Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1895-01-25
THE BROOKLYN TIE-UP'.
THE SURFACE CAR SYSTEM
AT A STANDSTILL.
The knights of Labor and the Great
Trolley Corporations In n Trial OF
Strength-NearlyS Seve:s thousand
Men Out-The Causes Which Led
to the Trouble

Tho first struggle of tho year be-
;ween corporations and their employees be-
gan in Brooklyn, when tho great trolley
ie-up or lockout, which had been threaten
/ ing the City OF Churches" for two weeks,
naterialized just before dayhreak on the
date set by the leaders of the movement for
| trial of strength. The men who quit
work called il a lockout, while the officers
of the roads said the movement was a strike.
The men claimed that the company had
!ocked them out by fC-rinE motormcn 10
surrender their lever cranks and also by
| tusing TO allow electrical workers to 30 10
work at the usual hour
During the first day Of tho contest between
employers and employees, save for the So
sailed Slocum system of four lines, which
IA better known as the Smith and JAY
street, the Flathush "mail service" and
desutory service on the Court
street line, run to save the Brooklyn
Heights charter, not "A wheel turned on any
ct the llty-fOur street car linsS of Brooklyn.
Ihe men ont numbered 1900 regular en-
ployes and 20DO extras. The loss to them 1t
was estimated was not less than $1,000 per
day. The net loss to the companies
in receipts was 900 day.
. The number OF passengers thrown
upon tho limited resources of the BROOKLYN
elevated or else made TO walk to their places
Ot business and pleasure was $50. 900 day.
The loss to the great stores OF Fulton and
other business streets of Brooklyn, due 70
the enormous decrease in the number OF
their shoppers, was not susceptible OF calcu-
iatlon. but was far in excess OF that of either
the companies or the men. Probably no
affair ever came homo rs quickly to the COM
mercial portion of the community as this
tie-up did 10 the great retail storekeepers of
Brooklyn.
The tie-up was not unexpected The men
had deman led an increase of pay from -
TO 81 25 Fer day an! modification in the com
panles system Of TayinS extra men by the
trip. These trippers, us they called,
have been able to earn less than $50 per
day. and sometimes they took home forty
cents at night after hanging around the de-
pots ten and twelve hours for q lob.
~" Executive Board Of District Assembly
No. 20. Knights 0t Labor, was in charge OF
negotiations with tha several companies,
and it issued the orders which resulted in the
ue-up after the street corporations had
refused TO acceIe to the demands of the mon.
Ihe attal:. pts to run ears were attended in
some instances with Violence and genrr-
ally with failure, though, on the whole, the
first day of the big tie-up was far moro
peaceable than was expoctei l. Crowds lined
the car;racks and surrounded the depots all
day, and IRON sevcra! places small
riots were reported. On the whole, it
was Il quiet day, considering tho
magnitude OF the movement. With one cX-
ceptlon the trolley companies stood firm.
Their officers made formal demands upon
the police for assistance, and announced
perfect confidence in eventual victory. They
discharged all strikers, and went to selecting
new men from the many hundreds who
applied for employment.