The morning call., 1894-07-06

Uncle Sam's Soldiers
Kept Cool.
PROVOKED BY A MOB.
They Showed Not a Bit
of Temper.
STRIKERS STOOD ASIDE.
Closing After the Troops Had
Passed.
ALL TRAFFIC. is YET BLOCKED.
General Miles Had the Right Ma
terial, but Not in Suffi-
cient Quantity.

CHICAGO, July 5.-The sun went down
on by far the must turbulent and critical
day thus far in the unparalleled railroad
strike and boycott. When it opened there
was general feeling that its passage
would 60 far toward clearing the atmos-
phere, if, indeed, il did not practically lift
the embargo on commerce which has held
this city in its grip for the past week. That
expectation was caused by the reliance on
Federal troops in the most dangerous dis
trics. But the situation at the close OF
the day is such that it must be admitted
that the hope INDUCED in in this regard
has not been justified. The troops are few
in number at best, and when they were
divided into squares and distributed at
parts separated by considerable distances.
Ii soon became evident that their prestige
in overa wing bodies had been disspated
at the same time. Instead OF fleeing in
fear before The faces of the soldiers, as
was predicted, the turbulent thousands
surged around the little band and jeered
and booted at them. cast vile epithets at
them and literally played hide and seek
with them, stopping trains at will and
generally rendering the embargo in the
military district stronger than before.
though the strikers did not resist Uncle
Sans police.
Again and again. when there were thou
sands of them about train which it was
sought TO move, they gave way like water
before the leveIed bayonets of single
company of infantry or the trampling of a
single squad of cavalry. Like water, too,
they closed in again at point just behind.
They turned switches, derailed freightcars
in front of the slow-moving train and
played all sorts of railroad tricks with
which the soldiers we're unacquainted.
Thus 1t was that the troops at the stock
yards, In perseverance and silence, spent
the entire day in a vain endeavor TO get
one trainload of beef out of sight of the
starting point. Another and pleasanter
thing this experience showed. and that
was the admirable coolness, self-Dosses-
sion and discipline Of the troops through
out an exciting twelve hours. Not a shot
was fired; not man was pricked with a
bayonet, which argues that with force
enough the soldiers would have done the
work which was expected OF them. The
quality was there; merely the quantity
was lacking.
Aside from the immediate neighborhood
where the troops were operating there was
plenty OF excitement and disorder. Great
mobs gathered on the Lake Shore, Alton,
West Shore and Rock Island tracts and
proceeded to obstruct them by overturn-
ing boxcars, breaking switches and the
like. At one time they set fire to signal
tower and an interlocking box, though the
flames were extinguished before damage
was done.
In two instances there was bloodshed.
On the Western Indiana tracks a hard
pressed special policeman fred at his pur-
suers, wounding striker in the leg. On
the Lake Shore road an official of that
company in charge of train which he
was en- deayoriDg to force through, emptied
bis revolver point blank into the mass
of strikers about him. wounding two or
three, 1t is believed. he was saved from
the fury Of the mob, as was his engineer,
who put on steam and ran back 10 the
point of starting.
Shortly after noon mob number ring
1000 started north on the Lake Shore
tracks at Thirty-seventh street overturn-
ing cars and obstructing the line in every
possible way. They were not checked
until they reached Twenty-second street.
where heavy force of police was massed
and succeeded in turning them back.
During the afternoon Mayor Hopkins and
Chief of Police Brennan went down to the
Lake Shore road with an official of that
line, intending TO 60 to the stockyards.
The course was obstructed and they were
compelled to finish the journey on foot
OF the striking men it may be said the
situation broadened with the day. The
Big Four, on which it was presumed
traffic would be resumed Immediately, is
practically tied up. At Joliet everything
Is at standstill. because the yardmen
have gone out and the city water works
have shut down for lack of coal.
The Federal troops quickly put an end
to the troubles at Ration, n. Mex. arrest
ing large number Of strikers.
All the artillery and cavalry stationed
at the stockyards arrived on the lake front,
opposite the Auditorium, tonight and went
at once into camp.
General Miles, speaking of the obstruc-
tive tactics of the strikers and their sympa-
thizerS at the st0ckyards and railroads,
said tonight: "Those men don't seem TO
realize how close to death they are
every time they attempt to stop
train and harass the troops.
That boodshed has not yet taken
place is due to the extraordinary GOODNESS
of the men and their wonderful seIf-con-
troll. They have taken the sneers and
ieers of the crowd with great forbearance,
and have submitted TO indigniies and In
suits in a remarkable manner"
BLUE ISLAND. H.. July 5.-Two COM
panies of troops have been sent from here
to the Union Stockyards The tracks and
yards here have been cleared and are now
ready for business. The strikers say they
can do nothing so long as the soldiers are
here, but will tie up the road again after
the soldiers leave.