The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-07-23
Exaggerated Stories Put tho Loss
OF Life and Property Much
Too High.
The Revised Figures as Made
Since tho Excitement
Cooled on
Pullman Company tho Csbossa which
WIN snnsr Most Seriously Aad Per-
mansntiy Lessons Learned.

rlot plllaRo ana bloodahed incldent 70 the
great strike have led to equally sIagesra,sd
estimates OF loaasa and damage. The sx-
oitemsnt being over, an intelligent compu-
tation OF tho actual damage done has been
made by . special ssrrespondsat OF ibs
New York World. From violence arising
directly from the strike eight persons have
bson killed In aud nsN Chicago and pfob-
ably fory wounded. In actual conflict bs-
tween rioters aud the law ave men have
been killed, four 10 Chicago and one a.
Hammond. None Of them were In srma
against the Authorities and only one or I've
we're stfiksTA One striker Was killed By
ths wife Of fireman with whom he vas
quAIrslinP. One woman vas killed by .
stray shot from a polioeman's revolver.
There has also been more than
ths usual number Of collisions
and similar accidents. due 10 the
employment OF green hands. In these
three or four persons we're killed and ssv--
eTal injured. No policeman, deputy
marshal or soldier has rsosivsd serious in-
jury al tho hands Of the mobs, bu, two sol-
diers and two deputies we're killed By the
sirs and many vers accidentally shot Ia
the northern Illinois GOAL fields three os
four persons innocent spectators, we're
killed and several Injured In lights indi-
reetly connected with the strike. In pro-
orlion 20 the extent OF the strike and the
number Of troops the loss Of life has been
trihing. In the Homestead strike which
was confined 10 a single town. nearly 20
many we're killed. In the great strike of
1877 more than a hundred were killed. THIS
lack OF bloodshed has been due partly %
the moderation OF the actual striksu who
gave littlo encouragement 10 the mobs. aad
10 tho forbesranoe Of the troops. a
or damage 20 property the record 10
equally short. During the eroltsment Of
the frat few days untold millions would
no, have bought the claims which ths rail-
toAds expected 20 present to the city on
account Of the dsmsRe done. Now tbs
officials are scratching 20 hnd damses
enough 10 foot mp 81 200. 900. and n they
could settle for eG0O. 000 shout bali tho
amount would be clear profit This Isfsrs
of course. only TO damage done By the
niobs. For that resulting from collisions
and other accidents due 70 insompetsnt
employees. the city cannot be held linbis-
Including such as we're upset OF bad the
paint hlistsred by lrs. the total nun ber of
cars ''destoj ca. was 700. aud only email
portion OF from we're loaded. The Pson--
sylyania company estimates its loss a
$3.50, 900. Its experience In collecting
damages from Piitsburs after the
1877 riots probably encourages 10 70
aim high. The Illinois Central come
neat with Sl3l000 and the BurlinRton
wants x7300O. The Other damages claimed
range fIom $4,000 down 70 $500. sqRregat-
ing about $4,000. Ihs city OF Chicago has
iadgmsnts for 800. 600 and damage suits
ior 5000. 900 against thsss railroad COM
psnier, so that there is little chance Of tiis
foads being enriched or the city imsovsts
ished.
The indirect los. through the strike 10 all
concerned 10 more serious matter. The
railroads have lost a great deal Of money M
freight. such as fruit. milk. country pro-
ducs and other goods. that will not now 10
carried nd all, and in other freight thas
would have naturally come through CHI
caRo, but that has now been sent bY
other ontes TO avo d the tie-uf.
The loss on passenger trafio has been very
heavy, and IL practically q dead loss. Ef-
peuslve through aims have been run with
out passengers enough 10 paw for The coal
consumed. Suburban traffic on most OF
the Chicago roads wss suspended three 70
ten days, and was run at loss whom II did
start, because people wsfe afraid to rlds IA
the oars. There IL little 10 Offset this loa
in saving OF wages for. while many thous-
and strikers will not have 10 be paid. many
thousand other mon have been employed s
deputy marshAla vatohmen and guards a
the railroads expense. and exorbitans
wages and expenses have been paid 10 nov
men to take the place OF strikers. III
The strikers themselves will lose fror
Eve 20 fifteen days pay M indiyiduala. bal
the lAboring people as a mass will loH
practically nothing. There wefe onty
about hfteen thousand actual strikers. aud
at least ten ihonsKnd of the formerly ua-
employed have been al work as depnV
mArahals and guards al higher wages thaf
the strikers would have received. In tnt
y oft OF whatever erira traffic comes fforp
freight business, accumulated during ths
strike. the workinamen will share. for man
will be needed 20 handle II, III
Tho only concern that will suffer any
really serious aud permanent loss from thA
strike 10 the Pullman Palace Car company.
Tue damage 90 lie property has been 70 RI
BILE, but the injury 10 ite popularity 10 in-
caloalable. Heretofore railroad companies
have preferred Pullman cars 10 those of
other lines or TO their own paflor cars. be-
osuss the public has had an idea that unless
a car was labelled Pullman" II oouldn't
be really and trnly paTlor car or a aleepsls
Hereafter the public will take q rightsOua
Satisfaction In keeping money out Of Palk
msn's pockets, This will be especially true
ia the WSat where hatred OF Pullman seems
TO be almost the only bitterness lstt
after che strike. The difference that
the existenee of this sentiment will mako
when the Pullman company comes "a
renew its contracts win the railroads ID
obvious. but even regardless OF this tho dis
set loas Will he very great. Tho nature ot
the Pullman business ia such TINT wbsu,
the reduction In business becomes 40 great
that fowoF cara have 30 be run. oysry pas.
aeneer less ie no much clear loss. IL cost
the Pullman company no more 10 run cal
with twenty-five passengers than one With
ONLY five.
10 the working classes, and especially
the organized working clAsses, ths value OF
the strike has been inestimable. II ha,
taught them al once their strength and
their weakness. Dobs, comparatively nn-
known, the hoAd Of an organization yeai
old aud never publicly heard OF until thrsg
months aRo-alons. with no real grievance.
has tied up the whole fislght tfatie and
moat OF the passenger traffic Of ,he great
west. What would happen n the old tail-
road labor JfganiKationa the bfothefhooda
and affiliated unions. should together order
n strike has been SHOWN By tbs success
Of Dsba. limited aa ithaa been.
On ths other maud, the evil that vlolenci
does 10 the cause OF chs workinRmsu haA
besn amply rfoyod by this strike Ihs
whols west would have been tied ny yat "a
tlght NJ 4 mlaof's purse u no oars haa been
burned or 9th, damage done. IL wee nos
the 40 a. "a nor the courts nor Dsbs tbet
killed tho strike, but the aota OF vlolonca
10 haa been worth all tho strike has coat ,hs