The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-07-18
SITUATION IN CHICAGO MORE
SERIOUS THAN 1T HAS BEEN
BOTH SIDES ARE FIRM
The Railroads and Freight Handlers
Cannot Reach an Agreemen
Fight is Now on to the Finish.
Business Men Growing Restiye.
President Young of Teamsters
National Union Arrives and that
Strike May be Called on.

Chicago, July 14.-While the whole
"a business Of this city is almost COM
pletely paralyzed and its business men
are suffering'a loss of 1000, OOO per day,
the striking freight handlers and the
railroads are in a deadlock. and an
nounce their determination 10 light to
the finish owe the question Of one half
cent per hour per man. OF 3 total Of
about $500 for every tw.nty-four hours.
this sum being divided on one side be-
tween t~Wenty-four railroads anG on the
other between 10000 men.
The situation tonight is more serious
than at any time since the commence
ment Of the trouble, end at no time
since the walkout have the points at
issue been so o~bstinately maintained.
Three times today the freight handlers
managers. and three times they came
back without result.
The mint that went TO the Mil
Waukee and st. Paul road CO M Dack
bearing the informant IN that thew had
beeen refused admission. and were in
formed that their former EMPLOYERS did
not care to receive them; that the had
all the men necessary in their business
and that hereafter no d~eputations
would be received from employees who
had gone on a strike. y
The officials of the road declared later
that they would maintain this position.
President Curran then announced
that the fight was On to a finish and
that when the railroads had
any overtureS to make or wished to do
any business with their employees they
would be compelled TO transact such
business through the officers or the
freight handlers union. Both sides now
assert they have reached the limit and
that absolutely nothing will be granted.
The men demand seventeen and one
half CENTS, the managers say that they
will not under any circumstances pay
more than seventeen cents
The business men of the city, particu-
larly those who deal in p~erishable
goods, are growing restivE 1t is cost
ing them more han either the strikers
or the railroads and they say that if
the strike shall not be settled within a
week, many of them will be nearly Grip
pied. To bring about an end to the
blockade, which is maintained by the
strikers and their friends, the team
Sters, the commission men of South
Water street met this afternoon and de-
termined to drive their own wagons to
the depots tomorrow ana remove from
them all the goods that had been con
signed to them, much Of which is being
rapidly ruined. Mayor Harrison
promised them police protection. Just
then however, word was received that
President Young, of the Teamsters-Na-
tional Union, had arrived in the city
and that a meeting of the executive Of
ficerS of that body would be held to-
night to consider the ACCESSIBILITY of or
dering the men now on strike TO return,
or of calling out every teamster in the
city who is affiliated with the union.
The Merchants then decided to await
the result of this meeting. A mass
meeting of the commission men will be
held tomorrow morning to take action.
1t is not likely the teamsters will return
to work even if ordered by their of
ficerS.
The police say hat it is impossible
for them to place a man on every
wagon that is seeking the freight de-
pots, and say they will not attempt this.
They declare they will keep the way to
the freight houses open, and suppress
all disorder around the depots. MT
danger to the men who deliver freight
is not so much at the depot as it Will
be from the men, who will follow them
when they leave the depot, n attack
them when hey are not in the vicinity
of the police.
lneTG WE'RE pul Lew JUL SoSSS touoS
as nobody attempted to deliver any
freight. One driver ook TWO small
packages to the depot of the Pennsyl-
vania roads, at last accounts he was
still besieged there.
Many pickets were waiting for him
and he was afraid to cay the depot.
The firm of ]. V. FarWell & Co., to-
day attempted to take some cases Of
drygoodS from their warehouse to their
cfnro n. Market street and q. crowd OF
men and boys surrounded the wagon,
the traces and refused to allow the
wagons to proceed The wagons had
not been near a freight depot and were
not bound for one. The strikers would
give no reason for their attack In this