Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-04-03
BY ELMO

BY ELMO
HDrive hack the bIankety blank
SO and so'sl Drive them back"
Thus did 3 captain OF troops IN
troduce military authority 20 the
people Of Livingston at the MOTH
ern Pacific station In July, 1884
when a crowd gathered to greet the
soldiers being sent along the ran-
road during the great American
Railway Union strike Of that year.
The crowd was entirely orderly
there is the word Of preSent-day Llv-
ingston residents for th1s-and the az
tttude Of Livingston people, toWaIos
the troops was friendly until Captain
Lockwood, overestimating his own I'M
portance and authority, dtsgraced his
rank and insulted an American COM
munity.
AS old-timers will recall, the A. r. u.
strike was called June 20, 1894, by
Eugene v. Debs, national president OF
the American Railway Union, In SYM
pathy with the attempt OF employees OF
the Pullman company TO get lar treat
ment. In a strict sense, 1t was not a
railroad strike, for trainmen offered 70
run trains which carried no pullmanS
Refusal of railroad Arrangements 10
permit this led to the strike which tied
up many roads throughout the country.
It prevented train service on the Mon
for Is days during which not tram
Travelled ON regular schedule.
A strictly railroad town, Livingston
had hundreds of men idle during the
period, and public sympathy was with
the striking trainmen.
There was no rioting, and only one
or two futile attempts were maze 10
damage property. The only bloodShed
of the strike occurred in the foray OF
Captain Lockwood, commanding the
troops which passed through the city,
leaving one company there for guard
purposes.
The first train tied up in Livingston
was a freight which came in the morn
ing of June 81 AT a public meeting OF
members and synpathizers, the A. II. U.
offered cooperation to the railroad
company in protecting property. Daniel
ellis, j. Venham and Leonard Uni were
named a committee with authority TO
detail men from the union Tor guard
duty. Division Superintendent Finn was
offered the services of union men.
When the strike became effective a
passenger train was tied up in LlV-
ington with a large number OF pas
sengers for eastern points. The A. r. U.
desired to avoid inconvenience for these
people, and considered running a tram
to Helena from where they could pro-
union decided it could not run train
and keep the spirit of the strike with
out authority from DebS, who refused
permission to run any train on the
ground that it would weaken the strike.
Great Northern Not Effected
The Great Northern only a short time
before had settled strike with the
A. r. U. satisfactorily to the union, and
it was not effected by the general
strike.
The A. r. U. had offered to run
trains minus pullmanS, and particular
ly mail trains, but the management
would run complete trains or none at
all. The mails were tied up. Postmaster
Joseph e. SWindlehurst, whose son,
Joseph E. SwindlehurSt Jr, is now post
master in Livingston, secured permits
sion to move the mails. if it could be
done without expense to the govern |
ment. by stage to nearby postofficeS and
neighboring towns.
The first wheel to turn after the |
strike became effective turned on June |
30. when an engine left the round |
house at p. m, manned by M. L. |
Porter and Pat McCarvel, accompanied |
by Master Mechanic Brown and Supt |
Finn. Strikers surrounded the engine,
but dispersed when superintendent |
Finn announced he had that day been
appointed a deputy United States mar
shall The engine went west.
That day the Brotherhood of Loco
motive Engineers refused to respond to
calls until all existing trouble was set
tied Then the three division dispatch
erS. Elliott, Flood and Reese, went on
strike. Mail for western points was
sent out on a handcar in charge Of a
mail clerk
The engine that had gone west with
the officials returned July 4, with Mas
ter Mechanic Brown at the throttle