The record-union., 1894-06-30
The Great Workshops Closed and
The Men Idle.
A General Strike Ordered by the
Railway Union.
Unsuccessful Efforts TO Start Trains Travel
Suspended On All LineS-The
Meeting Last Night

With the exception of the arrival OF a
few local trains yesterday from nearby
points, railroad traffic to and from this
city was completely suspended. Even
the mechanical departments at the shops
remained idle, and the freight offices
were closed for lack of business.
When it became known to the local MEM
bers of the Railway Union on Thursday
night that train for the East. with Pull
man cars. was en- route from Oakland.
under guard of United States Marshal
Long and several deputies, it was de-
cided to call out all the railroad employees
in the city, including the men in the sew
eral departments in the shops.
About 3 o'clock yesterday morning the
engines were shut down, and all the cleo
trio lights went out in the yards and
about the depot.
Shortly before , o'clock a special train
arrived from San Francisco. with party
OF tourists for Lake Tahoe. and pro-
ceeded on to Truckee without molesta-
ton.
But the overland express, with the
Marshals on board, which arrived little
before o'clock, having come by the way
of Stockton, did not have such smooth
sailing.
4 big crowd of strikers had assembled
at the depot and theirailroad officials had
considerable difficulty in getting the
train out on its way. Henry Tremblay
took charge of it as conductor. At Rose
vile Marshal Long ana his deputies LETT
the train to return on the westbound
overland, while sheriff Conroy OF Placer
County and special railroad officer Ben
True continued on 10 Rockliu. where a
party Of strikers took possession, un-
coupled the cars and tied up the train.
The westbound express came in on
time, but was not allowed to proceed any
fart1er than the depot Men climbed
aboard the train before the depot was
reached and uncoupled the three Pull
man coaches, which were lett up at Sixth
street.
superintendent Wright was on hand
and directed the train hands to go back
and get the coaches, but they refused to
Go so. Foreman Joe Clark OF the round
house started out boldly to get on the
locomotive and run it back, but his
courage gave way when a crowd of the
strikers got about him, and he weaken ed.
Master Mechanic HeintZleman, how
ever, being made Of sterner stuff. manned
the engine, while Superintendent Wright
did the coupling, and the coaches were
brought into the depot.
By this time the mechanics and others
employed in the shops, numbering some
/ 800 men, had come down town TO their
work. but on learning of the order OF the
Railway Union for a general strike in all
departments, left the shops and gathered
about the depot. With the trainmen there
assembled the crowd numbered upward
of two thousand men, to say nothing of
the spectators.
When the attempt was made to start the
overland train for San Francisco various
difficulties were met with. First it was
found that the switch between the depot
and the Yolo bridge had been opened.
Railroad officer Hickey, who came up
with the East-bound overland as a Deputy
Marshal, ran ahead and set the switch,
and renamed by it to see that the crowd
did not interfere with it.
Some ugly remarks were made, but no
one meddled with the officer.
About this time the draw of the bridge
was seen 10 swing open, and Hickey ran
over on the bridge in time to see two
men climb down, get into boat and pull
Tor the \ olo shore.
Then engineer Salspaugh and his son,
the fireman, declined to operate the loco
motive, and as the engineers and tiremen
had all Joined in the strike the railroad
officials abandoned any further attempt
to move the train.
The cars remained on the main track,
and shortly before noon the Pullman
coach passengers became weary OF the
monotony and left the depot for the
hotels.
All incoming local trains were allowed
to complete their trips, but were aban-
doned by the crews in the yards, thus
blockading the various tracks.
Before going out on the strike the men
ran all the freight cars away from the
-. h, = LON
tracks, so they could not be loaded.
This of course prevented the wholesale
houses from putting any freight aboard
the cars, and it would have availed them
nothing ii they had, as no trains were al
lowed TO move.
POWERLESS To ACT.
A RECORD UNION reporter called on
Division Superintendent Wright and II.
J. Small, Superintendent of Motive Power
and Machinery, and asked them If they
were going to make any further attempt
TO move trains.
'sNhat's the use ?'' remarked Mr.
Wright. There are about I, 1000 men out
there who have struck and who declare
that not wheel shall turn. We have
plenty of men TO man the trains, with the
exception OF engineers and tiremen, but
what's the use OF trying to do anything in
the face of such opposition?
No, the HlSu Uaf0 CI1lSQ a S6ueIdl
strike, and everything is at a standstill.
Fruit trains are side-tracked all the way
between here and Chicago. and hundreds
OF thousands OF dollars worth of fruit Is
spelling. Even the ice trains are stand
ing IN the sun and the ice melting.
The strike extends from Ashland in the
north TO III Paso in the south, and from
San francisco 10 the East Not train is
running except few locals that started
this morning before the general strike
was ordered. All traIfic is paralyzed, and
the loss to irult-growers and merchants,
even although the tie-up should last but
"a few days, will be enormous.
''Ihese men all quit to-dav.n resumed
Mr. Wright, 'of their own accord and
now an order has come from headonar-
ters ts close the shops in Sacramantc
Oakland and Los Angeles.u
1t looked Ike Sunday about the vhole-
sale houses yesterday No shipments
could be made, and while the eInnIoVes
were enjoying a rest and thinkino of
going a-fishing, the proprietors were sit
ting back trying TO figure up what their
daily losses would amount to If the strike
were to continue for any length of time.
one large firm which does a heavy
business with its interior customers has
had its country orders all cut of. and has
been obliged to suspend most OF its en-
ployes in that department. The lay-off
falls heavily on class OF employees that
can poorly afford to lose their salaries.