The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-12-28

If the excitement in connection with
the street car strike progresses in the
same ratio in which it has grown so
far, some serious trouble can be looked
for before many days. The strikers
are behaving themselves admirably,
but their sympathizers are commence
ing to show their sympathy in a very
demonstrative way.
Yesterday the demonstration Gull
minated in an assault upon Super-
intendent Patterson and two import
ed men. who were running an Evnon
street car up Lackawanna avenue.
But for the interference of the strikers
there is no telling where the trouble
would have ended. AS it was,
Superintendent Patterson received very
rough usage, and the two imported
men only saved themselves by quit
ting the car and allowing themselves
to be taken to strike headquarters.
1t was the last trip OF the car for
the day. and was the only car running
at the time, all the others having been
taken to the barn at the approach
of nightfall.
About o'clock it came across Lack
awanna avenue bridge with the two
imported men running it and Superin-
tendent Patterson standing on the
front end. The crowd that had been
massed in front of the companys Of
fees most of the day had just been
augmented by a score or more Of
breaker boys returning from work.
They and crowd Of street urchins
rushed down to meet the car, followed
by the others.
STREET WAS BLOCKED.
A freight train passing over the "Y"
blocked the street for several min
utes and caused u large number of
wagons to collect. The drivers were
all in sympathy with the strikers, and
did not need much coaxing to SO tam
gle UP their vehicles when the gates
were raised that the car was stalled
fully five minutes.
When the car finally got over the
lower crossing OF the ~" it encoun-
tered another obstruction in the way
of a line Of wagons moving slowly
ahead of it on the track. The first
teamster in the procession refused to
move more than ten feet at a time,
and when he did move it was at the
slowest pace his horses were capable
OF. None of the teamsters in his wake
would pull out of the track and con-
Sequently the car was compelled to
merely crawl along.
AS the car was about to cross the
eastern arm of the "Y," the harness
on the team Immediately in front of it
was discovered by the driver to be
badly in need Of repairs, and he pro-
ceeded to repair it, with the assist
ance OF half a dozen big, burly spec
tators, who looked ominous looks at
the motorman, who was threatening
to run ahead regardless of the obstruc-
tion.
All the time that this was going on
the crowd was yelling opprobrious
names at the crew and the breaker
boys, bootblacks, newsboys and other
lads We're pulling down the trolley.
placing stones on the track and
throwing handfuls of muck at Super
intendent Patterson and the crew.
Things might have gone along
tamely had not the breaker boys dis
covered that one of the open freight
cars on the adjoining Delaware,
I.acltawanna and Western sidings
contained large potatoes. There was
raid on the potatoes and if it was
not that the approach of few police
officers concluded the work of the har-
ness members, the contents of the
freight car would have been trans
feTed to the trolley car.
The conductor went out to "run
the crossing" and Superintendent Pat
terson took his place on the rear
platform. The crowd did not know
but that he was one of the imported
men, and, as the police We're busy
IN in front, opening way for the
vehicles that wanted to so through,
the crowd picked upon him as the best
target. The potatoes fairly rained
upon him from both sides and through
the lowered rear window of the ves-
tibule. They We're thrown from short
range and many of them struck him
in the head and face. He could do
nothing except dodge as best he could,
for the moment he left the vestibule
the trolley would be pulled down and
the job of replacing it just then was
not an inviting one.
PULLED THE TROLLEY DOWN.
Even with the superintendent cling
ing to the trolley rope to keep it from
swinging within reach of the crowd,
a black-faced urchin climbed on the
rear bumper of the car and gave it
yank. Down came the trolley pole,
but by the most fortunate accident,
the wheel caught the wire when it
was springing back and remained on,
Another boy from the breaker
jumped on the step and slapped the
superintendent in the face with his
dirty, black, greasy cap. Still an
other made bold enough to get on the
step of the car, reach for a potato
which was lying at the superinten-
dents feet and throw it with all Its
might plumb into the middle of the
superintendent back.
When the car was finally gotten I'M
der way, Superintendent Patterson
took the motorman's place and ran
it without stop as far as the upper
side OF the Scranton House, next to
which, in the Grand Central, are To-
Gated strike headquarters. Here the
crowd made a las stand against the
running of the car and with the aid
of friendly teamster, who Just then
found 1t eXpedient to cross the track,
the car was brought to standstill
again.
The missionaries of the strikers We're