THE CRISIS AT HAND.

RAILROAD FREIGHT-HANDLERS ON TWO LINES HAVE GONE OUT.

These Are the Burlington and Milwaukee & St. Paul Men--The Roads Determined to Make a Stubborn Fight and Certain of Victory--Freight-Houses to Be Closed Until Protection for New Men Can Be Assured--The Policy of the Strikers.

If the freight-handlers on the Northwestern and Chicago & Alton Roads strike today, as it is expected they will, the officers will adopt the same policy [as] the Burlington and close their freight-houses until they can be assured of protection for the new men to be employed in the place of the strikers. The road officials here express no fear of the outcome, if the strike becomes general, for then they could make a common fight and readily bring the strikes to terms. But they are afraid that a strike on all the roads is not contemplated, but that certain lines are singled out upon which war is to be waged. They think the men remaining at work are then to be taxed to support those on a strike, so as to enable the latter to hold out against the corporations. If the roads where the strike is started are finally forced to submit the freight-handlers on the other roads will then strike unless they get the same concessions as those who inaugurated the strike. It is the intention of the railroads not to submit to any such tactics on the part of the strikers. They think a great mistake was made when they refused to handle the freight of the Lake Shore during the late switchmen strike, and they did not propose to commit the same error again. It is understood that the roads on which there is no strike will promptly come to the rescue of the roads closed up and handle their freight for them if requested to do so. This would spoil the plans of the strikers, as they would be forced to go out on all lines and the entire body would be left without any resources to carry on the fight. If the men commit excesses or prevent non-union men from working the railroads mean to invoke the protection of the United States authorities at once, and with such protection they expect to soon bring the strikers to terms.

Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul

The demand made upon the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway by its freight-handlers for eight hours' work and ten hours' pay was replied to as follows:

To the Committee: I am in receipt of your petition of the 29th inst., and in reply am instructed by the General Manager to say that this company is not aware that any railroad corporation has made the concessions named. They cannot be governed by manufacturing establishments which may have adopted the eight-hour plan, for the reason that each establishment can regulate its product in accordance with the number of hours of labor performed. What may be possible and practicable with them would be entirely impracticable with railroad companies, as you well know that the business interests of Chicago require the railroads to have their freight-houses open from 7 a. m. to 6 p. m., and the business cannot be handled in any other way. There is no practical way of dividing the force into eight-hour shifts and handle the business properly. If by the term "usual scale of prices" you mean ten hours' pay for eight hours' work, we must say that the present state of business will not warrant this company in complying with this demand.

You cannot complain that you are not fairly paid now, and otherwise well and fairly treated.

P. E. Wilson

The reply was not received with the utmost favor, although some of the men said it was only what they expected. The matter was very freely discussed by the men after 4 p. m. yesterday, when the reply was handed in triplicate to the committee, of which Patrick O'Connors is Chairman. None of them would say to an outsider what action would be taken, preferring to await the outcome of the meeting which was immediately called for the evening.

The freight-handlers of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad held an informal meeting at 6 o'clock last night, at which time the company's reply to their demand for eight hours' labor and ten hours' pay was read. On motion the meeting adjourned to meet in the hall over No. 54 Lake street, and at 8 o'clock nearly every freight-handler in the four houses of the company was in attendance. After a discussion which lasted until nearly 11 o'clock, the men decided that the company's answer was unsatisfactory and that they would quit work at 10 o'clock this morning. The time from 7 to 10 will be put in getting out a quantity of perishable freight shipped by a number of commission-men, the freight-handlers explaining that the work will be gratuitous and simply for the benefit of the aforesaid commission merchants. The men have decided to hold another meeting at 3 p. m. today.

The Burlington Receiving Freight-House Closed.

The doors of the receiving freight-house of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad were closed promptly at 12:30 o'clock yesterday, when Foreman H. C. Gano informed the eighty-six freight-handlers under his charge that the company, after due consideration, had refused to accede to their demands for eight hours' labor with ten hours' pay. The men were visited Thursday night by a delegation from the Knights of Labor, who requested them to strike immediately if the railroad company returned them an unfavorable answer, and, in accordance with these instructions, the men dropped their trucks and were about to walk out when Mr. Gano requested them as a personal favor to him to clear the house of the freight which had accumulated during the morning. This they were perfectly willing to do for the sake of their foreman, who is on the best of terms with his men and has always treated them well. They said it was perfectly reasonable to return the civility and went to their task with a will, loading what freight there was on hand into the different cars, working for an hour and a half with the knowledge that they would receive no pay for their time. When they stopped work they were very quiet and orderly, but appeared to be very determined, and a number of them said to a reporter that they were going to fight the contest to an end.

The seventy men employed at the transfer-house, corner of Canal and Sixteenth streets, held a meeting yesterday morning, and made the same demands as their fellow-laborers at the Harrison street freight-house. They received a similar answer from the company, and went out about 3 o'clock. All freight received for shipment during the afternoon was refused, and had to be carted back to the places whence it came or sent out on other roads. A committee numbering seventy-five men, among whom were over thirty of the Burlington freight-handlers, on leaving the freight-house went to the yards of the Union Star Line on Canal street, and had an interview with the men employed there. They were very orderly and were permitted to enter the house unmolested. They told the men that they had struck and wished their coöperation. The men to the number of twenty-three said they would not go to work this morning. The committee then visited the Alton freight-house and had a talk with the men. On hearing that the Burlington men had struck they said that they would not go to work today.
The committee then visited the Milwaukee & St. Paul freight-house on Kinzie street, where 350 men are employed. The appearance of the strikers was received with cheers. The committee entered the house and told the men what was wanted. The St. Paul men said that they would join with the strikers, and would not go to the house this morning. Their decision was loudly applauded. The men in the employ of the Galena Divison of the Northwestern Road gave the committee a favorable answer, and no freight will be handled in that house today. Subsequently orders were given to close the freight-house of the Northwestern. It was shut up instanter.

Crane Bros. and Chalmer & Frazer, extensive manufacturers of heavy mining machinery, sent orders to the company to have four cars ready for them today. The yardmaster informed the shipping clerk that they couldn't have one, as a strike among the freight-handlers had been inaugurated, and the shipping of freight was an impossibility.

This morning at 8 o'clock a monster mass-meeting of freight-handlers will be held on the viaduct at Harrison street, where the situation will be discussed and a definit plan of procedure outlined for the guidance of the strikers. Last night, however, the men were in a badly demoralized state; there was no system among them whatever, and those who were asked to join them did so without knowing the cause or probable result of their action.

The Chicago & Alton

Mr. Eastman, General Freight Agent of the Chicago & Alton Railroad, said yesterday that

the freight-handlers of that road had the previous day demanded ten hours' pay and eight hours' work for May 1. The demand had been submitted to the Superintendent and President, but no action had been taken. He had not heard either from his superiors or the employés. From the utterances of the Superintendent he thought the company was not in a condition to pay the advance. There were about fifty men, and while it required experienced men in some parts of the work it would not be difficult to fill the places of the men in case of a strike. He had prepared for a strike by getting every piece of freight out of the house yesterday so that they could shut down and refuse new business, but need not neglect any business once taken.