Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-17
CAR LINES TIED UP
Strike Of the Philadelphia Street
Railway Men.
PRESIDENT WELSH C0NFIDENH T
Police Called Out, but Unable to
Suppress Disorder.
OBSTRUCTING THE TRACKS

PHILADELPHIA. Pa, December IL
The big strike of the motormen and con-
ductors. of the Union Traction Company
was begun at O'Clock this morning, and
the lines of the company all over the city
are practically tied up The strikers, al
though deter mined, are keeping very quiet,
with the result that there been no dis
order.
President j. Lowber Welsh of the Union
Traction Company moved from his hand
some Walnut street offices and established
temporary headquarters in the office of
General Manager Bee tenn, at Sth and Dau-
phin streets, in the upper end of the city.
one of the busiest car barns owned by the
company Mr.. Welsh who is personally di-
recting the affairs of his company, says
hundreds of men are applying for employ
ment, and he asserts that nearly all the
cars will be running regularly by noon.
Cars running with more or less fire.
quency on Chestnut street, but not enough
to accommodate all the people who usually
ride, the result being that that street and
the other principal tEoroughfares were
alive with pedestrians this morning. Nearly
everybody, however seemed to enjoy the
novelty of walking to the office, store and
factory as the weather was all that could
be desired for outdotv exercise.
Although extra policemen were ordered
duty at all the station houses, there has
not yet been any serious demand for their
services. Before daylight 4 squad OF men
We're sent to 10Th and Market streets. in
the center of the city, where crowd of
oilers had gathered and were hooting and
jeering at the men on the cars which oc-
casionally passed that locality. Somebody
cut a trolley rope attached to one car and
the pole gyrated in the air. much to the
amusement of the crowd. The police
charged them and dispersed them. One
of the policemen afterward said there Were
StriG in 1nh
Shortly after car had left the uptown
depot of the 9Th and 9Th streets branch.
somebody the sidewalk threw brick
at the passing vehicle. but it missed its
mark
Pulled Her Husband From His Car.
The wife of a non-strikng conductor on
the same line jumped on TO a car and fair
" pulled her husband from the platform.
The car continued down the street minus a
conductor
At the West Philadelphia meeting early
this morning, Mrs. Howard, the wife of a
motorman on the Lancaster avenue branch,
and a rather preposSessing woman, calleu
out above the tumult that she wanted all
men on that line and Barring street to come
over and talk to her. She wanted to see
how many towards she had, she said. At
this n great cheer went up, and vote OF
thanks was rendered Mrs. Howard by the
meeting.
Policemen were placed the front plat
form of early cars or the lotn ana Iltn
streets branch, but as there was no fkeli-
hood of trouble they were Withdrawn after
one trip.
Obstructtng the Lines.
In the southwestern part of the city re-
peated efforts were made by the company to
run cars, but they only succeeded in going
a short distance when they were forced to
step Today being the regular time for the
collection of ashes, the strikers well as
many citizens We're not slow to take ad-
vantage of the opportunity for stopping the
cars. For squares boxes, barrels, tin pals
and every style of receptacle containing
nsheS were dumped On the tracks. Although
some of the cars carried policemen, they
were not permitted to run. The sentiment
of the public in this section is clearly with
the strikers. Several cars were derailed by
the distractions, and lie stranded in
the streets When one car was stopped by
stander darted to the front platform, grab
bed the trolley crank and sped away.
From reliable source it was learned that
up TO s o'clock this morning but sixteen cars
had left the uptown depot a 18th and Cum
berland streets, where five lines center. At
Z am. only eight cars had left the 9Th and
9th streets depot, another important sta
ticn. On the IIh and Sth street lines cars
were run at intervals of ten minutes, and
in West Philadelphia they were from twenty
minutes to half an hour apart.
The cars that We're running We're manned
In most instances by extra and green men.
in some instances conductors who had re-
FUSED 10 strike were actlng as mOtOrmpQ,
with new men on the end
Many Leave Their Cars.
AS the day progressed many of the men
who had started to work early this morn
ing abandoned their cars, and the whizzing
trolleys Chestnut and the other busy
thoroughfares were less frequent.
The strike caused an enormous increase
in the suburban business of the pannsyl-
Nnnia ard Reading railroads. People
swarmed all over the early trains which
stepped at stations within the city limits.
If the strike continues these companies
will arrange to run extra suburban trains
to accommodate the increased travel.
The sympathies of the majority of the
people are undoubtedly with the strikers,
but many shake their heads in discussing
the matter, and say they fear The men
were too precipitate in launching their
strike before they were thoroughly organ
lied. 1t is argued that they have very
little raoney in the treasury. and it is not
believed that they can expect much sub
stantial support from the National Anal
gamated Association of Street Railway
Employees.
The executive committee of the local Or
gantzation will meet at l O'Clock this after
ncon 10 hear reports from the leaders on
the various branches.
Merchants Don't Like 1t.
Merchants who are anticipating a rush of
holiday business this week have REGARDED
the rumors nf a strike with apprehension
and today their fears were realized The
Zig retail stores have been crowded for sew
eral days past with holiday shoppers Most
of these people reach the business center bv
means of The trolley cars. and this morning
there WAS noticeable falling off i trade.
No Strike ON the independent Line.
There vas DO strike on the single nde-
pendent trolley line in the city which runs
Its cars on Race and Vine streets. The
Broad street omnibus line was also running
The Union Traction Company employs about
G.opO E1an, and the officers of the employees
association assert that two-thirds of them
are members Of the organization. At the
meeting early this morning the leaders de-
clGrel that they would lake all of the nom
union men out with them, and they seem to
have kept their word.
The men complain of unfair treatment on
the part of the company, and their griev-
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