The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-04-19
CROTON DAM CONTRACTORS RE-
FUSE TO CONCEDE INCREASE
TO THE STRIKERS
WORK on DAM is RESUMED
SCARCITY OF LABORERs is IMME-
DIATELY NOTICEABLE AND
PROGRESS IS SLOW
STRIKERS TO BE ARRESTED
Warrants Are Out for the RingIead-
>ers-Men Are as Determined as
Their Former Employers
Militia Confident.


CRoTON LANDING, N. Y, April 49,
This was a day. of hustle at the new
camp in Croton valley. The military force
was augmented by six companies of the
Seventh regiment and now the number
of soldiers under canvas is about 1850
This force is deemed sufficient to protect
any number of workmen that the con-
tractors may decide to put to work on the
new Cornell dam. The old Croton dam,
! four miles to the north of the new one,
IS guarded by two companies of the Sew
enth regiment, and the remaining two
companies are encamped at the quarries
near Peekskill, from which the stone for
constructing the huge wall is taken and
hauled by train down to the scene of trou-
BILE
AT 1880 this morning all the non-strikers
who were thrown out when the striking
laborers went out reported to the several
timekeepers in response to a request
Their idleness was enforced by reason Of
a lack Of laborers to do the work Among
them were engineers flremen, stone ma
sons, drillers, QuarTymen and wagon
drivers
The contractors, Coleman & Brenchard,
decided to test the strength of the strik-
ers by opening the entire works this
morning, with the assistance of about
forty new laborers. They claimed that a
dozen or more of the striking laborers had
returned to work, but this was strenuous
ly denied by the Italians, who hung about
the Bowery and Little Italy. When the
whistle blew the engineers of the Iocomo-
tives which haul the granite trains jump
ed into their engine cabs the stationary
engines got up steam, and, in less than
fifteen minutes, the entire works, extend
ing along the vaHey, took up their old
time business appearance. 1t was only an
appearance, however, as the lack of the
laboring men was very apparent, the few
that were on hand being totally made
quate to keep one-tenth of the works in
motion.
CONTRACTORS DETERMINED.
At the offices of the contractors, where
Gen. Roe has taken up his headquarters,
a conference was held between Contract
ors Brenchard and Coleman and Rev
Father Shapiro, of Yonkers. The latter
asked the employers to concede to the
demands of the men, but the contractors
were stubborn in their refusal. Father
Shapiro urged that the rate of wages be
made $l.50 per day, the men to work ten
hours. Mr.. Coleman would not consent
to this and said 1t had been the intention
of the firm to increase the Iaborers wages
from $1.25 to $1.50 per day, beginning the
1st of May, but they had abandoned the
idea since the men had gone out on
strike, and he further stated that under
no conditions would the contractors make
and concessions
Another Catholic clergyman, Rev.
Father Carroll, of Brooklyn, visited the
BOWQrU foJt in,
pany with Mrs. John Hanny, the vie OF
the chief engineer of the works. Taey
visited the homes of the strikers, and,
after counseling them TO avoid vi nee,
Father Carroll begged them to return to
work, but invariably he was informed
that the men would not go back to work
until the wages were increased.
That the company will have considera-
BILE trouble in securing a sufficient num-
Der of laborers goes without saying, and
it is a question whether they will be able
to continue at work notwithssand ng tins
presence of the cavalry and infantry.
STRIKERS WILL NOT YIELD.
Gen. Rose and his staff, with the sher-
iff, visitea the Italian quarter this after
noon and advised the men to go back 10
their old positions, and assured them
they would be fully. protected against
those who might try to assault or other
wise interfere with them. On the other
hand, he told them that the new labo--
ers would be carefully guarded, and i'm
pressed his hearers that the militia were
there for business and not for pleasure.
The Italians listened to the generals re-
marks, which were translated, but show
ed no signs Of weakening.
In the afternoon Contractor Coleman
sent for Angelo Rotella, who is looked
upon as the leader of the strikers. Ro-
tella went to the main office, where he
denied that he was the leader.
Rumors have it that warrants are iii
the hands of the sherifrs for The arrest
of the most prominent of the strikers. and
one of the Italians said tonight that Ro-
tella was too smart for the employers,