The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-12-24

battle has mainly been fought on the ques-
tfen of the employees membership in tho
Amalgamated Association of Street Rail,
way Employees, which the company has
persistently refused to recognize. The
new men engaged since the strike began
number nearly 1000, while thore were
about 5000 strikers. .5=
Mr.. Wanamaker submitted the ideas
embraced in the settlement to the strikers
They accepted them, and In turn submit
ted them to the company. Considerable
correspondence and many conferences fol
lowed, and late yesterday afternoon an.
noNncement was made that both sides had
AGREED to the terms. To properly round
out the matter q mass meeting of the
strikers was held last night for the pur-
pose of ratification. Here the strike was
officially declared off.
Thus ends what has probably been the
greatest strike in the United States IL
lasted exactly one week, and it cost the
city, the company and the strikers thou
sands OF dollars. The loss in fares alone
to the company is estimated at $3.50, ,oOo or
therenbouts. Apurt from the destruction
OF cars and other property, there has been
much bloodshed, although fortunately no
fatal results.
The business men of the city have prob
tDi3 pctLl llb uttNlsSu buutFtFS hIIef Ilt
company. The strike, coming in the
midst of the holiday, brought unparalleled
disaster to shopkeepers
A rumor was current that a syndicnte
Ind bySn formed to buy out tho Welsh In.
terest In the Traction company and make
Mf. Whnamaker president. To this he
said: "Thero Is no truth in the report.
The suggestion has never even bsen made
IN my presence.
Throughout the strike tho newspapers
Of this city and tho correspondents of
newspapers elsewhere have refrained in
the interest of public order, from referring
to the widespread sympathy given the
strikers by Philndelphiaus. 1t may now
be said, however, that never in the history
of strikes has there been such unanimous
expression of good will toward men on
strike and animosity toward a public cor.
poration. Citizens in every walk of life,
even including stockholders in the Trac.
tion company, have been outspolScn in ex-
pressing the hope that the strikers might
win. and have emphasized their hope by
contributing literally to the strikers re.
lief fund. Among the strike sympathizers
may be included the men who could OK.
press their sympathy only in private con
versations and whose duty compellcd them
to make IN outward show of hostility
the members of the police department.. 1t
may be safoly asserted that more than 90
per cent of the blue coated guardians of
the peace, regardless of tho many acts of
violence, wished success to bhe strikers 1t
Is, In truth, n victory for public opinion.
A modest factor in tho great strike has
been Mr., George P. Chance, president Of
Philadelphia Typographical union Mr.
Chance is not n professional labor agl,
tator, but earns his living as composltor
ht the office Of the American Press Asso
citation in this city When off duty. how
ever, he has given much of his time and
talents to further the organization of tho
street car employees, for which he received
no compensation. When the strike was
declared Mr. Chance was called upon by
the strikers TO aid In bringing about get
tioment, and in n quiet way he has done
much to bring about that gratifying result
Yesterday was certainly the most yio-
lent since the struggle began, and for the
FIRST time the police shot to kill. About
10 o'clock in the forenoon n tremendous
crowd gathered at Eighteenth and Girard
avenue, and as the cars passed, each with
several policemen aboard, the stones be-
gan TO fly. A dozen or more cars had been
Completely wrecked, when the policemen
opened fire. They first fired into the cir,
but as the situation became more threat
ening, one of them emptied his revolver
into the crowd. William II. Matthews, n
Striking notcrman, fell with bullet in
his head, and Samuel @. crossley, strik-
ing conductor, was shot in the knee Both
are in q serious condition at hospital. A
number OF arrests were made.
Other riots, of more or less violence, 90
Cured in almost every section OF the city.
In one of these H. f. Graham, Of Brook
lyni who admitted that he was an organ.
izer for the Knights of Labor was ar.
rested He came here to work on a car,
but soon became a sympathizer and has
been very bolsterous in egging mobs on to
violence.