The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1901-03-30

-
err of labor. which. covers the strikes
and lockouts of 1877, a piece of indust-
rial history is brought to light that
ought not to remain forgotten on the
book shelf. Intelligent men are gener-
ally willing to take advantage Of the
that others have gone
through, and with the trouble that
seems to be impending in the Eastern
coal mining districts, a review of the
happenings of the past should be bene-
fetal to both sides of the controversy.
What men did in 1877 they will do in
1901. The labor situation has changed
somewhat since that time in that it is
more sure of it's position, more pro-
foundry impressed with the justice of
it's cause and what is far more import
ant has leaders of greater intelligence
and generally increased caliber. AL
though this recital contains the strict
to truth and the cold indif-
ference as to consequences that BELTS
an official report, it is still an inter-
esting, if not exciting story. 1t is an
argument against strikes because the
damages wrought by sympathizers did
NV iAIAAIOSO oS3uiloL I4C COI pOldllO
nearly as much as it did citizens and
taxpayers who were directly concerned
in the struggle. 1t is lesson for hard
headed captains of industry who know
what indirect damages mean that can
not be recovered in court or evened
up by any process known to the inge-
nuity of man.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Company,
some time after the panic of 1873, re-
duced the wages of it's employees 10 per
cent, and, on account of the general de-
ton of 10 per cent, which took effect
on the LIST day OF June, 1877.
Immediately after the order for this
latter reduction to go into effect was
promulgated, the employees of the diff
ferent railroads having their termini
at Pittsburg, commenced agitating the
question of strike on account of the
reduction, and this agitation resulted
in the formation of the "Trainmen's
Union,' the leading spirit Of which
seems to have been Boss Ammon,
then brakemen on the Pittsburg, Fort
Wayne & Chicago Railroad. Through
the agency of this organization gen.
eral strike was arranged to take place
at noon on June 81, 1877, on the Penn
sylvania Railroad, the Pittsburg, Fort
Wayne & Chicago Railroad, the AL
leghany Valley Railroad, Panhandle
Railroad, and the branches of the roads
named, the movements to be directed
from Allegheny City. =.
On Sunday June "a. some forty men,
bers of the union were sent out to nOti-
fy the members on the different roads
of the time for the strike to take place,
etc. On Monday night, June rs, at a
meeting of the members of the union
of the Panhandle Division, it was de-
veloped that a portion of them were
dissatisfied with the proposed strike,
and also that some member or members
had divulged the plans of the union to
the railroad authorities: In view of
these facts, measures were at once
taken to- prevent the strike from taking
place, word being sent to all points pos
sible to be reached in the short time
left. The members of the union felt as
though they had met with defeat, how
ever, and it left them dissatisfied. The
strike of July 10 at Pittsburg was not,
however, strike of the Trainmen's
Union, nor did the union as an organi-
cation have anything to do with either
| that strike or the one Of July, 18th, on
the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, at Mar
tinsburg, w. Va.
Some time in July, 1877, the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad Company issued an Or
der that all freight trains from Pitts
burg east to Derry should be run as
double headers" the order to take eff
feet July 10Th. A "dOuble-header"
consits of thirtyfour cars, and is haul
ed by two engines, and this plan had
the effect Of enabling the company to
dispense with the services of one-half
Of their freight conductors, brakemen
and f1agmen on the Pittsburg Division
of the road, between that place and
Derry, as only one set Of men, aside
from engineers and tiremen, were used
on "double-header." One engine
could haul the same train from Derry
to Philadelphia that it took two en-
gines to haul from Pittsburg TO Derry.
On the morning of July 18th several
early trains left Pittsburg at double
headers" but when the time arrived
for the $40 a. m. train to leave, the
men 1.-TWO brakemen and one hagman)
refused to go out on "double-header,"
and the train did not go. The dispatch
err made up two crews from the yard
| men, Gas none of the regular trainmen
| would gO), but the strikers threw
coupling-pins etc., at they were en-
deavoring to make up the train, and
they were forced to- .desist. The strik-
ers, numbering twenty or twenty-five
men, took possession of the switches
over which the trains would have to
move, and refused to let any train pass
| out, and their numbers were grandually
i increased by men who came in on the
| freight trains, and who were induced
1 to join the strikers. By midnight OF
\ the 10Th the crowd of strikers and theil
sympathizers had increased to several
hundred.
The sheriff of Allegheny county, who
had vainly tried to persuade the crowd
to go home peaceably, became salts
fed that he could not raise force suf'
il ficient to control the growing mob, anC
made a call upon the governor by tele.