Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1909-12-03
TRAIN CREWS
ARE ATTACKED
BY DULUTH MOB
IMPORTATION OF WORKERS TO END
TROUBLE INCITES STRIKERS
TO OUTBREAK.
MORE VIOLENCE Is FEARED
Office Men Take Charge of Locomotives
at Superior in Attempt to
Break Blockade
JOBBING HOUSES LAY OFF MEN

DULUTH, Mimi, Dec. 2.-[Special.l
A wild mob formed here this afternoon
and began pelting engineers and freight
train crews with stones and Jumps of
coal found along the railway tracks i'll
the local yards.
The aid of the police has been invoked
by the railway officials and serious trou-
bic is feared when an attempt is made to
quell the rloting.
1t is believed here that the importation
! of strike breakers from Chicago and
other cities melted the railway men to
violence this afternoon, the first that has
occurred since the switchmen went out
on strike Tuesday night.
| The strikers posted themselves on the
yiaducts crossing the Northern Pacific
railway tracks and several of the crews
! were stoned. The windows in one en-
! CINE We're shattered and the engineer was
badly cut by the flying glass. Other
men were also slightly injured. The
chief Of police sent a detail of special
officers to the scene and the strike
breakers will be guarded.
| Yesterday and today the jobbing houses
| began laying off men. With no posi-
bility of shipping goods, as tie railroads
are refusing to receive freight, no or
| ders are being fulfilled by local concerns,
and the entire jObbing business Of the
! city is paralyzed today. Food supplies
will probably be sent to the ranges by
| express.
Passenger trains are running on time,
with yardmasters and foremen doing the
switching in the yards. No attempts
has been made yet to bring in strike
| breakers, but at a meeting OF the Du-
! luth wholesalers late yesterday the senti-
ment appeared to be much in favor of
the railroads. and the Jobbers stand
ready to give every assistance in ending
the strike by any legitimate means.
The heads of the various railroads
entering this district this morning ex-
pressed themselves as satisfied with the
! their disposal. However, a look into the
| local yards shows a condition of conges-
| ton unparalleled in this vicinity.
| ST. PAUL, Mimi, Dec. with the
| importation of strike breakers from Chi
cago and other points and the pre- sing
! into service of other employees o. the
roads. the railways of the northwest that
! were affected by the strike of the Switch
mems Union of North America which
went into effect Tuesday evening, began
their first real work today in trying to
restore normal traffic conditions between
here and the racine coast.
For the first time since the strike was
called. the local warehouses were open
today and the roads accepted limited
freight shipments to points in Dakota
and Montana.
DESPITE the efforts of the railroads,
there was no noticeable improvement in
business conditions in the Twin cities
this morning. In Minneapolis all of
the flour mills. with the exception of
one of the smaller ones, were stopped
and the cessation of this industry alone
threw about 5000 men out of employ
ment. 1t is stated that the millmen
alone will lose $4,000 a week in wages
while the mills are closed, and that the
loss of business to the milling concerns
will amount to 100000 a day.
According to reports received from
throughout the strike zone. the general
effect of the walkout so far mas been one
of inconvenience, but the continuation OF
present conditions will soon result in
hardships and even i'll suffering. At the
head of the lakes, where the most i'm
portant industries are directly dependent
upon traffic conditions, continuation
for q few days of the present congestion
will force 10000 men out of employ
ment.
Reports were circulated this morning
TO the effect that the entire Brotherhood
of Railway Tralnmen would be called
out in the affected territory, but the re-
ports could not be traced to an authentic
source The switchmen appeared to be
satisfied with the present situation, how
ever and were particularly pleased with
the reports from the west of trainmen
joining the strike and the action of the
Chicago switchmen in demanding an in
vreaSe In wages.
Serious on Pacific.
SEATTLE, Wash, Dee. 2.-The
switchmen's strike has assumed a more
serious aspect in the Pacific northwest.
Freight shipments are practically tied
up. Passenger schedules are being main
tanned with difficulty.
The arrival of the Great Northern
liner Minnesota at Port Townsend late
last night with $4,000 tons of freight
valued at S6OO,OOO, much of it destined
for quick transportation to the east, has
given added cause for apprehension. In
the shipment are 1871 bales of raw silk
for New York and 900 tons Of other
oriental freight for other eastern cities.
Last night after twenty-four hours of
idlenesS, attempts were made to dispatch
freight over the Northern Pacific rail-
way. Two trains We're started from Ia
coma, one for the Gray's Harbor coun-
try, and one for the local service to
points between Puget Sound and Port
land. These trains were made up by
new assistant trainmasters and superin-
tendents. One freight train was dis
pdlCueu lTpu EueuSDuTS Wnere IT naQ
been held for thirty-siX hours, for Seat
tie. This morning local service between
Seattle and Tacoma was resumed.
On the Great Northern there has been
no movement of freight, although the of
hclals expect to get out a few trains to-
day. Arrangements have been made to
put on switching crews at the coast ter
mlnal points
1t has been decided that all competent
railway men who apply for positions will
be given work. III deciding to hire non
union men the railways announced that
such employees would not be displaced by
returning strikers.
Situation at Superior.
SUPERIOR, Wis, Dec. Special
The railroads are making an effort to
break the blockade The Great Northern
has four switch engines, the Terminal
has one and the 500 one The Northern
Pacific as yet has none operating on this
side of the bay. All the engines are
manned by officials and clerks 4 train
arrived from Cass Lake early this morn
Ing and an effort Is being made to take
care of the cars. The Great Northern
announced this morning that freight
would be received this afternoon and
that local freights would be started run
ming tomorrow
A special car on the Omaha train from
Chicago this morning brought score of
str1ke-breakers and it is expected they
will try to start switch engines out to-
day. The roads are said to have picked
up twenty men here whom they viii put
on as special officers with the intention
PIT using them to run the switch engines.