The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-02-07

CHICAGO Feb. GA morning paper
today contains the following; Dark
shadows OF an impending strike are
boyering as nightmares over many II
notall the railroad lines entering Chi
copo, On authority from several re-
liable sources it seems more than prob
abIethat within ten days a herculean
attempt will be made to tie up every
locomotive and car in the city and par
alive the traffic OF many thousands Of
miles OF track.
So apprehenslve have tho officials oil
one Of the eastern trunk lines become
that it is reliably reported they are re-
msiug TO receive east.bound traffic from
we,tern lines. Starting with the unoF-
canzed switChmen the dissatisfaction
has spread until it is claimed the vari-
Gus branches OF unorganized employees
will unite in one Of the most determined
strikes ever known in railroad annals,
The switchmen of Chicago have dc.
cided to demand an advance OF five cents
ner hour in their present pay, and to
strike il they do not get 1t. This inn
Dortsnt action was taken yesterday at
meeting of the committees represent
Ing the twenty.seven railroad yards in
The new scale demands 30 and So
cents per hour respectively for day
helpers and tiremen and 80 and 40 cents
per hour respectively for helpers and
tiremen workingat night
The demand will be made on the sew
eral roads centering here as soon as
petitiona can be circulated among the
men in the respective yards, and ma
iority Of the signatures secured.
The peculiar feature OF the movement
is that the regular organizations oil the
switchmen are ignored in the new
move, and that 1t is concerted move
on the part OF the men.
Ono Of the men, who Is prominent in
the new move, said: "This is not new
thing by any means, but we have been
very careful that our aims and object
should not become generally known. 1t
has been seriously considered ever since
the failure OF the Buffalo strike. After
that affair tho men got to talking among
Observation-Disclosures organizations we're
failures owing to the way they were con-
Quoted. Strike after strike had proved
to be q failure through misunderstand-
ings and mistakes Of the head men Of
orr organizations, and it becomes gem
eral talk among the men that the only
way by which tho roadmen could eyer
improve their condition would be by q
popular uprising. We have concluded
10 make an effort on our own account
without the guidance or assistance Of
the unions at all. / don't mean to say
that individual members OF the unions
will not support us. On the contrary,
they will help us, but they will not go
into the movement as members OF the
unions, nor will they 90 out Of 1t when
ordered to do so by the officials OF tho
unions. In other words il it becomes
necessary for us to strike it will not be
done by order OF the union officials, nor
will their mandate be effective in de-
Claring such strike of.
1.-The rank and file oil the men arc
heartily sick Of the way strikes have
been managed and they propose to try
hand at the problem in q more demo.
cratic way in the future. We have had
alittle too much union in one direction
and not enough in the other. There is
nolOck Of misunderstanding salaries, while
great majority of tho men engaged
on the lines are kept out OF the unions
because OF the arbitrary rulings and
fines imposed by these well paid OFF,
Cials. Tho men to man believe that
wages generally are too low and they
also express a willingness to 60 into n
popular movement to secure the same
and never give up until they secure 1t"
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