The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-07-18
THE PULLMAN BOYCOTT,
THE STRUGGLE OF THE AMER
ICAN RAILWAY UNION.


In Protecting the. Property Of the
Allied Raiiroads-The Extent Of
the Strike-Washington News.
The presence of the United States
Regulars in Chicago, ordered out to assist
the railroads in protecting their property
from the members of the American Railway
Union, who went on strike and declared q
| boycott against all Pullman cars in order to.
compel that corporation to restore the wages
| Of the Pullman employees to the original
| figure. did not end the disorder as soon as
| was expected. ....
A dispatch from Chicago says The Fourth
| OF July was almost q mockery In Chicago
| The day was made the occasion for big
bonfire, but it was not in the way OF cele-i
bration. As II in defiance OF the callingi
out Of the Federal troops came an act
Of incendierlsm against the allied
railroads. Almost the first news OF the Ma
tional holiday was report Of the firing OF
q number OF cars at West Pullman In the
Blue Island district OF the Rock Island road.
The blaze was started just far enough away
to be out OF quick reach OF the detachment
OF Federal troops sent to that point from |
Fort Sheridan. The reports placed the num-:
Der Of cars burned at nearly dozen, all
freight.
With rifles leveled and revolvers drawn,
half of the Second Battalion, Fifteenth Reg
iment, United States Infantry, proceeded
through dense crowd of more than 5000
men, boys, women and children to their
camp In the Stock Yards. The
train left the Lake Shore depot
carly In the morning, but at 6 o'clock p.
M. was still on a side track, not where the
managers intended it to be, but close
enough for the boys in blue to unload their
horses, ammunition, four Hotchkiss rifed
cannon and supplies. and 60 into camp,
wearied and iaded lot Of men, not having
slept for twenty-four hours, and without
food, with the exception OF single hastily
snatched meal, during that time. =
The day was trying one for the troops
and the police. and one OF intense excite
ment from daybreak until night Besides
the $50 men composing Companies G and D
OF the Fifteenth Infantry, there were the
cavalry and artillery and squad Of seven
ty-fve policemen. On the latter fell the
truut OF keeping In control crowd wild
with excitement and iniamed by passion.
The trouble began early in the morning.
At o'clock Swift i Co. tried to move their
stalled meat train, eastbound, which the
strikers had held in durance for forty-eight-
hours. Every obstacle was placed In the
way of the employees OF the big packer, and
It was II. 80 before the train could be started
out on its long journey. Even then the
troops were obliged to charge the crowd
with bayonets, before which. like flock OF
frightened sheep, It fell back and permitted
the train to move. Er
Six times the train was uncoupled by the
strikers or their sympathizers, in spite OF the
fact that on every car sat the bronzed and
seasoned army men, who had seen service
and knew how to shoot, and who declared
they would do so II any man attempted to In
Ty;o kho,, hosx "a
done, but the strikers weretoo agile Tor them
Before the rifles could be aimed the offenders
would be back In the midst Of the crowd,
where 1t would have been worse than folly
to shoot, jeering and hooting at the discom-
flied military. Only once did the soldiers
look calmly on at two persons uncoupling
the train, and. although they had plenty.
Of time to shoot, failed to do 80. In this
case the persons were women.
The scene was noteworthy when Engineer
Wrenn and Fireman Culp, both employees Of
the Lake Shore road. who had been running
the engine pulling the military train all day,
concluded to quit With wild cheers the
crowd rushed at the two men and despite
their resistance picked them up and bore
them aloft for distance OF three or four
blocks. OF course this settled the question
Of moving for the night.
After the troops had abandoned their train
two rear cars OF the train and then, satisfied
with their days work, and finding no more
soldiers or policemen to harass, they quietly
dispersed.
Fifteen Pan Handle freight cars were
burned at Forty-seventh street, Chicago, by
q crowd Of strikers and their friends.
Trouble broke out at Hammond, Ind, In
connection with the boycott Of Pullman cars.
AS train No. on the Erie pulled In from
Chicago on time at p. m. it was attacked
by about 160 men anu cut In two. Two Pull
man cars were cut off and the balance OF
the train was taken East. The per-
sons attacking the train were not Hammond
strikers. but were men who were forced
away from Grand Crossing by the arrival OF
Federal troops at the latter place. By the
time the deputy sheriffs arrived at the train
about 600 strikers were on hand. and when
the deputies made demand for the cars
cut of they were told they could not have
On a request from United States Marshal
Brinton Governor Altgeld ordered six COM
panies OF the Fourth Regiment, Illinois Ma;
tional Guard, to Mounds, near Cairo, to as,
sist in maintaining order and to release ILL.,
nois Central mail trains. Six companies or
The Fourth Regiment, Illinois Nationall
Guard, arrived at Mounts to raise the em-
barge on Illinois Central freight trains de-
tanned there by the strike.
The Governor OF Iowa ordered the Fourth
Regiment, except Company 4, to Sioux
City.
The Wyoming troops reached Pueblo to
aid in moving mails.
Freight routes by wagon were established
In all directions from Fargo, North Dakota,
for 100 miles, and took mail. Farmers feared
that the strike would interfere with getting
twine and machinery for harvest.
The strikers in Oakland. CAL, held up
local trains and pulled Off the flremen and
brakemen. The militia got ready to take
the field. In Sacramento the troops refused
TO disperse the strikers, and finally marched
back to their armories without accomplishing
ANYTHING. The strikers in Oakland spiked the
switches. and the track at Sixteenth street
and beyond there eastward. This was done
to prevent trains with military from passing.
In Los Angeles the sympathy OF all classes
seemed 10 be with the American Railway
Union, while ribbon sympathy badges were
in demand and were generally worn.
A dispatch from Washington gave the
following resume: ''United States troops In
the field in active operation against striking,
railroad employees at Chicago, ILL.,, Los
Angeles, CAL, Ration. New Mexico, and
Trinidad, Col. threatening danger at Hell
ena, Montana, call for State troops from
the United States Marshals at Sacra-
mento, CAL, 10 protect railroad prop
erty, represented condition Of the railroad
strike as gathered from official dispatches
received by the Attorney-General ard the
War Department. At Helena Marshal Nc
Dermott telegraphed that the mob assumed
a very threatening attitude and stopped the
trains OF the Northern Pacific Railroad at
that point. Auorney-General Olney te'e-
graphei him to swear In $50 deputy mar
shsis and open traffic. 1t he should be
unable to do so with this force hs was
informed that the United States troops