Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1902-07-12
THE FREIGHT IS TIED UP
Great Loss to Business From New
Strike at Chicago.
NINE THOUSAND ARE NOW OUT
Men Who Handle the Immense Mass Of Traffic
There Refuse to Work Unless Demands
Are Grained.

Are Granted.
Chicago. July S.-Much of the i'm
mense mass of eastbound and west
bound freight traffic which passes
through Chicago is halted bv a strike
of 1000 freight handlers. When the
strike was called Yesterday every
freight house of the "a railroads o
cerned wal practically tied up. Bus
mess men fear that the strike will be
the most serious winch has effected
their interest in years.
The strike was called by a com
mittee appointed at a meeting of
1000 freight handlers The commit
tee was instructed to call out the
men within As hours. unless the rail
road companies should meet their de-
mands for an increase in ages ex-
ira pay for overtime and HOLIDAYS
and recognition of the union. This
the comnanies failed to do.
ID. Il. Ryan. a Michigan Central
man who had left his most as q de-
livery clerk. mounted a wagon and
waving his union card, made a speech
to the strikers. He said
BE sober, men. Be l~aw-abidlng,
be good American citizens, and the
battle is ours
The principal railroad systems eff
fected by the strike are:
Baltimore. and Ohio.
Pennsylvania,
Chicago. cincinnati and ST. Louis,
Chicago Great Western,
Erie,
Atkinson, Topeka and Santa Fe.
Chicago Terminal Transfer Com
panv,
Lake Shore and Michigan Southern,
Chicago. Rock Island and PaciEc.
Chicago and Alton.
Monon.
Chicago and Eastern Illinois.
Wabash.
Grand Trunk,
Chicago. Burlington and Quincy.
Chicago and North western,
Chicago, Milwaukee and st. Paul.
Illinois Central,
Michigan Central.
"Nickel Plate"
MANY of the railroads had small
forces of men. previously hired, IN
hand when the strike was called,
and by adding to these men from
other departments smanaged to han
die some perishable commodities. In
the hiring of non.unio ion men 1t is ex-
pected the railroads ran a serious risk
of bringing about a strike of the team
sters. who recently won their 4Rht
from the packers The teamsters. it
is SAID. Will refuse to have anything
to do with freight handled by nom
union help.
Chief OF Police O'Neill. when notl-
led that a strike had bee called,
sem orders to his subordinates to
make every preparation to preserve
peace. Two hundred and City men
were called in from outlying stations
TO form a reserve force at the down
town stations. From h stations
the men went III squads to the freight
wards.
HOPES oil a speedy settlement of
the strike are entertained by officials
Of the uni IN and members of the
State Board of arbitration. The Of
tcials of the union at a conference at
night told Chairman Job, of the
Board of Arbitration, that they We're
willing to permit employees OF the
companies to meet officials and dis
cuss the wage scale providing a joint
conference be held at which officials
of the union would be permitted to
act as advisers to the men. The Ar
~bItration Board is now working IN an
effort to bring about a conference be-
tween the railway and COM
mittees representing the men. As the
railroad officials have favored thi 5
step from the beginning of the con-
~troversv, there is little doubt that
the strike can be settled satisfactorily
to both sides of the conference as ar
ranged.