New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-18
NEw-BEDFORD MILLS ALL SHUT DOWN.
MILL OFFICIALS AssAILED WITH DIRT AND

Ew-BEDFORD MILLS ALL SHUT DOWN.
MILL OFFICIALS AssAILED WITH DIRT AND
STONES. But NO sERIocs TROUBLE
Nav Bedford. Mass. Jan. IA shutdown. The
most complete in the history Of the cotton mills OF
New Bedford. began this morning Not a spindle
was turning q loom In motion In the factories
of the cloth corporations an hour afte: the usual
time OF beginning work. Between forty and hfiy
operatives went into the Bristol MIL and twenty
five or thirty into the whitman but. aside from
these no mill made any show OF running. and these
two soon shut down. Nine corporations, operatin
eighteen mills in which upward OF nine thousand
hands are employed, involved in the strike
The cutdown is uniform all over the city 10 per
cent.
The total payroll Of these corporations Is esti-
mated at $1,000 weekly.
Both manufacturers and operatives seemed TO be
well prepared for the strike. and the situation was
treated in a matter-of-fact manner by both sides
Only at the Acushnet Mil gates did any disturb
ance occur and that did not prove serious, al
though the managers were jeeTed loudly. and some
frozen dirt and sticks were thrown. AT this point
the gathering included many outsiders and very
few OF the employees dared go through the gate. II
apparent that not a sufficient number would
be on hand operate the machinery, and the en-
gines not started.
Soon after the starting hour the lights went out
on the different floors and the crowd yelled with
The crowd. good-natured up to this time, began
TO manifest its bitterness toward the mill officials
who, as they left the mill building 10 enter the
ONCE. were greeted with shower of frozen dirt
and small stones. q trife larger than pebbles.
Superintendent Knowles came the gate and
nesr the entrance he was given a hustiing Mr.
Knowles saw fl 10 retreat into the office. and as
he did 50 the crowd gave him fusllade OF small
stones snd dirt.
AS several OF the mill officials stood the steps
leading 10 the office. some. enboldeaed over ire
previous effort, threw several cObblestOnes which
hit The officials went into tho Office, ana
the Waterman the gate became the target Tor
all who felt inclined throw dirt ana stones. but
the fence sheltered him from The force of the
blows In the midst OF the fusilade Superintendent
Knowles said to the crowd: Don't throw such big
ones please" and they did not but they hurled
such quantity OF frozen dirt and small stones at
him that ne retreated 10 the mill office quickly
A good natured crowd OF operatives gathered at
the main entrance to the Bristol Mil, the only thor
ough print mill in the city. II was expected that
An extraordinary effort would be made 10 run
these mills. Between forty ana hity operatives
had entered the mill through hole IN the millyaId
fence instead OF ny the main gate ana at the
usual hour the speed started. The curtains
were drown so that the exact number OF hands At
work could not be estimated. After running less
than an hour the mill shut down.
In ono or two Of the other mills the machinery
was started and kept running from FIVE 10 fifteen
minutes but no work done. AT O'Clock
whatever help had entered the factories mao come
out and the tie-up was complete