Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-03

employe during the month. All employees
under date April who comply with the
rules to go to work. We are willing to
have Mr.. Gwynn, secretary of p. S. Ry. u.
of d. c. obtain information by inspection
(sigreO H. A. GRIswoLD,
President.
L. L. HUTCHINSON
And Others, Employees.
Before the acceptance of this agreement
the tie-up had been complete. Early this
morning, out of sympathy for their aSso-
ciates, the ten stablemen quit work, and
abandoned, no erhploye being at work eX-
cept two or three clerks in the Office who
were engaged in auditing the drivers ac-
counts for yesterday.
Several Meetings.
The drivers held a meeting at the stables
at Z am and the executive committee, Of
which President Thomas Laurence of the
Street Railway Union was chairman, put
in writing q demand that President Girls
weld grant the drivers pay at the rate Of
$1.15 for twelve hours work; that the
wages of the stablemen be increased pro-
pcrtionately. and that Drivers Alvey and
Mathison. who were yesterday laid off. be
renstated.
The committee went to the Office of the
company, where President Griswold said
he would reply to the communication later.
The strike was preciptated by actions
regarding Driver Alvey yesterday morning.
According to the mems story, when Alvey,
who has only been on the road for about a
month, and during that time has made
but small pay, reported for work he was
told that as he had not provided himself
with a uniform. as he had been ordered
previously to do, he would not be allowed
to take his car.
Alvey explained that 1t had been impossi-
BILE for him to get the clothing, as he had
not earned enough to do SO, and asked for
an extension Of time, as he was willing to
comply with the order, provided he was
given the proper opportunity.
His explanation was not accepted, and
as he could not take the car he went home
little later Driver Mathison, who had
meanwhile reported for duty, was sus-
pended because he had, it was said, allow
ed citizen to ride half a square without
paying his fare.
By this time the schedule for the depar-
ture of Mathison's car had been passed.
and Superintendent Newton sent a mes
senger for Alvey to come to work Alvey
replied that as he was not allowed to take
his car at the proper time he would not do
SO then, and declined to go to the stable.
Word of what had transpired during the
morning was passed around among the
drivers, and it was agreed by common con-
sent that the time had arrived to strike.
Accordingly. when, about p.m car No
II, driven by l.. F. Chichester, reached
Missouri avenue between Sd and Az streets
on its north trip two of the striking driv-
erS met it and lifted 1t from the track
Car after car as it arrived in the neigh
borhood was served in the same manner
and in short time the street for dis
tance of three squares was full of them.
The news of the strike spread with re-
markable rapidity, and in brief time per-
sons frcm all sections of the city gathered
at the scene Of the tie-up. Lieut. John F.
Kelly and e squad of officers from the
sixth precinct police station were quickly
en- the spot, but their services were not
called into requisition, as the crowd was
of the most orderly character, and not the
1;rrl,%1
The non-arrival of any cars at the Ana
costa end of the line after 4:35 pm. Great
ed astonshment in that town, but the
state of affairs was already known to Pres
ident GriSwold, who had been advised by
telephone.
Getting Cars In.
Superintendent Newton with several of
the office employees, arrived at the scene
of the tie-up shortly before 5 o'clock, and
found that some of the drivers We're op-
posed to letting the cars be taken back to
the company's barn in Anacostia, but by
talking kindly to the strikers he convinced
them that they would be wrong If they
persisted in the course they had marked
out in that regard, and they consented to
allow three of the cars to be moved, which
was done.
While these events We're transpiring in
the city, Inspector Hutchinson was calling
for volunteers among the colored men
from EillSdaIe who happened to be in Ana
costa at tie time to go to the city and
bring the cars to the stables Several re-
sponded favorably and among the number
was a small boy, employed to assist in
pulling the hobtail cars up the grade on
E street, who goes by the name of Bunk.
"Bunk' went over to Missouri avenue
and got one of the cars, which he brought
over and subsequently all of the eighteen
cars We're released by the strikers, and by
0 o'clock all were safely housed in the
companys stables at Anacostia.
Their Complaints.
The drivers have complained for a long
time of the conditions under which they
have been compelled to work, and it is said
that by the inauguration of the new trans
fer system to the Belt line, which went in
to effect on Monday, they were compelled
to do the work of two men each.
The question of wages is, of course, the
main trouble of the strike. Heretofore for
a long period the men have been unable to
earn more than from 30 cents to about s1.30
per day, but the latter has been subject to
a discount of twenty per cent, which re-
duced the wages to s1.04 per day, the day
having an average of thirteen to fourteen
hours. Out of this small sum the men
were expected to support their families and
to buy two uniforms per year at an eX-
pense of so each, besides an overcoat in
the winter season.
The Mems Attitude.
A committee of the drivers, composed of
Messrs. Phil Baker, Robert Sheppard, L.
F. Chichester, P. ]. Henderson, A. Clark,
C. S. Townsend and A. L. Lusby, called at
President Griswold's residence, on Ana
costa Heights, last night and sent word to
him that they would like to have an inter-
view in reference to the strike.
Mr. Griswoid refused the request and re-
turned an answer that he would not talk
to them and if they desired any commune
cation with him they must put it in writ
ing.
The committee then returned to the sta