The San Francisco call., 1896-12-25
Three Thousand Five Hun
dred Employees Tie up
the City's Lines.
N W the Battle to Secure a Ten.
Hour Day Is On in
Earnest.
Motormen and Conductors Declare
There Will Be Trouble ii Men Are
Imported to Take Their Places.

BOSTON, MASS, Dec 24-Because OF
the alleged refusal of the West End Street
halfway Company to recognize their union
and to concede a demand of a ten-hour
workday, $500 employees early this morn
ing quit their posts of duty and effectu-
ally tied up street-railway system oper-
ating lines throughout the entire city
proper, South Boston, Dorchester, East
Boston, Bridgeton. Cambridge, portions
OF Newton, Maiden. Everett, Medford and
in the entire Roxbury and CharIestown
districts.
Not since the strike of the West End
Railway employees, in February, 1877, has
the general public so fully realized lis de-
pendence upon the street-railway lines for
Transportation between the various dis
trlcts of this city as to-day. Coming ju
at Christmas the strike has greatly incon-
venlenced thousands VINO wished to visit
the city stores 10 purchase their gifts, and
all thoroughfares have been crowded with
pedestrians, despite the biting wind that
prevailed. Early this morning an enter
prislng liveryman put out line of pas
senger buses between Charlestown and
Scollay square and reaped a harvest.
Later lines were started under the man.
agement of the strikers. The steam rail-
roads have been dangerously overcrowded
on account of the sudden demands made
upon them.
During the late afternoon and early
evening the suburban traffic over the Bos-
ton and Albany road was immense. The
station was packed with a dense mass of
humanity, and although trains were run
every ten or fifteen minutes the cars were
filed like so many sandine boxes-the
crowds pushing, iamming and trampling
upon one another for standing room.
Men shouted and women nearly tainted
in the excitement, ana innumerable bum
dies and boxes containing presents and
breakable articles were crushed beyond
cognition by the crowd, which resem-
bled pack of frenzied animals more than
collection of rational human beings.
There were somewhat similar scenes en-
acted at the other railway stations.
Both the conductors and motormen's
union that held the conference with the
West End directors last night and agreed
10 weeks postponement of the strike
called upon President Littleton to place
themselves right in the eyes Of the COM
pany. They explained the apparent
violation OF the agreement entered into
last night by saying the men took matters
IN t"eir own hands, and the strike was
fact, even though the Supreme Council
was not aware of it. The president re-
lterated his statement of yesterday that
he was powerless TO sign the agreement,
and that, even if he did so, it would be
worthless without first being acce pied by
the executive committee of the company.
The West End Street Railway Company
tonight issued notice to its employees in
which it states that all EN- ployes who con-
tinue in the service of the company will
be protected, but that all who voluntarily
absented themselves from service will be
considered as having Withdrawn from the
employ of the company. The company
advertised for motormen and conductors
to-day and it was said tonight that in re-
sponse large number OF men had been
secured.
At 8 clock tonight signs of weakening
on the part of the strikers came when it
was reported that 100 of division T. which
includes Cambridge, Arlington, Newton
and West Summerville, had gone back to
work, and as result few cars are run
ming tonight between Boston and Har-
ward Square, Cambridge. Some fifty or
sixty men also returned on division 5.
South Boston.
Over on the Charlestown division the
strikers declare that if men are brought
from other cities to take their places there
will be trouble.