The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-12-02
STRIKE RENDERS
THOUSANDS IDLE.
Minneapolis FIGURING Mills
Shut Down.
UNABLE TO GET GRAIN

W. r'ei1nt wheel Turns betWcen
st. Paul and Seattle and Situation
Grows Worse Hourly - Locomotive
Firemen Threaten to Quit II Non.
union Men Are Employed to Re.
place Striking switchmen--Publlc
Sympathy Is With the Men.
st. Paul Mimi, Dec 2.--The strike
OF switchmen on the northern trans.
continental lines between st. Paul
and the Pacific coast has already in.
volved $4,000 people directly and in.
directly, and before the strike is ad.
justed 1t is believed that 10000 per-
sons will have been affected. Not
wheel is turning on any freight train
between st. Paul and Seattle. In
Minneapolis three OF the big -four
mills closed down for the reason that
they could not receive grain nor ship
flour.
At st. Cloud, Mimi, the Great
Northern closed its shops, putting
900 men in idleness. At Superior,
WIS, the Great Northern closed its
shops and docks, crowding out $50
men. At st. Cloud, in the granite
works, 800 men were thrown out of
employment because OF the uncer-
tainty of the future. From st. Cloud
Wilmer, Fargo, Grand Forks, James.
town, Minot Billings, Livingston,
Butte and Helena, 165 engine crews
were called off. The switchmen have
allowed perishable freight to be at.
tached to passenger trains to be
taken to terminal stations, but this
only applies to the next II hours.
This situation is practically the
same clear to the coast. The chief
OF the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Firemen advised the general man.
ayers of all the western railroads
that If any attempt is made TO re-
place the striking switchmen by non
union men that he will call a strike.
The situation at present is this: that
none of the jobbers of Chicago, the
Twin Cities or Duluth can ship a sin.
gle article except by express. Not
farmer In the northwest can deliver
to the commission houses of the
Twin Cities except by express. That
the prospective Christmas business
throughout the northwest on all lines
is paralyzed. Milling and manufac-
turing industries are hourly being
suspended, and the loss in money
runs into the hundreds of thousands
OF dollars every "a hours. This is
the most far.reaching and disastrous
strike that has occurred in the west
In 20 years, and the determination on
both sides to fight to a finish prom.
ises to prolong the struggle for
weeks. Members of the interstate
commerce commission, business men
Of St. Paul and Minneapolis and
members Of the city councils of yari.
Gus cities of Minnesota, North Dako.
ia and Montana are preparing to ap-
peal to the railway officials in an eff.
fort to settle the strike. All over.
lures to the striking switchmon have
been unavailing, and public sympa-
try is with them. Two thousand
three hundred and slxty-four men are
directly involved in the strike on the
Great Northern and Northern Pacific
between st. Paul and the Pacific
coast, but they have the backing Of
) 900 locomotive firemen, and should |
the railways attempt to replace the |
striking switchmen with ponunion
men the firemen will refuse to work, |
and this will tie up the passenger
trains on the four northern transcon.
tinental lines.
kilograms from the northern Min. |
nesota iron range towns, which in |
clude population of more than 175-
300, say that II the strike continues |
'or week there will be food fam.
me In all Of the towns. The fuel sup |
ply may be had from the local timber
Dut all of the food must come from
Duluth or ,he Twin Cities. One Of
he effects OF the strike Is the sus.
pension OF the big packing houses at
South st. Paul. All through the
northwest mills and factories have
been closing down.
Despairlng of any possible compro-
Mise, Martin A. Knapp. chairman OF
he interstate commerce commission,
and Charles p. Neill, United States
abor commissioner, who came here
o act as mediators, have returned to
There is not a single
Indication in any direction of a pos.
'ible settlement at this hour.
Railroad managers are now arrang-
ng to import strikebreakers. This
nay be followed by stronger defense
measures.
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Attempts Suicide In Park,