

to Justify.
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 2O.-2y an order
which was sent out from thi$city by tele-
graph by the grievance committee Of the
Lehigh Valley railroad 1000 employees Of
the company str1ok mt 10 o'clock Saturday
night crippling traffic all along the line
and stopping 10 completely at many big
cities. AZ nearly every point the order
met with instant response. the employees
of the company having been prepared for
the outcome of the visit OF the committee
to this city
Reports received by the general grievance
committee mt the Bingham House indicate
that the strike lis of "a much graver nature
than the railroad officials are willing to
acknowledge
Vice President Theodore Voorhees,, who
was seen at his home last evening stated
TO "A representative Of the Associated Press
that his information was to the effect that
all trains on the road were moving The
only desertion from the ranks of the en-
ployes, 80 far as he had learned, were two
telegraph operators, several tiremen and
one or two engineers The small number
of men who had quit on account of the
refusal of the company to reinstate dis
charged operator had not hampered the
road TO any considerable degree. When
questioned as to the alleged omission of
| certain clauses or paragraphs in his Off
cial bulletin posted along the line last sum
mer, which is said to have stated the com
pany would respect certain alleged rights
| of the employees, he denied the assertions
| in the most emphatic manner
voorhees, Charges Falsehood.
"Tell Mr. wilkins. with my compli-
mentsn he said, "that he lies when he
says any such omissions have been made
| To prove what say, have documentary
| evidence In my Office which Will bear me
out in my statements However / am
not given to lying, but in order to convey
conviction to my doubters / am ready to
produce such evidence. We do not appre-
| hend much, if any, trouble from now on as
| it does not appear to be as much of
strike as one might be led to believe from
the manner in which the men have
| acted
Meantime reports from different sec
| tions show that the strike is not so insig-
nifcant as Mr.. Voorhees, indicates. At
! Buffalo the Lehigh Valley passenger
trains are arriving and departing as
| usual, but freight business is totally tied
| up 1t is understood at Buffalo that the
Lehigh Valley will be met with refusals
if they request parallel lines tomove their
freight from every road except the New
| York Central.
At Wilkesbarre freight and coal traffic
is suspended, and only trains carrying
the United States mail are passing
through. The strikers there have APP
pointed committees to guard railroad
property, as they fear their enemies may
precipitate trouble, which would give the
company an excuse to call upon the gov
ernor for the militia. One striker said:
IF we can keep the militia away we will
win
A number of passengers bound for New
York and northern points were obliged to
take the Jersey Central road at Wilkes
barre.
At Easton the men claim that the freight
traffic is completely tied up all along the
line The officials deny this. but admit
that it is badly crippled The engineers
and firemen are nearly all out on strike,
while passenger trainmen, who are mostly
non-brotherbood men, stick to their posts.
A number of nOn-union employees who are
in sympathy with the strikers refuse to 20
to work.
wilkins Returns the Compliment.
When Chief wilkins, who is chairman
of the grievance committee was informed
of \iCe President Voorhees, statement he
said:
1--WE also have documentary evidence to
sustain MS i'm our statements, and 1 will
say further that / must heartily return
the compliments of Mr. Voorhees,, which
has been transmitted to me. Never, at
any time have we asked the reinstate-
ment of Mr. Hughes, the discharged ope-
rater But when Voorhees, was asked to
receive the committee he eXcIaimed Ask
me to do anything in reason, but do not
ask he company to back down from the
stand it has taken.
II don't want the company to back
down, but he does want us to do SO. Well
we won't We are in the fight 10 stay and
will win it for the men"
"They failed to have the promises made
by the company fulfilled and the mer
came TO the grand officers as the last re
sort to assist them, - said Assistant GranC
Chief oungson, who is the personal rep
resentative of Grand Chief Arthur, of the
Locomotive Engineers, "nnd we intend to
help them all we cam
Chief Wilkins then explained at length
how concessions and agreements had beer
violated, and why the grand officers wer,
called in to adjust the difficulty if posi-
BILE without having to reso rt to a strike.