Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1895-01-19
ON A STRIKE.
Five Thousand Employees of the
Brooklyn Trolley System Out
Unsatisfactory Attempt to Run the Cars
A Riotous DemonstrAtIon-AS State
ment of the Grievances of
the Strikers.


o'clock Friday morning all the trolley
cars in, Brooklyn were tied up, the
employees refusing to take out the cars.
Over 5000 men quit work This
includes motormen, conductors, cleo
tricians switchmen and others en-
ployed at the various power-houses.
All but one of the surface roads,
and that a comparatively minor con-
cern, are affected. 1t is claimed
that the strike will extend to the
line of the Brooklyn Elevated Railway
company. The contract between the
Kings County Elevated Railway COM
pany and it's employees is such that it is
believed there can be no strike en- that
line.
The companies refused to grant the
request of the men, and expected that
the men would go out Monday morning
and determined to anticipate them.
They asked the electricians, about
1000 in number, If they would take out
the cars Monday morning. Everyone
of them refused to do so. They were
then told that there was no work for
them. One foreman was asked if he
was willing to take out a car. He re-
fused to do it. He was the only fore
man to go out. Monday morning tho
people had to use the elevated roads.
The trains were made up with extra
cars to accommodate the rush. The
public was greatly Inconvenience.
The Court street line of the Brook.
lyn City company ran out seven cars
beginning at o'clock. The cars were
manned, front and rear, by two police
men. There was no trouble.
The mems grievances and demands
are thus stated: The state law pro-
vides that a days work of street
railway employees shall be ten
hours, within twelve consecutive
hours. 1t is alleged that the corpora
tions have required the men to-
work eleven hours, and even, latterly,
tweve hours, with no interval longer
than ten minutes for lunch, and even
depriving them of that brief time in
most instances. The wage rate agreed
upon a year ago was two dollars for the
statutory days work; the companies, it
is alleged, have made no allowance for
overtime. The men demand adherence
to the law regulating hours in days
work, or SEES for a day of twelve
hours.
An address issued by the executive
committee of District Assembly No
rs, alleges that the trouble was pre-
cipitated by the Brooklyn Heights
company in excluding their cleo
tric workers from work. The
statement goes on to say that the fla
grant violation of the ten-hour law has
mentally and physically incapacited
the men for their work. All the COM
panies run their trippers so that the
men can make only from forty to sixty
cents day.
While the corporations are not al
lowed by law to run at rate of speed
of more than 10 miles an hour,
through schedules are arranged so
= that cars have to be run at a
rate of speed of from Is to 20
miles an hour. In consequence, nearly
100 fatal accidents have occurred since
/ the trolley was introduced, and count
less injuries to passengers, all caused
: by the greed of the corporations.
clash occurred at Fifth avenue and
Twenty-third street in this city at $3.50
+ p. m. At that point is the car-house of
, the Atlantic avenue line. President
: Norton ordered that car bearing the
> sign United States Mail" be taken
: out and run over the line.
I Surrounding the car-house was crowd
! of about 500 strikers. When the car
: appeared they began hooting and max
, ing threats. The car had proceeded
: about 20 yards when the strikers closed
in on it. The three policemen on the car
, were reinforced by twenty-five police
: men who surrounded the car, and tried
. to keep back the strikers With drawn
! clubs they strove to fight them off.
+ When the men saw that they could moi
r get to the car, those on the outskirts
! threw stones and clubs. A large stone
" struck Conductor jackson on the head
q causing blood to flow freely.
c Sergeant Powers then ordered thai
the car be taken back. By this time q
. small body of strikers had crowded be
q tween it and the car-house. They were
armed with clubs, and show
er of stones still continued. The
}. police ordered them back, but
they refused to obey. Some of tn.
policemen drew their pistols, and Con
!, ductor Jackson drew his. The strikers
- who saw that move then retreated
= clearing the way through which the
car could be backed into the house
= After the car was safely housed, tn,
- crowd closed in on the entrance. NJ
arrests were made.
y The large number of passengers com
:, ing over the bridge Monday night me
y with the same Inconvenience they en-
= countered in the morning. The GROVE
= was altogether too large for the mum
= ber of trains provided on the elevate'
= roads Some of the people, after pay
~ ing their fares left the stations an
% started for their homes on foot.
At Aid for Nebraska Sufferers.
,k DENVER, Jan. 15.-The Burlingto