Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1903-11-19
STREET RAILWAY
employees STRIKE
Chicago City Railway Men
Decide to Go Out on
a Strike.
DEMANDS OF THE UNION MEN
Ask Wage Increase, Recognition of
the Union and Other Minor Con-
cessions - Three Employees Are
Concerned.

Chicago, Nov. IA general strike
Of the 5000 employees of the Chicago
City Railway was decided upon last
night at mass meeting of the men.
They will quit work at o'clock this
morning.
This decision was reached after a
controversy that has lasted for over
two weeks between the representa-
tives of the union and the manage
ment of the railway. Numerous con-
ferences have been held in an effort
to adjust the difficulty by arbitration,
but without satisfactory results, and
the decision last night to strike this
morning was unanimously endorsed
by the men. The demands of the
union were for wage increase of 25
per cent, recognition Of the union and
several other minor concessions. The
company requested a postponement
of hostilitles until Saturday, when a
final answer would be given, but the
men refused to delay action any long
er and decided to quit work to en-
force their demands.
The company, it is said, has sew
eral hundred men In readiness to
take the places of the strikers and
will endeavor to run cars when the
union men quit.
The Chicago City Railway controls
all the surface lines running on the
south side of the city, making a
total of over 220 miles Of track.
Chicago, Nov. 13.-Constant scenes
of disorder over a district approx
mately fifty square miles in extent re-
suited yesterday from the Inaugural
tion of strike by the employees of one
of the two principal surface street rail-
way companies in Chicago. All along
the lines where. cars were started,
strike sympathizers made desperate
onslaughts on the crews, beginning at
dawn of day and continuing as long
as cars remained on the tracks. The
te-up was made complete.
A number of cars were wrecked
and that no person was killed is no
fault Of the rioters. One man had his
back broken and the first shot Of the
strike was fired at Wentworth avenue
and West Sixty-ninth street, where a
mob of several hundred persons tried
to hold up a train.
Many persons, chiefly non-union
street car men, were injured by flying
stones or splintered glass. Two wom-
en- were among those hurt
Excepting few dozen passengers
who had to fee from the cars, the
100000 daily patrons of the company
were forced to all sorts of other meth
ODDS in order to get down town and
back.
Chicago, Nov. 14.-Twenty-fiye cars
run on the Wentworth avenue line
without damage to the cars or injury
to the non-union employees operating
them, was what the Chicago City
Railway company was able to accomp-
lish yesterday with the assistance of
the police department.
While there was no active interfer-
ence with the handling of the cars,
such as attended the attempts to run
cars Thursday, the crowds that lined
the streets jeered and hooted the po-
lice and the non-union men almost
without intermission. But two stones
were hurled at the cars during the
day; neither did damage worth men
tioning.
At nightfall the officials of the
street car company were inclined to
view the days work as being success
full and on the whole satisfactory.
They announced that cars would be
run today on the Wentworth avenue
line at the same hours as yesterday,
and that attempts would be made to
operate other lines. which were, how
ever, not specified.
Chicago. Nav. 16-A victory. TEN.
porary at least. was scored yesterday
by the management of the Chicago
City railway against its striking en-
ployes. From early in the morning
until dark last night the company sue
ceeded in maintaining regular SER
vice on its Wentworth avenue line,
which extends from Seyenty-ninth to
the downtown district, distance of
eight miles. The first car manned by
a newly hired non-union crew left
the car barn, guarded by dozen
policemen, at s o'clock and was fol-
lowed four minutes later by another
train.
Twenty-Five cars in all were put In.
to the service, but the schedule was
frequently interfered by delays
:aused by distractions being place;
On the tracks and the inexperience
Of men in charge of the cars. The
most serious trouble occurred during
the morning when a number OF ar
'ests were made. but clashes between
he police and the crowds that line
:he streets were frequent during the
afternoon, and when darkness set in
was not considered safe to send
more cars from the barns. More ar
-ests We're made during the day than
any day since the strike was de-
.lared.