Delaware gazette and state journal., 1895-12-19
PHILADELPHIA TIED UP
Strike Of the Trolley Line
Employees Started Success
fully on Tuesday.
0NLYAFEW CARS RUNNING
Sympathlzlng Citizens Give
= Aid to the Strikers.
ASH BARRELS PILED ON TRACKS
Some Disorder Attended the
Strike.
POLICEMEN RIDE ON SOME OF THE CARS
0NLYAFEW CARS RUNNING
Sympathlzlng Citizens Give
Aid to the Strikers.
ASH BARRELS PILED ON TRACKS
Some Disorder Attended the
Strike.
POLICEMEN RIDE ON SOME Of THE CARS

No Resi- Occasion for Their Services In the
Morning, the STRIKERS Refrainins from
Vioience7-citizens Sympathize with tho
Employees. Bur Consider That the Strike
Was Too Precipitato-vhat the Men De.
nand-The Situation in the Afternoon.
philadelphia, Dec. II. ~ The big
strike of the motormen and conductors
OF the Union Traction Go. was begun
at o'clock this morning, and the lines
of the company all over the city are
practically tied up. The strikers,
although determined, are keeping very
quiet with the result that there has
been no disorder. President j. Low.
Der Welsh Of the Union Traction Co.
moved from his handsome Walnut
street offices and established Temporary
headquarters la the office of General
Manager Beetem. at Eighth and Dau.
pbin streets, in the upper end OF the
city, one Of the busiest car barns owned
by the company.
Mr.. Welsh, who ia personally direct.
ing the affairs of his company, says
hundreds Of men are applying for EN-.
ployment and be asserts that nearly all
the cars will be running regularly by
! noon. Cars are running with more OF
. less frequency on Chestnut street, but
not enough to accommodate all the
people who usually ride. the result be.
ing that street and the other principal
thoroughfares wera alive with pedes-
trians this morning
Although extra policemen were or
dered on duty at all the station houses,
there has not yet been any serious de-
mapd for their services. Before day
light squad of men were sent to Six
teenth and Market streets in the centre
OF the city, whore crowd OF idlers
had gathered, and were hooting and
jeering at the men on the cars which
occasionally passed that locality. Some
body cut trolley rope attached to one
car and the poles gyrated in the air,
much to the amusement of the crowd.
The police charged on them and dis
persed them. One of the policemen
afterward said there were no strikers In
the mob.
Shortly after car had left the up-
town depot OF the Fifth and Sixth
streets branch, somebody on the side
walk threw a brick at the passing
vehicle, but it missed its mark. The
wife of pon-striking conductor on the
same line jumped on to car and fairly
pulled her husband from the platform.
The car continued down the street
minus conductor.
At the West Philadelphia meeting
early this morning, Mrs. Howard, the
wife of motorman on the Lancaster
avenue branch, and rather PROPOSES
sing woman, called 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 there were. she said.
At this great cheer went up and
vote of thanks was rendered Mrs.
Howard by the meeting.
Policemen were placed on the front
platform OF early cars of the Tenth and
Eleventh streets branch. but as there
was no likelihood Of trouble, they were
withdrawn after one trip.
In the southwestern part of the city
repeated efforts were made by the com
pany to. run cars, but they only sue
ceeded in going a short distance when
they were forced to stop. To-day
being the regular time for the collec-
tion of ashes, the strikers, as we'll
as many citizens, were not slow to take
advantage of the opportunity for stop
ping the cars. For squares boxes,
barrels. tin pals and every style of re-.
ceptaole containing ashes 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 in clearly
with the strikers. Several cars were
derailed by the Instructions and now
lie stranded In the streets, When one
car was stopped bystander darted to
the front platform, grabbed the crank
aud sped away.
From reliable source it was learned
: that up to o'clock this morning, but
Z 16'cars had left the up town depot at
Fifteenth and Cumberland streets
whore five lines centre. At IA. m..
only eight cars had left the Fifth and
Sixth streets depots another important
station. On the Fourth and Eighth
/; streets line cars were run at intervals
Of 10 minutes and in West Philadel-
phia they were from 90 minutes to half
an hour apart. The cars that were
running were manned in most instances
by extra and green men. In some in
stances conductors who had refused to
strike were acting as motormen with
new men on the rear end.
AS the day progressed many of the
men who had started to work early this
morning abandoned their cars and the
whizzing trolley on Chestnut street
i and tho other busy thoroughfares were
less frequent.
/, The strike caused an enormous in
crease "a the suburban business of the
Pennsylvania and Reading railroads
People awarmed all over the early
trains which stopped at stations within
the city limits.
The eympathies OF the majority of
the people are undoubtedly with the
strikers, but many stroke their heads
in discussing the matter and say they
fean the men were too precipitate in
, launching their strike before they were
Thoroughly organized.
The executive committee of the local
organization will meet at o'clock this
afternoon to hear reports from the lead
'ers on the varioua branches.
The big retail stores have been crowd
ed for several days past with holiday
shoppers. Most of these people reach
the business centre by means of the
trolley cars, and this morning there
was noticeable falling off in trade.
There was no strike on the single in
deper ent trolley line in the city which
rur ts cars on Race and Vine streets.
The Broad street omnibus line was also
running. .-e
The Union Traction Co. employees
number about 6,000 men AMI the Off
GERS OF the employees association assert
that two thirds Of them are members OF
the organization. At the meeting early
this morning the leaders declared that
they would take. all. of tho tnon. union
men out with them, and they seem TO
have kept their word. The inen COM
plain OF unfair treatmt~ton the part Of
the company and their grievance has