The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1900-05-19
Trouble With Navvies on the
Branch of tho Mineral
Range Railroad.
STRUCK FOR 81 PER DAY.
Their Demand Was Refused and
the Men We're Paid Off
and Discharged.


into prominence, and will, if busi-
ness keeps up, soon outstrip any
thing that Sidnaw, Kitchi, or any OF
the towns in the southern part of
the county, experienced in their
palmiest days, says the Houghton
Daily Gazette. At present there
are five saloons in Laird. A branch
Of the Mineral Range railroad is be-
ing built near the town and 800 men
are working on it and in the lumber
camps in the vicinity. The whiskey
sold their must be ,ofNthe Kentucky
brand, as reports from there state
that hardly an hour passes during
an evening without several scraps.
1t is said to be a common sight to
see a man being thrown out Of one
Of the saloons and an empty keg or
few bottles after him.
The latest excitement at the place
occurred Monday when the railroad
force struck, demanding 50 per day,
which they were refused. There was
a hot time in town that day. Every
one of the strikers was out with
blood in his eye. Upon refusing to
go to work the men were discharged
and as many as could be paid off got
their wages. The others were told
that they would get what was COM
ing to them Tuesday. During Mon
day afternoon some of the ring
leaders were heard making threats
to burn tp the tools and houses Of
the contractors. Monday night
about 10 O'Clock John Heikkinen,
who is said to have been one of the
ringleaders, called at the Office of
Butler & Breen, one of the firms of
contractors there, and asked for his
settlement. He was told he would
get it on Tuesday. They could not
pay him then. He left and shortly
afterwards a rock was thrown
through the window. 1t struck a
lamp on the table, breaking it to
smithereens and scattered kerosene
oil over the place. Mr.. Breen was
sitting on a chair leaning against
the wall and escaped injury. Mr.
Butler, however, was not so forum
ate. He was sitting with his back
to the table and when the lamp
broke the oil went all over him and
his clothing and hair caught fire.
His hair burned, as also did his
moustache, and in trying to put the
fire out his hands were badly burn
ed. He was thrown upon the bed of
Mr.. Breen who wrapped the bed
clothes about him and undoubtedly
saved bis life. Mr.. Breen s father,
who was in the bed asleep, awoke
and assisted in putting out the fire
which destroyed the firms check
and time books and some papers.
]. +. Mccormack, manager of
Knudsen- -Ferguson's S boarding house
who happened to be in the vicinity
at the time the rock was thrown,
identified Heikkinen as the man who
threw the stone. Deputy Sheriff
Thomas Nichols, formerly night
watchman at Houghton, but who is
now living at Laird, was notified
and he searched from IL clock that
night until A o'clock the following
morning before he found Heikkinen
When arrested the prisoner claimed
to have been in the barn, where
found, since midnight, but the Of
ficer had been there about 2 o'clock
a. m. and he was not there then.
The deputy brought his man to
Houghton on the noon train Tues
day and in the afternoon Heikkinen
was arraigned before Justice Brand,
who, after hearing the testimony,
sentenced him to pay fine OF 500
and costs or 90 days in the county
Jail. He took the latter.
The strikers places were filed by
men secured in Houghton and Bar.
aga counties and a number will be
imported from Duluth. All but
about twenty-five OF the strikers