Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-15
SCENE SHIFTS TO NEW YORK
Mercer Said to Pc Planning to Take Center
Of the Stage.
STRIKERS REFUSE TO RECOGNIZE HIM
Labor AIDE Insist that Any PIar
Congressman May Have 20 Cut
In" on strike settlement
VIII Fail.

Although Union Pacific strikers believe a
serious body blow was dealt the alleged
scheme Of the railroad and David II. Mer-
Ger to make the latter the accredited ennis
sary Of the strikers in a plan to bring about
settlement Of difficulties by the publica-
tion Of this reported plot in The Bee. It is
said Mercer and the scheme refuse TO down
in strike circles and that another effort is
being made to carry out this or some sim
ilar plan.
A report IL current in strike circles that
Mercer has gone to New York to be present
at a called meeting OF the directors of the
Union Pacific Friday for the purpose Of ad-
vising with them upon the strike situation
and some means Of settling 1t through his
fundamentally.
MERGERS political manager. Tom Black
burn. is quoted as saying that the con-
gresham has gone to New York to attend
TO political duties. II Is said that a called
meeting Of the board Of directors Of the
Union Pacific has been ordered for Friday
and that the primary object is to take
some action regarding the labor situation
on the road. The course and attitude dur
ing the strike Of the officials OF the Union
Pacific, It is reported. will come In for due
consideration at this meeting. which It Is
AAAaf ~ RAREkNNa " 0hC H0nO tNbA1 " y
settlement OF the strike. What plans Con-
gressman Mercer may have for submitting
his services 20 the directors as a mediator
are not known. but It is believed by strik-
ers and others who are discussing the
rumor that the officials Of the Union Pa
cihc at local headquarters are in full SYM
pathy and accord with them.
Failure confronts Mercer.
That Mercer win fail in any scheme he
may have Of constituting himself the ac-
credited delegate Of the strikers to pull
on the settlement with the company, the
strikers almost to a man declare to be a
certainty. 'He cannot ingratiate himself
IN our affections to any such extent as
that said a prominent strike leader this
morning. I'VE have taken our stand on
that settlement proposition and our atti-
tude has been plainly stated in print, SO
the public need not be deceived as to our
position in the matter"
No confirmation Of the report that a
meeting Of the Union Pacific board Of d.
Tectors has been called for the 18th could
be obtained at headquarters.
Ohicials OF the company gave out the state
ment yesterday morning that a cloudburst
occurred Wednesday at Sidney, filling the
Toundhouse with two feet OF water; tracks
were washed out at Margate. a few miles
west Of Sidney. and heavy rains have done
damage at various other points along the
road between. Cheyenne and North Platte.
A telegram bringing this information was
received at headquarters yesterday morning.
An ofhcial said:
That is why you hear so much about
engine failures and delayed trains; those
high waters, and not the strike. are the
cause Of these accidents"
He then repeated the statement. which
has become preverbial. that Our affairs are
running along smoothly and we are not at
aall distressed over the strike"
Thlrty-one new nonunion men came into
Omaha yesterday from the company's
agency. but fve deserted upon arrival. One
.Df the men. giving his name as John Hines,
said: II hired under the name Of Boyd
Chambers at Chicago. used to be a brake
man and worked some in a livery stable. /
hired TO the company as a shop mechanic
Nonunion Men Quit.
Eight Of the ~nonunion force left the
Omaha shops Wednesday and wednesday
night. One Of these was a Hollander boiler
maker. who was among the nrst strike
breakers employed and has been considered
the best man In the shops in that line. In
addition to these assertions reports say that
awenty-four nonunion men have left the
Cheyenne shops within the last three days
and that four quit at North Platte wednes-
day.
Five engines were brought into Omaha
Wednesday from the west and placed upon
the dead track" according to strikers re-
ports. Superintendent McKeen is still out
on the road. having been at Cheyenne
Vyala--l.w e~.Ia.- - A. -fA.-aa.-