The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-07-19
The Strikers Claim To Re Gaining
Ground.
Company Says Strike
Is Only Nominal.
Strikers Handicapped BY Lack
of Funds.

New York, July Is. THE Brooklyn
trolley strike Is still on and In all lIkeli-
hood there will be no end to the labor
trouble for several days TO come. The
striking motorrnen and conductors are
very earnest and they claim they ara
gaining ground. On the other hand the
representatives of the Brooklyn Traction
company assert that the strike Is only
nominal one and that from. tonight on
they will experience no difficulty In rum
Mug their full complement Of cars. The
company did not run any cars over its
various lines after late hour last night,
Tut resumed traffic shortly after 1ye
O'Clock this morning. Numbers of cars
were run over the several lines but the
time schedule was not lived mp to on any
one Of them and fair estimate Of the
rolling stock In operation would be about
sixty per cent. No cars were run ovsr
the Flatbpsh avenue line to Brighton
Beach and the patrons Of the race track
were forced to take steam oars over the
old railroad routes or the Franklin ave-
nue. and Smith street trolley oars wbioh
are not under the strikers ban. Great
difficulty was experienced by the manage.
inent in running cars over the Nassau
system and q liberal estimate Of the cars
run over that line would be about thirty
per cent Of tho regular number. The
Fifth and Seventh avenue lines were
frequently blockaded and the company
did not handle more than IS per cent Of
the regular daily traffic. The Douglass
and Bergen street cars were run at In
tergals OF 10 and 20 minuteg, but esch car
was manned by at least four policemen.
During tne day the police made several
arrest Of persons who interfsred with the
progress of the cars en- the Nassau lines,
but no serious outbreak occurred until
| after O'Clock. small sized riot oc-
ourred at Sixth street and Fifth avenue
O few minutes after six O'Clock in which
two men were painfully but not seri-
ously hurt.
A mob of 400 persons attacked Fifth
avenue car on its way into the ,ity and
Motorman A. Latham and Conductor
II. w. Mulcahy were pulled off the car
and badly treated. Latham had his
arm broken and Muloahy received frac-
ture of the nose. Several policemen who
were in the neighDornood rushed to the
| assistance Of the Inotornian and oonduc-
tor and frightened the mob of by firing
their revolvers in the kair. Three arrests
were made and in less than fifteen min.
| utes the cars were running on headway
| u ciH0b lnlu uLeb. 1L6 pOuC6 aFrH1R6-
| ments for the protection of life and prop
| ePty were as nearly perfect as possible
| and whila 1t is likely that disturbances
may occur during the night, President
| Rossiter has signified his intention Of
running the cars as nearly as possible
to schedule time up to mid night, and II
found practicable, he Will have them run
| all night.
1t was rumored during the forenoon
that trouble might be expected on the
| elevated roads, but early In the afternoon
President Rossiter stated that no hitch
would occur there. The engineers on the
| elevated system had been notified that
as soon as the third rail or electric
motor system should be operated. their
wages would be reduced from So 80 to
S2.26 per day. The engineers obj iscted
10 the proposed reduction but this after
noon they were assured by the manage
ment that the late of wages now existing
would be made. About noon policemen
were ssnt from headquarters to all the ela-
yltsd iaiiroad stations In brooklyn.
Chief OF Police Devery together with Po
lice Commissioners York aud Sexton,
visited headquarters during the afternoon
but mono of them would ADMIT any seri
Gus trouble was anticipated on the L sys-
tenn.
Chief Devery said that II President
Rossiter wished to run his cars all night
there would te plenty OF policemen on
hand. to protect the company's interests
thoroughly.
General Master Workman Parsons and
District Master Workman Pines were
very confident that the strikers would
win ths fight but judging from tia num-
ber of cars in operation today the asser
tion Of the railroad managers that the
strike would fizzie out seems to be well
formed. The strikers are severely handi-
capped as they have no funds to back
them up and in many instances there is a
sad lack OF concerted action on the part
of the leaders.
Nine tenths of them are thoroughly in
earnest, but frcm individual statements
1t is evident that they are fast losing CON-
fidenoe. President Rossiter stated to-
day that the men on strike would not 70
discriminated against II they returned
to work at once but SO far not one of the
strikers has seeded from the ranks.
Many Of the persons who were arrested
for interference with the trolley cars we're
treated leniently by the magistrates in
the several police courts this morning
and with the exception OF tae fracas at
Fifth avenue this evening no trouble of
any character was reported.
Taking everything into consideration
the strike is being conducted very tram
gully end the authorities hope that the
difference between employers and en-
ployes win be adjusted without any seri-
Gus trouble or violation Of the law.