The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-07
STREET CAR MEN WALK OUT.
Front Street Cable Railway Tied
Up Yesterday.
THREATENED STRIKE Is ON.

Barn-Receiver CoIvin Is Absent
From the City-A. ID. Stewart. of
the Company. Makes q Statement.
The trainmen of the Front Street Gable
railway struck at . o'clock yesterday
afternoon and pulled their cars into the
barn. The strike has been threatened for
several days and is for advance IN
wages from the present scale OF IS. 10
and % cents an hour, according 20 the
experience OF the employee. 10 a fat rate
OF 22is cents. The advance is demanded
on the ground that prices have gone up
with the increased prosperity of the city,
and that the men cannot live comfort
ably on their present wages The other
street car employees in the city have re-
ceived a raise in wages and the Front
street men claim that as they have the
hardest road ia the city 10 work on they
are entitled to increased pay. The road
will DC turned over by Receiver Colvin in
a few days TO = new company. which has
offered to pay a Hat rate of % cents. A
committee OF trainmen arranged TO meet
with representatives OF the new company
yesterday at / o'clock. but the company
representatives were unable TO be there.
Accordingly, the ears were called in and
the men quit work. They say X Is Tor
good unless their wages go up. Receiver
Coivin is out OF the city and until he re-
turns il is not known what steps VIII De
taken 10 start the road
Ever since the other street roads grant
cd the petitions presented by their men
for 4 restitution OF the scale in force be-
fore the hard times came, the tdlhihea
of the Front Street Cable have been dis
ct;ssing the wage question. Early last
week a petition was presented asking Tor
a raise to e2l2 cents. In answer 10 TINS
petition the following notice Was posted
al the power house:
ITO the Employees of the front street
Cable Railroad Company. Iralnmeh'
"A petifion has been handed HE D} the
superintendent asking for q raise o. Vases
paid the rrainmen from that or the Tres
emit scale, which is - cents, 10 mat Oh "a
cents per hour. r.,
pany | ylil say that the operation Of the
road under receiver will terminate Will
in a few days. ard during that peliod
shall, of cOu =. pay the same wssss iias
| have drriCg t.c last three years
III il ria intcntion OF the First Avenue
Railway Company, which has beer IN
within a few days. 10 pay nat rate 81
20 cents per hour. If ftf any reason there
are matters you would like 10 .iscuss
ho nous 10 or rom II, New Yo~k MUTUAL
Life buiitins. G. D. CoIN y
Receiver"
The men claim that Receiver Colvin did
not come TO the power house at times
when the men could find him, and they
decided TO strike at Il o'clock on Friday
night. After communicating with the
company that is soon to take charge or
the road a conference between the COM
uittec and 4. Il. Stewart and Maurice
McMicken was arranged. and the strike
was DELAYED. This conference was to
have taken place at l o'clock yesterday.
but was called off by Mr.. Stewart and Mr..
McMicken, who were unable to come 1t
was then decided 10 strike, and the ears
were hauled into the barn at o'clock.
superintendent w NJ. Caldwell asked ev
cry one Of the twenty-five tralnmen, per-
sonally, II they would take a car out. One
conductor was willing 10 so out IL an cx-
perienced gripman would go along. No
gripman volunteering. the conductor was
soon persuaded to change his mind, and is
now with the strikers.
The kind feeling that the men have for
Superintendent Caldwell was made strong
er by an incident which happened just be-
fore the men left the power house yester-
day after pulling in the cars. \ Norwe-
gian from somewhere had learned OF the
strike and came to apply for a job. What
passed between the man and the SupeTin
tendent IS not known. but as the door Of
the office opened the men heard Superin-
tendeat Caldwell say:
No sir. | would not employ you Il
you'd work for nothing and pay your own
board
The trainmen grasped the situation in a
minute and the applicant had a-hveiy time
before he got out Of the door
meeting was held at the power house
al 30 last evening. but no one was pres
snt representing the company or Receiver
Coiyin. The men talked over the situa-
ton and renewed their pledge 10 stand to-
gether until the wage question was set
tied. Every one OF the twenty-five tram
men employed by the road was present.
The Committees Statement.
The committee acting FOR the employees
and composed of J. Il Mcclellan. ". II. p.
Bell T. Burnen r. Lindsay and X. Ltsey.
made the following statement 70 POST
intelhgencer reporter at last nights meet