The morning call., 1894-07-18
TWO WEEKS IN THE DESERT
Exciting Scenes Along the Line
i'm Nevada.
FEDERAL TROOPS BRING ORDER.
Mr.. Brown Believes the Strikers
Made Mistake in Resorting
to Violence.


Congregational Church, returned to this
city on the first overland train that
had moved since the strike began
with enough material gained from per-
sonal observation to form the basis of
book on the issue between capital and
labor. Mr.. Brown was returning from a
visit TO a soG in South Dakota when the
strike was declared. and together with
thirty-four other uufOrtunates was de-
tained sixteen days at Wadsworth, Win
nemucca and Carlin. He returned with
many exciting experiences to relate, and
well-defined opinion as to the question in
dispute.
Mr.. Brown said the first practical dem
onstration be received Of the strike was
where the train upon which he was riding
was stopped at Carlin by the strikers, and
the passengers were told they could go no
further. After being detained five hours
the strikers consented to let the train pro-
coed without the Pullmans. in order that
A prominent frut-grower of Sacramento
named Reed, who was seriously i'll. might
reach his home. When the train reached
Mnnemucca il was again stopped and
held two weeks.
Winnemucca is a weary desert town as
a rule, but there was no end OF excitement,
while Mr.. Brown and his fellow passen-
gers were detained there. Everybody
from the editor to the preacher was in
favor of the strikers, and. until a detach-
ment of the regular army reached there,
had no hesitation about saying so.
To add to the feeling of insecurity among
the passengers there was the feeling that
the hated Pullmans In which they slept
each night might be blown up at any time.
A captain attached TO a regiment Of mi
Iitia stationed there intimated as much.
He boldly asserted that the militia would
never fire on the strikers, and said, with q
significant glance toward their tents. that
they had plenty Of giant powder If an Oc-
casiOn for its use should arise.
So the time was passed at Winnemucca.
No one knew what the next day would
bring forth, and the strikers and their
sympa thizers did not seem to care. Not
until the arrival of troops from Fort
Sheridan, under command of Colonel
Pauland, was anything like order brought
out Of the chaos.
Colonel Pauland is very determined
man, and he lost no time in showing the
citizens of WiDDemucca who was 10 COM
mand. Not only overt acts but lndiscreet
acrs were punished. and in a manner that
left no doubt in the minds of anybody
as to what might be expected to follow
a repetition OF such indscretons. A
striker who applied the term "scab" 10 a
fireman who was attempting to pull out
train was arrested before the air ceased to
vbrate with his untlmey declaration.
The friends Of the man made rush TO
rescue HIM Nnd were confronted with a
line Of cleaning bayonets. While the m DO
hOwleG ColoneA Pauland ordered that the
first attempt TO rescue the man be the
signal for a bsyonet TO pierce his body and
that his would-he rescuers would be shot
down in the order in which they appeared.
The crowd quailed before such a deter
mined stand and the man was subse-
ouently released after promising to fight
for the protection of law and order should
his services be required.
With the arrival of Federal troops the
train moved without difficulty. 1t was
necessary TO send soldiers ahead to guard
the bridges over which the train passed.
so progress was slow. but the belated
travellers arrived at the Oakland mole at
II o'clock yesterday morning, sixteen days
two hours and three-QuaTterS overdue.
Mr.. Brown does not look at the struggle
that practically made him prisoner for
two weeks as a strike or boycott, but as
an armed resistance to the United States
Government, or. 10 speak more plainly, an
incipient rebellion. He does not question
the right of the strikers to str Ike. but
there he believes their rights end. He
indorses the construction placed upon
mail-train by Attorney General Olney and
believes the railroads were consistent in
to detach Pullmans from the
trains with which they were usually run.
81 believe this struggle long ago passed
the stage of a strike or boycott" said
Mr.. Brown. "aud has reached a point
where il is an Open contest between the
lawful authority Of the United States and
its enemies. If this be true there is but
nj ri
sumo. l am always in favor OF any attempt
of organized labor 10 better its condition.
but when the promoters of such move
ments transgress the laws of the country
and violate the most sacred rights of human
existence, | can no longer approve their
actions.
THE right of one man or of body of
men to quit work and say that they will
not return to their employment until their
grievances shall be settled cannot be de-
MED, but when they 60 farther than this
they are wrong. No man has right TO
say that another man shall not perform
the work that he himself has refused to do,
nor has he right to resort to violence to
prevent his late employer from carving
on bis business. My ideas on these cues
tions are admirably expressed in an inter-
view with Archbishop Ireland published
this morning. | have found occasion to
differ from the Archbishop great many
times, but on this question we exactly
agree.
''To my mind there seems to be no
other way of looking at the matter. The
Government looks upon the strikers as its
enemies, as EXPRESSED in an order received
by Colonel POULAND, while l was at Win
nemucca, ana anybody who does not AXE
the part of the Government must neces-
sarily be classed with the foes Of Federal
authority"
In speaking of the unanimity with which
the strikers were Endorsed by the citizens
of Wnnemucca Mr.. Brown mentioned the
fact that the local minister delivered SER
mon on the Fourth OF July in which very
radical ideas were advanced in support of
the cause of the strikers. Inspired by the
utterances of such leaders Mr.. Brown said
all sorts of anarchistic sentiments were ex-
pressed on all sides, and some of the
strikers even went so far as TO say that
revolution had broken out. The authority
OF the Government was spoken or with
contempt, he said, and the prospect Of an
opportunity to take up arms against the
renublic seemingly welcomed.
The result of the strike. Mr.. Brown be-
lieves, will be the formation of stronger
central government at Washington. lie
believes the standing army will be in
creased and more attention paid to the
manner in which railroads are run. he
says 1t is only a step from rece1vershlp TO
ownership, and perhaps the Government
will decide to take possession of the rail-
roads OF the cOuntry Itself. As TO what
will be the ultimate result OF the spirit OF
discomfort that prompted the strike he
had no definite opinion. lie thought the
present tendency was TO limit the amount
of money which any individual may &C
cumulate.