The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-07-03

not Professional Strike Breakers.
The experience OF BLACK sheep in
the recent street car strike was related
to an Intelligeneer man last night by
one of the most intelligent Of the bunch
sheltered at the st Charles Hotel. The
man came. here from Philadelphia few
days after the strike began. the Arst
batch Of non-union men having come
from Chicago and there were few long
er than he In the company's service.
He consented readily to IN interview,
but maintained a hesitancy on many
points.
The Philadelphia is a fair-comple1-
Toned man, about twenty-eight years OF
age, and wore a broad-brimmed black
hat until recently, when he dOnned a
regulation cap. He was employed as
motorman mostly on the Benwood line.
1t was his first experience in q strike,
and he said II was his tust. His present
home Is in Philadelphia, but he was
born in Maryland a fact attested to by
his accent. He was glad the strike
was settled, and he claimed the others
Of the party were, but the majority OF
them expected to be retained In the
company's employ, and were dlsap-
pointed at yesterdays outcome.
Only ten Of the men early on the
ground stayed the strike out; some left
OF their own accord and others were
fired. About dozen were severely In
jured by strike sympathiEers, and Mo-
tormaE Barnes, hurt yesterday, was hit
In the eye with missile at the barns
one night when the barns were storm
center. about the first week Of the
strike.
There is no such class Of men as
professional strike-hreakers," said the
Philadelphia. Some OF our crowd fig;
ured In other strikes, but that wasn't
their business. Unanswered an adver-
tlsement in Philadelphia paper, and
was one II the 50 selected from 800 ap-
plicants. We didn't know there was a
strike here until after we were put on
the train. got here April u, and
my fret night in the barns was the
llercest j ever stood. Outside the crowd
was threatening to kill US, calling us
all Hinds OF vile Names and every few
moments : stone would crash through
the windows. After that night got
USED TO II, and although / was struck
on the leg while running car through
BenwoOd, and had other trying expert
enCes, never got scared. never car
rled g gun in my life.
u must say for the strikers that
thsy never bothered US with remarks or
otl erwite, and Wheeling people were
ga lsfied to give US not much more than
Stare, but Benwood-well, I've been In
foreign countries and thought Eastern
Tennessee wasn't half civilized, yet I
say Benwood takes The cake. They
don't seem to care for law at all. Yes-
terday they were at It again, hurting
stones and fire crackers in the barn. and
We wouldn't stay without protection.
There wus deputy In Wheeling, and
the other is in'the BenwOod lookup. The
deputies, think, nj first sympathized
with the strikers, but the violence had
counter effect"
Continuing, the mOtorman gave
unique impressions OF Wheeling. He
said he wouldn't like to make his home
in such dirty and smoky city, but he
never saw so many pretty girls any
where, although they'd never look at
US" he added. II never saw such a
town either for strikes and street par
AIDES, and where the newspapers roast
each other so. It's the boss railway
town. Why, my car hauled 5S4 fares
Saturday from 1:44 p. m. to $3.50 p. M,
running across the river, but the same
night could get only four passengers
In trip TO Benwood, Notwithstanding
passed a big crowd at every corner
waiting for car. But they wouldn't
patronage US fellows. thought the
settlement would end NIL that kind OF
business, but this is funny country"
Incidentally, he said the men had
tired OF their quarters In the barns.
They had to sleep in the cars, which
were made comfortable with mat
tresses, blankets and spring cots. The
board was as good us could be expect
ed but the lack OF bathing facilities
was felt. They paid So a week for their
board. and the motorman said the COM
pany did It's best to make their quarters
congenial. Provisions were secured out
OF town, but the men got their laundry
done in Wheeling by leaving 1t at laun-
dry agencies when refused by the laun-
dries. That the men couldn't purchase
anything they wanted was absurd.
Their money, he said, was an irresist-
bic magnet.
According to his calculations. twenty
nine OF the non-union men were here
yesterday. OF these twenty-five were
at the st. Charles OF whom six Would
80 to Chicago. two to Cleveland. two to
Grand Rapids and the rest to PhIladel-
phia. The remainder consisted of
Barnes and Schaub at the City hospital
and two others not accounted for.
That the non-union mans veraclty
wouldn't bear the searchllght OF scru-
tiny was demonstrated In the interview
on couple Of occasions, and he some
times appeared to be playing for time
to answer, but his statements are in
teresting because Of his part In the
strike.