Volume 18 , Issue 33

26 June 1894, A Battle Royal

As the Decatur Daily Republican, out of Decatur, Illinois reported 27 June 1894, Wednesday, page 6: "A Battle Royal." The Pullman Company and the American Railway Unions begin a life and death struggle, which is expected to affect nearly every railroad company and employe in the country - United Labor Against Aggregated Capital.

Found on Newspapers.com

Chicago, June 26 (1894) -- The boycott declared against the Pullman Palace Car Co. by the American Railway union went into effect at 12 o'clock on this day. The order was supposed to include every railroad in the United States which handled Pullman cars, and, as declared by the union officials, every road which insists upon running the sleepers would be subjected to a strike, if necessary.

As a result of the boycott, all the switchmen in the freight yards of the Illinois Central went out at 6:10 o'clock this evening, and no fright of any character was being handled in the yards. The order to strike was issued that afternoon, but not served until late, and after it became apparent that the Illinois Central officials were determined to run the Pullman cars.

In addition to the fright switchmen, it was expected that the men working in the upper yards handling the passenger trains would go out the next morning. The strike was sudden, and so far was effective, taking the officials by surprise, and leaving the work in the yards in bad shape.

When the boycott order became effective that noon it marked the beginning of what was expected to be the greatest struggle between capital and labor ever inaugurated in the United States. It was a battle in which an effort would be made to unite all railroad employees in the country in one common effort to secure better wages, and while the boycott was ostensibly declared as a demonstration of sympathy in behalf of the strikers in the Pullman shops, it was in reality a life and death struggle between the greatest and most powerful railroad labor organization and the entire railroad capital. The Pullman boycott meant the permanent success of the one organization through which it was sought to unite all employe of railroads. For this reason the strike on the Illinois Central would be of the greatest moment, both to the employees and the railroads. About 400 men were included in the freight switchmen's unions, two in number, and when the passenger switchmen went out it would swell the number to about 500.

It was announced that no trains to which Pullman sleepers were attached would be permitted to go out of the Illinois Central depot after 10 o'clock, and as a precautionary measure the company had all of tis passenger trains made up the night before. The coaches were chained together, padlocked and sealed with the company's seal at the couplings; and i addition each train carried a guard of ten special officers employed by the railroad.

The first train left at 1:35 and three other trains were sent out at 10 o'clock that night with guards and from one to two sleepers.

The engineers and trainmen received orders from their chiefs that day not to take part in the boycott or assist the union men in any way, and the railroad company relied on this to a great extent in getting out their trains. The union officers claimed that all of the men were in sympathy with the strike and boycott and that the switchmen were ordered out merely to protect the passenger trainmen who would be unable to render efficient aid by themselves.

Up to a late hour that night no other orders for strikes were issued, but the next day, it was understood that all American Railway union men on the entire Illinois Central system would be called out unless the officials consent to join in the Pullman boycott.

On other roads no trouble was had in running out trains, although ti was expected that because of the Chicago & Erie sending out trains under guard a strike would be ordered on that road.

With the remainder of the Chicago railroads it was the intention of the officials to allow the Pullman cars to be carried out of Chicago, but to prevent their return. At about 9 o'clock that night a mob of switchmen and sympathizers congregated at Grand Crossing, the junction of the Illinois Central and other roads out of Chicago, and overpowering the one or two special officers there, took charge of the signal gates and refused to permit the passage of Illinois Central trains. The signal men, who were members of the American Railway union, had gone out with he switchmen and left the gates in the care of the detectives.

The St. Louis Diamond special, leaving Chicago at 9 a.m. was caught at the crossing and held for nearly an hour. The officials of the road were notified, and a request for police protection brought out a squad of police from Grand Crossing station. The mob was driven away without violence and the officers opened the gates themselves.

The men again attempt to take control of the signals, but were repulsed.

At 11 o'clock it was reported that the mob had disbanded. The only damage done was the breaking of one or two of the signal lamps, which were replaced.

The Western express on the Pennsylvania, due at Chicago at 9 p.m. was also held at the crossing on account of the refusal of the mob to open the signal gates, but after a delay of a half hour the strikers let the train through on account of it carrying a mail car.

Late that night all suburban trains on the Illinois Central were abandoned on account of the trainmen who were member s of the American Railway union, joining the switchmen in their strike.

As early as 8 o'clock trains were abandoned, ub the officials made efforts to get one or two through later in order to accommodate suburban travelers.

The passenger train on the eastern Illinois road, which led the Polk Street depot at 10:20 p.m., came to a stop at Kensington, where the tracks of the Western Indiana terminal cross the Illinois central. The strike of the Illinois Central freight switchmen was responsible for the trouble. The crossing was blockaded with railroad men belonging to the union and others who prevented the progress of the train until the place arrived and dispersed the crowd. The switches at the crossing were operated by the eastern Illinois men, because that was the last road to lay its tracks there.

A man meeting of about 1,000 railroad men, trainmen and yardmen, employees of the roads entering the city from the south side, was held that evening at Thirtieth and Union streets. President E. V. Debs, of the American Railway union, and Vice-president Howard, of the same organization, addressed the gathering, expelling the cause of the Pullman employees and outlining the aggressive plan of action to be followed by the railway union in the fight it had begun against practically all the railroads of the west.

The meeting, which was held for the purpose of strengthening the organization of the American Railway union on all lines, was very enthusiastic, the utterances of the various speakers being received with hearty applause.
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