The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-12-04
GREAT RAILROAD STRIKE.
SWITCHMEN'S WALK-OUT All.
FECTS BUSINESS IN NORTH
WEST
inability to Deliver Freight Threat
ems StagnatiOn and Starvation i'm
Country Dependent on Railways.

st. Paul, Minn., Dec. LIVERY
line of industry in the Twin Cities,
Duluth and Superior, and all of the
Northwest dependent on the move
ment Of supplies, is seriously affected
by the strike of the railroad switch
men which began at 6 o'clock last
evening"
1t is estimated that upwards of
l2,OOO men are idle tonight on ac-
count of the strike order, thousands
OF freight handlers and teamsters are
losing time by reason of the freight
blocking in the terminal towns, while
continuance of the strike for sew
eral days will throw additional thou
sands out Of work.
The railroads are filled with stalled
freight trains and an attempt to move
few by the aid Of the office men
drcfted as switchmen is making no
impression.
The railroad managers committee
announced today that they were
bringing to st. Paul new switchmen
TO take the places of the strikers.
TO this President Hawley of the
switchmen's union said: ''All right.
let them come; we will not object"
Business men generally are begin
ming to feel the result of the strike.
The first to be affected were the
wholesale grocers and commission
houses. Wholesale grocers report
that nothing is moving Commission
houses are doing nothing. Some of
the large firms today reduced their
forces.
In Minneapolis the flour mills
closed tonight and it is estimated that
5000 men employed in them are idle.
In South St. Paul, where are 1ocat-
ed the stock yards only 800 head of
cattle were received today where
usually 1900 is the daily average.
small towns will soon be facing a
famine unless trains of foodstuffs can
be brought in there. At Superior 800
men were laid off in the Great North
ern railway machine shops. The
mines will be affected by the stopping
or freight traffic. One of the ore
Nlyo of D,,I,
4S hours. 10000 men will be out of
employment, and the general loss on
account of no employment for labor
and inability to deliver merchandise
will run into thousands of dollars.
ST. Paul and Minneapolis are the
distributing points for the entire
Northwestern States, in all of the
cities of which the effect of the stop
ping of the carrying Of freight will
be felt.
The most serious effect will be in
Montana, particularly at Butte,
Anaconda and Great Falls, where the
copper mines and smelters are locat-
GU LII MOnldIld ana eastern Idaho
freight traffic is tied up.
The entire town Of Butte is depen-
dent on the operation of the mine
smelters. When they stop every
thing stops.
All foodstuffs are imported. Many
of the big mining companies run
stores. A miners credit is good there
only as long as he works
The smelters in Anaconda employ
about $500 men. There are also
large smelters at Great Falls. en-
| ploying 5000 men, who are idle.
That all hopes of a settlement of
the strike at present are at an end
was indicated by the departure for
Washington tonight of Martin A.
Knapp of the interstate commerce
commission and United States labor
commissioner, Charles p. Neill, who
| endeavOred to settle the dispute by
arbitration.
Mr.. Knapp said he could do moth
ing but offer his services and at this
| time they We're not wanted.