The Monticellonian., 1902-07-18
TWENTY THOUSAND |DIE.
The Second Week of the Freight Handlers Strike Opens With
 Shipping at StandstilI.
NO HOPE FOR AN EARLY SETTLEMENT.
One of the Worst Strikes in Chica- So's History-WhoiesaIc Houses Closed Down, and They stand to Lose Miilions-The situation is Admittedly Very Grave.

Chicago, July 15.-President Curran of the freight handlers gave out statement in which he said:
 All of the conferences Monday failed, although we sent committees of their own to the managers as they had requested. Hereafter, the man | agers will have to confer with off cials of the union. If they want to waste $100,000 a day over question of half a cent increase in wages we will let them try it.''
 F. A. Delano, of the Burlington, said: We discussed the situation at | length. We talked tentatively of the wage problem. We consider that we have performed our full duty to the public. Our freight houses are manned and we are ready to do busi- ness. If the men want to go back to- work they can do so. It is up to the people who have goods to ship to get them to the freight houses. That is the way we look at the situtaion.'
 Chicago. July 15.-The second week of the freight handlers strike began Monday with 2O,000 men idle and shipping at standstill. The railroad warehouses, ordinarily a hive of in- dustry, were almost as quiet as they were Sunday, so far as regular busi ness was concerned. At distance from each warehouse was a company of tickets, posted to keep freight from entering or leaving the sheds. Near the depots were guards of police on duty to protect the men in the warehouses and the queli and dis tnrbances which might arise. Gangs of non-union men. brought into the city to. take the places of the strill CTS, lounged about the warehouses or in their cars with scarcely anything to do.
 President Curran of the Freight Handlers union appointed commit But his proposition had reverted to the original one, further than ever agers, AND NO HOPE WAS EN- PRESSED THAT A SETTLEMENT WOULD BE MADE THIS WEEK. The line between the opposing parties was plainly drawn, and no move of either side was made to cross it.
 stand to Lose Millions.
 Wholesale houses made practically no attempt to send out freight or to receive it. These big establishments were all closed down. The strike has cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars already. and they stand to lose millions should conditions con tinue. The loss in wages to the striking freight handlers and their sympathizers, the teamsters. to the l is roughly estimated at considerably over $l,Oo0,Oo0 day. THE SITUA- TION IS ADMITTEDLY VERY GRAVE.
 South Water Street Dead.
 Commission merchants on South | Water street declared that the usual | ly animated ma rket was dead. In times | of peace the street is one of the most congested in the world. Monday In | front of many of the stores there was not wagon, and scarcely crate, box or barrel of produce. Some had a few berries brought by boat from Michigan and Wisconsin, but these were about the only fresh arrivals. Thirty cars of highly-per- ishable stuff was reported on the tracks, while many more cars con taining commodities which will last a few days long T, lay abandoned.
 Rescued Car Load of Chickens.
 Of Mondays arrivals by rail only | three carloads were cared for promptly. These contained live poul try. A permit was secured to take them to South Water street.
 In securing the release of the chickens an agent of the Humane so- ciety was brought into nse. He went to President Curran, accompanied by representatives of the firms to whom the fowls had been shipped, and de- clared that the chickens could not be allowed to remain cooped Up to starve.
 T don't want 'em to starve any more'n you do,' replied the little man who IS at the head of one of Chi cago's worst strikes. He thereupon issued an order permitting the re- inoval of the feathered freight.
 John c. Shortall, president of the Humane society, declared that no Tive" shipments should be allowed to suffer, no matter how long the strike lasts. One Drivers Experience.
 One wholesaler had a carload of Georgia peaches on sale. The peaches