Fergus County argus., 1903-09-02
A STRIKE ON
IN LEWISTOWN
Stone Masons Working for Tubbs
Bros. on the New High School
Building Walk Out.
THE UNION FORCED THEM OUT
Workmen Say That They Were lntim.
idated Into ouitting-union Lead
ers Deny Making Threats.

For the first time in her history
LcwistOwn is experiencing the rather
unpleasant novelty of genuine
strike The possibility of such an
occurrence has frequently been sub.
jccl Ol conversation during the past
three months. but no one took very
serious view Of the impending labor
difficulty until Friday morning, when
a body composing about fifty mem
b"rs OF the local labor unions march
ed TO the grounds where the new
school hGilding Is helms put up and
shortly thereafter marched back to
the union hall followed by all OF The
stone masons, eighteen in number
who were at work on the building.
Recognizing that there are two
sides to every question the Argus
made Il special effort to ascertain the
exact facts in connection with the
strike. The trouble all came about
over the refusal of Tubbs Bros, con.
tractors, to recognize the union in
their building operations. According
To Jcff Tubbs. senior member OF the
firm. the representatives of the union
approached him several weeks ago
and asked that he unionize all OF his
labOrers. This he refused to do, stat.
ing that ne would employ such men
as he saw fit. discriminating against
neither union or non-union men.
Lynch. the walking delegate for the
labor union. went up to the high
school building about two weeks ago
and attempted TO talk with some of
Tubbs men. Tubbs ordered him to
leave the place and to cease inter
fering with his men. A controversy
arose and Lynch made an effort to
have Tubbs arrested for assault, but
the county attorney, seeing that he
did not have case. refused to have
Tubbs arrested. Since that time the
feeling between Tubbs and the labor
union has been embittered and the
latter lost no opportunity 10 create
dissatisfaction among Tubhs men.
Most of The stone masOns working for
Tubbs were CrUacians and as the I'M
ion did not have a leader who could
speak their language J. J. Sladich, of
Anaconda, arrived in town Wednes-
day Tor the purpose OF inducing the
men 10 walk ont. Most OF the stone
masOns are members OF the union but
all OF Tubbs' carpenters are non-un-
ion men. Friday morning. as stated
above. the union went in body to
the school house and induced the men
TO quit work.
The manner of inducing the men to
( lay down their tools and walk out is
/ yet n matter Of controversy The la.
! Dor leaders say that they simply ask.
ed, in quiet and orderly manner,
that the men stop work and that no
1 threat or intimidation was used to af.
1 feet their purpose. On the other hand
two affidayits have been made, one
! by Tus and the other by Holbrook
/ that threats against their lives were
made. Tus says that when the crowd
came up he and his men were told
that unless they laid down their ham
mers and chisels and walked out they
would all be strung up. Holbrook was
told that unless he struck with the
rest of the men he would be made in
TO mince meat and that pretty quick
In talking TO the Argus representative
( Tus said that he didn't want to strike
and his men didn't want TO walk out
! but that neither did he want 10 get
into any trouble. He appeared to bt
sincere in his belief that unless he
did as the union told him there would
CERTAINLY be some fighting. He sait
that they told him that the union mer
from Kendall would come down anC
assist the local union II IL became nee
essary.
In conversation with Sladich, wht
is given large share of the credit
i 90 OF bringing about the walk out
the Argus was informed that he came
to Lewistown simply as an interpre
ter. This strike is simply a sympa
thetic walk out" said Sladich. "Tubbi
is an unfair contractor inasmuch al
he employees non-union carpenters ant
il is against the rules of the union TO
any union man to work on the SAM
building with a non-union workman
For that reason We called off the I'm
ion stone masons and did II withou
any sort of threat or intimidation.
Tubbs has been paying his men tn
union scale of wages. He has tw,
carpenters TO whom he has been pay
ing but SO per day. but they are no
skilled men and do not ask more tha
they are now receiving. The unio
claims Tubbs is employing men at th
rate OF forty dollars ana expenses
month Tubbs denies this and pei
sonal investigation among the me
did not reveal where he had ever pal
such low wages.
Tus and three masons are workin
on the building today and in order {
prevent any possibility of trouble tn
mayor, at the request of the busines
men of the city, appointed Philli
I.aux special officer, 10 be on III
, ground near the scene of the threa
ened trouble Tus stated this morl
ing that his men want TO go to wor
but are afraid to do so. Jeff Tubt
says that he is anxious TO have IN
men go back to work and Will M
send for new men until every hoI
, of getting the old ones back Is gon
y