Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-07-28

afternoon. in an effort to bring about
q renewal of peace negotiations was
failure. The packers declared that the
union leaders had failed to live up to
the arbitration agreement decided upon
last week, and that under the circum-
stances the packers did not care to
make any further agreements with the
strikers.
Chicago. July H.-Fire. tumult and
picketing contributed to stirring scenes
at the stock yards. today, while the
packers, firm in their stand, went
ahead slaughtering stock and doing as
much other work as was possible In
the circumstances.
Amid all the warlike demonstrations
there were reports of plans for another
peace conference between the packers
and the striking butchers.
Members of the State Board of Arbi-
tration appeared at the office of Presi-
dent Donnelly and held conference
with the labor leaders. The strike sit
uation was gone into thoroughly and
the arbitrator then left the office to
seek conference with the packing in
terests. Later President Donnelly and
several Of his aides left strike head
quarters TOT a second conference Will
the State Board of Arbitration.
The packers had sent word to ship
pers to be somewhat more generous
with their cOnsignments and as re-
suit the receipts Of cattle and sheep
and hogs were considerably larger than
had been the rule during previous days
OF the strike. There were more men
working according to the employers.
The chief excitement Of the day CEN
tered about Swift's lard refinery far in
the interior OF the stock yards. almost
q mile from the main entrance. Flames
we're seen bursting from the upper
floors of this building and before long
the whole packing town was in tur-
mOil. Transfers by the hundreds who
had failed to go to work. had added
their numbers to the thousands of men
who had already been on strike. The
fire was enough of an incentive to
cause a wild rush from all directions
and the fire engines found great diff
Guilty in making way through the
crowds.
Naturally the rumor spread that the
fire was the result of incendiaries. but
this was later declared emphatically to
be erroneous.
A feature Of the blaze was the tenn
porary Imprisonment of nine young
women stenogra piers in an elevator in
Swift's office building. They were even
tually released.
Besides the fire another cause for tu-
multi was the fact that. today. for the
first time wholesale picketing was in
augurated. Francis T. O'Brien. sec
rotary of the Acme Manufacturing Co..
approached the entrance on a wagon,
himself holding the reins He was de-
livering a load of sleeping equipment
for non union men.
a group of pickets accOsted him and
told him that il he desired to avoid un-
pleasantness he had better turn around
and 60 back to his factory. Mr.. O'Brien
appealed to President Donnelly. who
could not help him. Mr.. OBrien then
said to Mr.. Donnelly:
III you stop us from delivering fur
niture, We will shut down our plant
and throw hundreds of union wood
workers out of employment. Think it
over"
Kitty English. forewOman in the sew
ing department of Swift & Cos plant.
was mobbed by girl sympathizers, to-
day. They beat the fOrewOman with
their fists. tore her clothing and finally
stabbed her in the face with a hat pin.
After a desperate struggle. Miss Eng
lish escaped. No arrests were made.
Seven hundred stock yard teamsters
joined the packers. today. the Team
sters' Joint Council having endorsed the
vote to strike and ordered the members
Of every other local union in Chicago
to make no deliveries to the stock
yards. Pickets guarded the barns in an
effort to make sure that no non union
drivers should be employed to take
their employees.
To minimize the danger Of rioting
should the packing companies attempt
to deliver meat to local customers with
non-union transfers, Chief of Police
ONeiil has given instructions that ali
hauling shall be done on Halstead
street. The chief declares that all team
sters will be protected from violence,
but to make this possible. the hauling
must be confined to one street. which
will be strongly patrolled. The order
calling out the packing house teamsters
affects many other drivers as well.
Those employed on meat and grocery
wagons, bakery. ice and express wag-
Ons. are prohibited from handling any
goods for packing plants.
While it is said to be the intention OF
the packers to ship practically all the
meat to outside points by rail and make
no effort to take care of by-products
the strikers expect to cause them much
Inconvenience by shutting off supplies
OF all kinds as far as possible.
Nine wagons loaded with meat Were
sent out from the SchwarZschild and
Sulzberger plant at the stock yards
The wagons had been reprinted. the
lettering removed. high sides placed or
them and covered with tarpaulin as q
disguise. They were escorted from the
yards by a dozen policemen. who were
relieved by another detail to guard
them on their way to the north side OF
the city.