The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-04-27
A TEST OF STRENGTH.


Strike Declared on
ST. PAUL. April 27.-All overtures for
peaceful settlement of the Great North.
ern strike are at an end, and the company
and the American Railway union have
begun . test Of strength that may cause
considerable bloodshed before 1t ends.
The Great Northern extends from this
city TO the coast, with many branches In
this state and the Dakotas. and 4495 miles
of track goes through considerable com.
paratively new country. where no other
means of traffic are to be had, and where
the conditions Of society allow a some
what roughcr element to control affairs.
The result is that In such sections, when
the road begins to run its trains with new
men. there will be war to the knife, and
perhaps with II. 1t Is believed to have
been this fact almost as much a. the de-
sire to give his men every chance TO make
known their grievances that induced
President Hill TO wait two weeks without
an attempt to get out any other than mail
trains, but he started the first freight in
two weeks yesterday, and the battle may
be said to have been begun.
The officials of the road secured the is
suance by the United States court In this
state, Dakots and Montana, restraining
orders, ordering the men not to interfere
in any way with the handling of the road.
Under this order deputies were sent out
on all mail trains, and beginning yester-
day they went out on the freight trains
rs well.
During the time that the strikers have
been preventing therunning of the road,
q committee of the 80 members of the
American Railway union employees Of the
road assem- bled in this city In accordance
with reply favorable to their request
for q conference with the officials of the
road. At the start of the conference,
President Hill announced his willingness
to arbitrate, but agreed TO try the possi-
bility OF a conference FIRST.
When they came together two days ago
the men demanded as the first condition
that the road grant all their demands for
the renewal Of the wage schedules in
force prior to last August. This Mr.. Hill
declined, and the day ended without a
conclusion having been reached.
The conference was resumed yesterday.
Late in the afternoon the men sent brief
communication to President Hill uncon-
ditionally rejecting his proposition for
arbitration, renewing their demand for
the old schedules and giving him to un-
derstand that this is their ultimatum.
Mr. Hill sent reply to the men last
night, in which he says that the action
of the men ends all conferences and nego-
tiations SO far an he Is concerned. He will
no longer recognize the American Rail-
way union, and will at once proceed to
operate the Great Northern railroad with
out regard to that organization.
Won't Give In.
SPRINGFIELD, Ills, April 27.-Two hun
dred delegates. representing 10000 Illinois
coal miners, attended the general miners
conference here, and pledges have been
sent the conference from every mining
district in the state that they will all re-
main out until a general armistice is pro-
claimed throughout the United States.
Forced to Quilt Work.
BRAZIL, Ind, April "a - The block
miners had agreed with the operators to
work until May i, but the striking
bituminous miners formed in mobs and
visited the block miners and ind uced
them tn strike