The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1894-07-28
THE COST OF
THE STRIKE.
Exaggerated Stories Put the
Loss of Life and Property
Much Too High.
PULLMAN is THE LOOSER.
The Revised Figures as Made
Since the Excitement
Cooled Off.
PULLMAN is THE LOOSER.

Exaggerated tales Of riot, pillage
and bloodshed incident to the great
strike have led to equally exagger-
ated estimates of losses and damage.
The excitement being over, an intel
igent computation of the actual
damage done has been made by a
special correspondent of the New
York World. From violence aris-
ing directly from the strike eight
persons have been killed in and near
Chicago and probably forty wound
ed. In actual conflict between riot
ers and the law, five men have been
killed, four in Chicago and one at
Hammond. None of them were in
arms against the authorities and only
one or two were strikers. One strik-
er was killed by the wife of fire
man with whom he was quarreling.
One woman was killed by stray
shot from policeman's revolver.
there has also been more than the
usual number of collisions and sim
liar accidents, due to the employ
ment Of green hands. In these three
or four persons were killed and sew
eral injured. No policeman, deputy
marshal or soldier has received seri-
Gus injury at the hands Of the mobs,
but two soldiers and two deputies
were killed by the cars and many
were accidently shot. In the north
ern Illinois coal fields, three or four
persons, innocent spectators, were
killed and several injured in fights
indirectly connected with the strike.
In proportion to the extent of the
strike and the number of troops, the
loss of life has been trifling. In the
Homestead strike, which was con-
fined to single town, nearly as
many were killed. In the great
strike of 1877 more than hundred
were killed. This lack of bloodshed
has been due partly to the modera.
ton of the actual strikers who gave
very little encouragement to the
mobs, and to the forbearance of the
troops.
: OF damage to property the record
is equally short. During the excite
ment of the first few days UNTOLD
millions would not have bought the
claims which the railroads expected
:. to present to the city on account o1
,, the damage done. Now the officials
t are scratching to find damage enough
to foot up s1,OOO,OOO, and if they
} could settle for $5OO,OOO, about hal
the amount would be clear profit
This refers, of course, only to dam
age done by the mobs. For tina
resulting from collisions and othe1
accidents, due to incompetent EN-
ployes, the city cannot be held liable
g Including such as were upset or hat
paint blistered by fire, the total mum
% ber of cars 'destroyed" was 700 ant
a only a small portion of them wer
loaded. The Pennsylvania compan
- - estimates its loss at S53O,OOO. 1t
experience in collecting damage
from Pittsburg after the 1877 riot
: probably encourages it to aim higl
The Illinois Central comes next wit
100000, and the Burlington want
$4,000. The other damages claim
ed range from $4,000 down to *5o(
: aggregating about $4,000. Th
city of Chicago has judgments fo
100000 and damage suits for 81
100000 against these railroad con
panies, so that there is little chano
of the roads being enriched or Il
city impoverished.
The indirect loss through Il
strike to all concerned is mo
serious matter. The railroads ha'
lost great deal of money in freigf
such as fruit, milk, country produ
and other goods, that will not nc
be carried at all, and in other freig
that would have naturally cor
through Chicago, but that has nc