The Portland daily press., 1898-01-19
Biddeford Strikers Kept Off Street
as RaIe.
ONE LITTLE DISTURBANCE NEAR
NEAR TACOMA MILL.
Cloth Hall Workers Who Were Going in
snowballed by Crnwd-Mass Meeting
of All the Operators VIII Be Held
Today.
rsvEc1Ar no rHN pREss.l

lSEECLAA 10 4hlt ELSnaSsS
Biddeford, January 1S.-It was as quiet
as Sabbath in Biddeford and Saco to-
day. The mills were all sh 1t down fiat
and, for the most part, the strikers kept
off the street. At noon 1t had become
noised about that the Laoonia cloth hall
hands were going in at the old wages to
clear up some of the unGnisb d work in
that department. This rumor, which
pr we'd to be true, called out quite q
gathering Of strikers at the gate, during
the latter part Of the noon ho r. When
the cloth hall employees arrived they were
Missed and denounced as .'scabs. y Some
boys in the company followed up this
demonstration by snow balling and and
throwing other missiles at the cloth
handlers as they were passing into the
mill.
This kind of disturbance had not been
anticipated, and there we're no policemen
s-ationed at the gate. Deputy Marshal
Mogan shortly arrived on the scene and
at his command the crowd dispersed. The
strikers claim that they should not be
Blamed forathe throwing of the missiles,
as the boys who did it are not direc' ly
concerned in the strike, and that rhe
leaders have been very urgent in their ap-
peal to the operatives to refrain from any
unpleasant demonstration.
The Pepperell and Laconia slashers and
web drawers held meeting this fore
noon and discussed the situation. They
are to have roll call every forenoon.
They are the acknowledged leaders of the
strike in the Biddeford mills. They are
a class of operatives who have heretofore
had nothing to do with labor troubles,
and their influence upon their fellow
workmen at this time is very great.
4 The York operatives got together again
this afternoon, at meeting in Marble
hall. It was expected that their commit
tee would have some sort CT report to
make concerning an interview with
Agent Page, but the committee had not
had the pleasure of meeting him. The
committee was increased by four, two of
tae additions being women. 1t was at
Chairman Larrabee's suggestion that the
women were added, he explaining that
the appearance of the committee might
have tendency to excite the agent, but
the presence of ladies among them would
"quiet him down."
It was announced at this meeting that
a mass meeting Of operatives of all three
corporations will DO feld tomorrow, for
the purpose Of choosing committee to
solicit and distribute supplies for the re-
lief of families brought to want by the
strike. The committee will make sys-
tematic canvass of the several wards of
both cities.
By feeding and providing with fuel the
families of the strikers who have not the
wherewith to provide these necessaries
during the shut down, the strikers ex-
pect to be able to keep up their battle
against the corporations for an indefinite
period. Citizens of means who believe
that the cause of the operatives is just
Will be expected to subscribe to help keep
the needy families from starving. A
Biddeford physician has volunteered his
free services in the family of any mill
operative during the strike. A man who
owns some property has offered the free
rental of "a tenement. The Utilize Aker-
strom company, which is playing a
week g stand at the opera house will give
a benefit matinee, Friday. The strikers
committee will canvass the city Tor the
sale of tickets, the entire proceeds OF that
afternoon to be donated to the relief fund.