The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1899-07-22
BROOKLYNITES WALK
Employees of Street Railway Lines
Go on a Strike.
Refusal to Grant Pay for Overtime
the Cause-Only Few Cars Are
Run, and the Service Is
Very Badly Crippled.

strike is on in brooklyn. SO far II has
not been as effective as the strike Of
1895, but there is no telling how long
or far reaching it may become. For
some weeks past the employees of the
several lines controlled by the Brook
Ign Rapid Transit company have been
complaining that the management did
not live up to the ten-hour law. The
men demanded n revision of the time
tables at the different barns and also
claim that they should be paid 20 cents
an hour for overtime, which is equiva-
lent to two dollars day, the price
which they set for a working day of
ten hours. Meetings have been held
daily and nightly for the last week, and
il was inferred from the reports given
out by the employees and their advisers
since Thursday last that while a strike
was imminent il would not occur for
some days to come.
The strike Is Ordered.
General Master Workman Parsons
and District Master Workman Pines
had charge of the mems affairs, and a
strike was called at 4:30 Sunday morn
ing. At this hour most of the motor
men and conductors on the Brooklyn
Traction company's lines had com
pleted their night trips, and the lead
crs decided that this was the most op-
perfume moment to begin what was
expected TO be a stubborn fight with
the traction company.
Shortly after midnight about 1000
policemen from the precincts in Man
haitian and the Bronx districts were
conveyed to the different barns, and
many were placed along the several
routes comprising the territory covered
by the Brooklyn Traction company. Up
to half-past seven o'clock there were
very few ears run over these lines, and
those that were sent out by the different
barns were poiced by two, three and
four constables. On the Putnam av-
enue line only a few men refused to
work. and il was notable that scarcely
n half dozen of the cars on this divi-
sion were policed. The Flatbush and
Bergen Beach cars, the Nostrand av-
enue, Gates, Ralph and Myrtle avenue
ears, as well as the Third avenue troll
leys, had a meager service in the early
hours of the day. but traffic on the old
Nassau avenue lines. which comprise
the Fifth, Seventh, Park and Wander
bilt avenues, and Douglass and Butler
streets roads were practically at n
standstill. The men on the Nassau av-
enue road were most determined, and
not one of the motormen or conductors
went to work.
A Few Cars Run.
The cars remained idle for several
hours, but by ten o'clock about one
tenth of the regular rolling stock was
working. These cars were manned by
inspectors and linemen, and in fact oil
ers and helpers were pressed into sery-
ice, SO as to maintain partial running
of the system. Many of the old conduc-
tors and motormen reported for duty
on the Gates, Ralph, Broadway, Myrtle
Avenue, Flushing and Third avenue
roads, and President Rossiter said that
shortly after noon over so per cent. of
the old hands were at work on these
lines. Later in the afternoon the cars
on the latter road were running at in
tervals of ten minutes, which meant
that the service was crippled about
one-third.
Shortly before noon President Ros-
siter's private car Ampere started
from the city hall and made n round
trip of the fractions lines. Coming back
from Coney Island the presidents car
travelled over the Fifth avenue route,
and as il neared Twentythird street
and Fifth avenue those on board found
their further progress impeded by
stalled car near the Fifth avenue barn.
Here IA crowd of some 500 people, many
of whom were women and children, had
congregated, and the motorman of the
Ampere, Howard Jackson, was at
tackled by several men who were strik-
ers or in sympathy with them. The
motorman received some nasty bruises
on the head and legs. Secretary Wickes
was one of the first to run to the mans
assistance, and he was finally rescued
from the mob. Six arrests were made,
and the track was soon cleared.
President Rossiter said Sunday night
that the brooklyn rapid transit officials
would not arbitrate the strike diff
Guilty with their striking employees. He
said the number of men on strike
would not exceed 1000. Only about 200
of the $500 or 5000 Brooklyn Heights
men went out, he declared. He also said
the company had enough men to run
every trip to-day, and would do so, If
not interfered with.
General Master Workman Parsons
spent the greater part of the day in
Brooklyn and a considerable portion of
the afternoon in conference with
Messrs. Delehanty and Webster, of the
state board of mediation and arbitra-
ton. Mr.. Parsons said the strike had
the sanction of the Knights of Labor,
and that the men would receive the
moral and financial support of the or
ganization.