Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-05
TROUBLE IS IN SIGHT
haohinists frsm Ohio Claim to Have Been
hislsd By Union Pacific
-FOUR OF THEM THREATEN COURT ACTION
Men ssy They Were Taken from Good
Positions and Brought here
with Understandings that
No strike Was On.


More trouble ls threatened the Union Pa
cihc by men imported into Omaha to take
ihe places Of strikers in the shope. Yesterday
morning twenty-seven recruits arrived from
Cincinnati. having been employed by the
company's agents at that place. Four OF
the men, who belong to the machlnists'
union, refused to 60 to work when they
reached the shops and learned that a strike
was in progress. They are much perturbed
over their situation and are disposed to
seek redress for what they consider serious
grievances.
The names Of these men are Frederick
Loehier. John Zimmerman, Alfred Kuehno
and Joseph Bella. They are Germans and
cannot speak the English language. Their
conversing is done through interpreters.
The spokesman Of the quartet said:
I'VE came from Hamilton. o., where we
were ~ work in a contract machine shop
owned by Kraut & Benninghofen. We were
steadily employed at regular machinists'
wages. When we went to consult the
Union Pacinc's agent about coming out
here we were told that no strike was In
progress, that everything was peaceable
end quiet and that we would undergo no
danger OF having to supplant strikers or
union men II we came out. While we
were getting the union scale, II was not
as good money as that offered by this
agent, and we were induced to accept his
oner because of the increase in pay, hav-
ing been assured by him that there was
no strike. We did not learn Of the ex-
istence Of a strike until we reached Coun-
ell Bluffs. and when we got to the Omaha ,
shops we left the crowd and premises
without delay. We we're warned by the
oompany's guards that II we ventured out
side we would be killed by the strikers,
but this did not look reasonable to us, as
We were leaving because we would not
take strikers places.
Idle In Strange Land.
Here we are In a strange city without
employment, having sacrificed good, steady
work on the promises held out to US by
this agent In Cincinnati"
The men are well dressed and Intelligent.
There is talk Of trying to hold the Union
Pacific responsible for this condition, but by
what means this will be done or attempted is
not definitely determined. II It appears i'm
practicable to resort to legal action the men
probably will so on farther west since they
are out this far, and seek employment at
their trade In contract shops.
Besides these four there are two more
union men who hold machinists' cards in the
crowd that came in yesterday morning. They
are still on the inside Of the shops, but
there Is no Thought that they viii remain
there. They claim to have been deceived
by the employment agent as the other four
were, but are not ready as yet to leave the
shops.
Strikers are much wrought up over recur-
ring incidents like that of yesterday ana last
week. when the Indiana men were brought
out. They declare that something will be
done, II possible, to prevent the company
from taking men away from steady work in
the east and bringing them out here under
the pretense that there is no strike. They
say II Is not only an imposition on the men
VINO are thus made the objects OF trafic,
but on the strikers as we'll and the public.
They contend that while these men are
skilled mechanics in most cases, their Pc
cuniary resources are meager and they
home with Just enough money to bear
their expenses until they can reach their
and 30 to work. a. they are led ,
to believe, at extra large wages under
peaceable conditions. |.
shop Forces Normal. T,
Wednesday. before the arrival Of this
batch Of men. an oficial OF the Union
Pacific stated that the omahn shops were
with adequate and normal forces
In every department and that work was !
progressing with entire satisfaction. The
ofnctal stated yesterday that the ]
forces at work on the new building were {
large enough to warrant satisfactory
except in the case Of the car Z
who are still a limited quantity. I
This was a carpenters night" he said, {
and l don't see why the brioklayers had I
10 dip into It at all. They have been de-
ieated. however. for all the bricklayers {
Tor whom there is work have returned {
IND we are getting along as well as before
he strike"