Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-01-15
TROLLEYS OFF !
BrookIyn's Trolley Cars Idle
and the People Walk.
Over 5000 Employees Strike and Over
600 Miles of Road Tied Up.
II United States Mails are Delayed Uncle Sam
Will Take Hand.

brooklyn y. D., Jan. ne troiley
car strike bega4 when the last night car
had been housed$vhic was shortly before
O'Clock, this horning. Not single
day car on any Rad in Brooklyn with one
exception, the Cohey Island and Brooklyn,
was run out this morning.
The strike is the greatest one Brooklyn
has ever seen. Master Workman Con
nelly's order wasat once obeyed by 5000
men. The trollqS companies have agents
now in NewarH and Philadelphia and
other cities where there arc trolley lines,
trying TO get men to take the place of the
strikers.
Officials of thecompanies say that 2000
men applied ut the city railway company's
offices this morning for work. They
agreed to take out cars if they were
guaranteed protection. The company at
once applied to ths police for protection.
The companiesI involved in the strike
are the Brooklyn Heights Traction CO.,
one of the largest railroad companies in
the East, the Atlantic Avenue Railroad,
to which is now the Long Island Traction
Co and the Brooklyn & Newton railroad
Co Over 600 miles of trolley lines are
tied up by the strike
There are employed on these lines about
1900 motormen and conductors, of whom
$500 work for the Heights Company alone.
The employees are organized into District
Assembly No. 75, X. of L. each of the
local assemblies sending its quota of rep
resentativcs to the main body.
There are two specific demands by the
men. One is an increase of % cents on
the present rate of 81 for a full working
day, or as an alternative the counting in
of the time occupied by the men while
employed but lying idle at the terminal
points. This would mean to the com
panies, President Lewcs says, practically
the cutting off of one trip Il day from the
work of each man. The trip on an aver
age costs the company 33 cents.
1t will be seen that a continuance of the
present system would cost less, even with
the added % cents, than the alternative.
The receipts of the Brooklyn Heights
Company average $l3, 900 a day, and the
proposed measure would seriously cut in
to its revenues
The second demand is that no more
single tracks be added to the schedules.
As things now are there is regular pro
portion established by contracts and main
tanned for years, that the proportion of
straight runs, as the 50 days work
is called, shall be two to one to the mum
Der of ''tripper cars, '" as those which are
used in the busy hours night and morn
ing are called.
Postmaster Sullivan said, this morn
ing: 1.-The street cars are under contract
to carry our mails. You may be sure
that if the interference of federal troops is |
necessary to accomplish the result, they
will be called in. The right to do 50
would be the same as the right of the |
President to use troops in Chicago. l go
to Washington, tonight, to consult with |
the heads of the post office department.
"If there is the least attempt to inter |
fcre with the mails on the part of the
strikers | shall report it to them at once.
The troops at Fort Hamilton and at
Governors Island would be available if |
it became necessary to use them. Be
sides these and the police force, the Ma
tional Guards of Brooklyn could be called |
on
At Fifth avenue and 23d street is the
car house of the Atlantic avenue line
President Norton ordered that car bear
ing the sign Omitted States Mail be
taken out and run over the line. The
motorman was guarded by two policemen
and the conductor by Il sergeant Sur
rounding the car We're 500 strikers.
When the car appeared they began boot
ing and making threats. The car por-
ceedcd about 20 yards when the strikers
closed in on it. The police on the car
were reinforced by % other policemen
who surrounded the car and with drawn
clubs strove to fight off the strikers.
When the strikers saw that they could
not get to the car, those on the outskirts
threw stones and clubs. They disabled
the car. A large stone struck Conductor
Jackson on the head, causing the blood
to flow freely. Sergeant Powers ordered
the car taken back.
BY this time small body of strikers
crowded between it and the car house.
They We're armed with clubs and the
shower of stones still continued The
police ordered them back, but they refused
to obey. Some of the policemen drew their
pistols, and Conductor jackson drew his.
The strikers then rctreatcd, clearing way
through which the car could be backed
into the house
After the car was safely housed, the
crowd closed in on the entrance No ar
rests Were made A policeman trying to
prevent man from pulling one of the
trolley poles from a car at Atlantic avenue
and Court street, was nearly mobbcd by
the strikers. Several of his companions
went to his aid and managed to beat off
the assailants.
Master Workman Connolly tonight, said
that he was perfectly satisfied with the
outlook for the strike, and asserted that
the trouble which occurred during the
day was not made by the strikers but by
hot-headed sympathizers.
President Lewis of the Brooklyn City
Railroad Co, said, this afternoon: "We
have already signed contracts with 30
men to take the places of strikers on the
Heights road. We have long line of
men who want work and just as speedily
as they can show ability to handle "a mo-
ter they will be engaged. -