Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1894-07-20

men, women and boys were seen coming
| from the stock yards toward the network oil
| tracks at the crossing of Forty-seventh street.
| The gathering was increased every minute
| by a seemingly never-ending string of the
| strikers and their sympathizers, and about
o'clock fully 1000 people were massed
along the tracks from Forty-fifth street
south. They were the stock yards crowd.
| intent on destruction. and the few police
who remained on duty were powerless.
| They were not even noticed by the strikers,
who went to work at once.
Down the tracks p was the cry, and with
n rush the strikers started southwark.
Bunches of waste were stolen from SWITCH
mems shanties, and, soaked with the "dope"
used in oiling the cars, made an excellent
torch.
At Forty-seventh street five cars standing
on the Grand Trunks line were the first to
meet destruction. Some of them were
loaded. This did not deter the frenzied
crowd from their work, and the seals were
broken and the doors slid back. A bunch OF
the burning waste was thrown inside, quickly
ignited the contents, and in less than three
minutes the five cars were blazing ffercely.
Without waiting to see that their work
was complete the crowd surged on. They
kept to the Pan Handle tracks, and at Forty
ninth street came upon six more cars. These
were fired in a twinklinS, and on went the
crowd.
In the Garfield boulevard yards OF the Pan
Handle tour tracks were full Of freight cars
more than half of which were loaded. At
this crossing is a switchman's tower, and
/ this was first fired.
At Fifty-eighth street is the station of the
combined roads. This was fired and quick
ly destroyed.
Upon the approach of the Fire and Police
Departments, the crowd turned about AMI
started for the city. On their way to Forty.
seventh street they set fire to all cars that
they had missed in their hurried trip south
ward. No water could be obtained near the
Garfield boulevard yards, and the cars
slowly burned up.
1t was noticed that the leaders ofthe crowd
were mostly foreigners. and as they retraced
their steps few Of the leaders, accompanied
by hundreds, started off in the direction of
the stock yards.
The $50 cars in the yards were destroyed,
and when the crowd reached the stock yards
they divided up into small gangs and sepa-
rated among the big packing houses.
An alarm of fire was sent in from Forty
ninth and Ashland avenue, but it was sew
eral minutes before the flremen reached the
scene. The overworkei horses were so ex-
hausted that it was with difficulty that they
could be forced off walk.
The f1remen In this district had responded
to nearly sixty calls during twenty-four
hours, and as they reached the tracks they
were received with jeers and curses by a
crowd of Bohemians, Poles AMI Italians.
The flremen did not succeed in quenchinc
the flames before the cars were destroyed,
aud had hardly reached the engine house
again when they were called from the same
box.
The crowd had set fire to other cars. This
time the WORKOUT flremen made but feeble
efforts to extinguish the blaze. At Q o'clock
the cars had been reduced to ashes
Governor Altgeld, acting on a request
from Mayor Hopkins, who had learned of
the above lawless acts, ordered State militia
TO Chicago and the troops were sent to points
where the dangers seem greatest.
The scenes in the city were to the old res
idents a vivid reminder of war times. The
broad expanse of lawn on the historic lake
front, from the Chicago Club far south of
the Auditorium Hotel, was dotted with the
white tents Of the regulars from Forts Sher-
idan, Leavenworth AMI Brady. Sentries pa
trolled the broad sidewalk to compel the
crowds of onlookers to keep at respectful
distance.
few blocks north another big crowd sur
rounded the armory ofthe Second Regiment,
where six Of its companies with two regi-
ments Of the Second Brigade were gu artered
awaiting a call to service.
Company c OF the Thirteenth Regiment,
from Fort Sheridan, was camped in the ro-
tunda ofthe Government building, the Post
office, as a result of orders issued by Gener-
al Miles, who regarded it as wise to give it
Postoff1ce and the Sub-Treasury.
The regulars numbered 1900 men and the
National Guard 5000 men. In addition the
entire police force. including the reserves,
substitutes, and new men, a total of $500,
was available for special emergency call.
This made a total of 10, 900 armed men that
at less than an hours notice could be placed
in the field against the crowd.
Thousands of cars, many loaded with
merchandise were destroyed. The roads
that suffered were the Pan Handle. Bati-
more and Ohio, Illinois Central.
Grand Trunk ami the Stock Yards
Transit Company. The loss for
twenty-four hours by the torch
amounted to more than 81 900, 900. A hero
Inc In calico shot and killed a striker in the
Burlington yard, Chicago. The man was in
her husband, who, to keep his
family from starving, had taken a strikers
place.
The railroad officials in California gave
up all hope of moving trains aud said they
would make no further effort in that direc-
ton until the strike was ended. There
were scenes of violence in Oakland.
Several engines were ''killed." Else
where in California there was little destruc-
ton OF property. Strikers protested not to
fear the militia, who would never fire on
them, they said. So strong did the strikers
feel that they declined all compromise, and
now demanded return to the wages sched-
ule of 1898.
At Joliet, ILL.,, the engineers left work, as
they refused to continue, EXCEPT with their
own firemen.
An improvement was reported from ST.
Louis, where trains were run with some de-
gree of regularity.
Governor Waite. of Colorado, wrote to
President Cleveland protesting against the