Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1904-06-04
TIED
UP IN LAKE STRIKE
Fifty Ports Are Affected md
Chicago and Its Territory
Facing Disaster.
100000 MEN THROWN OUT
Civic Federation Is Trying to Make
Peace Between Carriers and Pilots
Association, But Not Yet
Successfully.

Chicago, May 3O.-Almost complete
paralysis of lake has fol-
lowed the strike of the masters and
pilots of the Great Lakes. and in the
opinion OF local experts Chicago and
the west are facing n Of the great
est commercial disG ; In history.
Already more thai : 900 men have
been thrown out of InDIoyment. and
capital estimated to approximate $780,
100, 900 has been tied up. The strike has
affected fifty lake ports. In Chicago
alone a score of big warehouses are
practically closed down.
At his time there seems no sign of
weakening on either the part OF the
Lake Carriers association or the Mas
ters n Pilots association. 1t was
the latter body which precipitated the
struggle by refusing to accept the
wage scale offered by the employing
oody.
The Civic Federation is now trying
10 patch UP a peace between the con-
ending sides.
Except for the important lumber
vessels, which are taking out small re-
urn cargoes, there Is practically no
business at this port. and reports from
he other ports affected Indicate the
same condition of affairs.
Business Is Gone.
Where more than 10000, 600 bushels
If grain left Chicago harbor during the
month of MAY last year, about 500 900
bushels have gone up the lakes from
(ere on nine lumber vessels during the
asst w weeks. There is not a single
BOAT on either the north or south
branch of the Chicago river, and only
Jour boats lying on the Calumet river
IT South Chicago awaiting "trimmers'
md the opening Of business.
Union grain trimmerS are on strike
| here and the two efforts made to
trim the grain with crews
rave been unsuccessful, and 1t was
| aid at South Chicago this afternoon
hat no further efforts would be made
Until the tieup is lifted.
The iron ore trade on the lake, Whlcn
| usually brings 25 900 tons of ore daily
o South Chicago, and is the life of that
| port, Is absent at this time.
Three or four boat have come to
south Chicago, all with small cargoes.
One boat was unloaded at the docks or
he international Harvester company's
South Deering branch and the other
.wO boats are tied up at the ILLINOIS
Steel Companys docks.
The ore handlers and holsters have
lot been engaged for this season and
lave received no promise of work In the
rear future. About 500 men. the num-
DER usually employed at South Chicago
Turing the shipping season, are idle and
without prospects of work. Most or
hese men are without money as they
10 not work during the winter months,
md are getting desperate.
An unusually large number of high
way robberies and burglaries in the last
.hree weeks have been charged to the
die marine workers, but only one ar
est has been made.
Four extra policemen have been sta
toned I'm the vicinity OF the shipyards
III the Calumet river to guard the trust
ieet, in the fitting up of which about
fifty men are employed. II Is believed
nat efforts will be made to send these
oats out without union masters and
Jilots not later than June /. If no set
lement is reached. The men employed
n fitting up the trust fleet are being
housed and fed on board a steamer.