ANXIOUS DAYS ELSEWHERE IN ILLINOIS.
At the State Capital—Peoria Strikes—Miners in the Southern Section—The
Braidwood Troubles—Troops Sent Down—Matters at Mattoon—Effingham
Idlers—The Trainmen at Many Points—Shutting Up Shops in Various
Provincial Towns—Peace Restored.
On the 23rd day of July the coal companies shut down their mines at
Mount Carbon and Murphysboro. The same evening a mass meeting was called
at Murphysboro of all miners, mechanics, and laborers on the Cairo and
St. Louis Narrow-gauge. The object of the meeting was to consider
whether they should all strike. Some of the miners had been out of work
for some weeks, and their cry was for bread. The payment of the miners
at Mount Carbon, and of the railroadmen of the Carbondale and Grand
Tower road, due the 23rd, was postponed.
The employes of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad made a
demand Monday, the 23rd, for ten per cent. increase of wages. The number
of men engaged by the road at Quincy was about three hundred; none of
them favored a strike.
Other workingmen in the city offered to assist them, in case they
struck, but the offer was declined. The Company stopped trains between
Quincy and Galesburg, Tuesday, the 24th. Freight cars were sent out to
stations along the road and side-tracked. Passenger trains were running
regularly. The Wabash road had no trouble at Quincy. The evening
passenger train for Toledo was abandoned on the 23rd, and did not run
for several days. The morning trains went out as usual. There was no
rail communication between Quincy and St. Louis. A number of tramps
arrived in the city of Quincy, attracted by prospects of a row. The
National Guard and Quincy Guard were on duty at their armories.
A small squad of railroad strikers arrived at Mount Vernon, Illinois, on
the evening of the 25th, and caused some commotion in the machine shops
of the St. Louis and Southeastern Railway. Three shops give employment
to some eighty men, nearly all of whom had families, and sat under their
own vines and fig trees, and had never been heard to express
dissatisfaction with the wages they received, though this was denied by
men on the strike. About nine o’clock in the morning several men,
claiming to be acting under the authority of the executive committee of
the strikers at East St. Louis, visited the shops for the purpose of
explaining the situation to the men, and inducing them to quit work.
This committee was headed by Marion Rupert, an old fireman on the
Southeastern Railroad. The committee were met by Mr. L. B. Salisbury,
master mechanic, when a pleasant interview relating to the business in
hand took place. Mr. Salisbury stated that while the men in the shops
were at perfect liberty to quit work, if they so desired, they would be
protected in their purposes to continue at work. At noon the men in the
shops held a meeting to consider the situation and resolved to quit work
at six o’clock in the evening of the 25th.
Six companies of Militia, under Brigadier-General Pavey, were drilled in
the Court House yard at Mount Vernon, and held in readiness for any call
that might be made upon them. Meanwhile, no freight was received or sent
forward. Farmers could find no outlet for their grain. Business of all
kinds was stagnant, and a most deplorable state of things existed.
On the 23d of July, all the freight cars on the Springfield division of
the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad, and all on the Chicago and Alton
Railroad were ordered to be sent to Springfield, Illinois. Several
freight trains on the latter road arrived at Springfield from the South.
A double force of police was ordered on duty. The striking miners, four
hundred in number, held a meeting at midnight at Springfield.
The excitement was intense at that place all day. The Governor was in
receipt of numerous telegrams from all parts of the State, offering the
services of men if needed, to suppress any riot which might occur. The
preparations were so complete, that in one hour not less than five
thousand men could be embodied under the militia plan, exclusive of the
two regiments in Chicago. These men were nearly all veterans, and all
under the command of their old commanders. They were chiefly from the
country districts, and were armed with breechloaders. A great supply of
ammunition for which arms was in the arsenal at Springfield, was well
guarded. There were also one thousand Enfields with ammunition and
equipments. The Secretary of War offered a supply of muskets and
ammunition, and these arrived at designated points that night. The
Governor and Adjutant General had hopes that the strikers would not
proceed to acts of violence, and had confidence in the ability of the
authorities to maintain peace, or in the last resort to suppress
violence. Despatches from Chicago gave assurance of the ability to
maintain peace there.
Colonel Roe, United States Marshal at Springfield, received a despatch
from Judge Drummond, at Chicago, ordering him to proceed at once to East
St. Louis, and if there should be an unlawful interference by anyone in
the running of the railroads in the possession of James H. Wilson, as
receiver of the same by orders of the Circuit Court of the United
Slates, for the Southern district of Illinois, he was directed to use
his authority, as Marshal of the United States, to put a stop to such
interference, and to protect the receiver in the operation of the
railroad, and for so doing, the despatch should be his warrant.
The railroad was the St. Louis and Southeastern. United States Marshal
Roe, had a conference with the Governor as to the amount of force which
could be supplied to support the Marshal, if requested, and it was
considered, upon looking over the whole situation, the force could be
supplied to protect the line of the road. Marshal Roe, left Springfield
for St. Louis, to examine the situation personally before he proceeded
to make any movement. He was an officer of experience in the army, of
undoubted spirit, and as it happened had already been called upon to
suppress riotous proceedings as Marshal. It was not doubted that his
conduct would be prudent and effective.
At Waterloo, Ill., July 28th, Charles Frick, Sheriff of Monroe county,
received a telegram from F. E. Canada, Superintendent of the Cairo and
St. Louis Railroad, to hold the special train from Murphysboro, and to
hold all railroad property in Monroe county subject to the order of the
Company, and arrest Conductor Adams, one of the ringleaders of the
strikers, which was done that evening by Mr. Frick and his armed
_posse_. There were fifteen strikers aboard. No resistance was offered,
Adams permitting himself to be quietly taken. Many of the citizens of
Waterloo were fearful that the action of the Sheriff would incite a
riotous visit from some of the mob in East St. Louis.
The negro miners who were driven from the Braidwood mines were encamped
at Washington, at the Coal Companies expense, waiting until the trouble
was settled, so they could resume work. On the 28th, the Governor
ordered the troops to go to Braidwood, and about eight hundred and fifty
men went to that point.
Orders were received for the Aurora Light Guard, Company E. Third
Regiment, to hold themselves in readiness for marching orders. Captain
Vosburg at once laid in a supply of ammunition, and prepared for duty.
On the morning of the 28th, marching orders were received, and the
company, numbering about forty, left for Braidwood, via Chicago,
reporting to Major-General Ducat. A constant patrol was kept up about
Aurora, and especially about the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
yards. A number of strange men were seen in the shop-yard by the guard,
and ordered to halt, and give an account of themselves. They ran, firing
several shots as they retreated. No one was injured, and only one man
was arrested, he being a hard looking customer, who refused to say
anything about himself, or his and his pals’ object was in the Company’s
yard. It was thought their object was to fire the large shops of the
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Company, located there. The man was kept
in confinement for some days. All was quiet at Aurora. Trainmen and
engineers all along the line were at work. The shopmen had given up all
idea of striking, and worked ten hours a day.
At Decatur, on the 25th, a committee of strikers visited the different
manufacturing establishments, and ordered them to close, saying if they
did not, force would be brought to compel them. The order was acceded
to. The strikers said they would hold all trains until their demands
were complied with. They numbered several hundred.
At Peoria, July 19, the police arrested the ringleaders in the riot of
the previous day, and housed them safely in jail, after a desperate
hand-to-hand encounter, in which the military took part. Fortunately
none of the rioters were hurt. There were additional arrests of the
ringleaders the following day. This action seemingly broke the mob,
which made no show at all the next day. Passenger trains left on the
usual time, guarded by troops, and undisturbed by the mob. The jail was
guarded by military, and the Board of Trade guarded the gas-works and
water-works.
At Champaign, July 29th, much excitement was occasioned on account of
the action of strikers on the Indianapolis, Bloomington and Western
road. Intelligence was received that a company of strikers were
_en-route_ from Urbana to Champaign, to stop a train on that road. Mayor
Trevell promptly put his forces, including militia, in order to prevent
riotous demonstrations. The invaders marched through the streets to the
depot and found the train gone. They hastened out of town failing of any
pretext for a riot. They asserted their purpose to hold out, but their
power was broken. Mr. Cooper, foreman of the shops at Urbana, notified
all shop hands, except the leaders of the strike, to begin work. Freight
engines went out with freight trains.
The governor was notified that the Illinois Central Railroad Company was
in possession of its property at Chicago, and proposed to put on freight
trains but that the road was blockaded at Mattoon, Effingham, Decatur
and Carbondale, and the officers of the road wanted the Governor to give
them protection. The Governor at once ordered the Sheriffs of the
counties in which these blockades were maintained to call out their
_posses_ and break the blockades. The Harris Guards of Petersburg were
brought to Springfield, and went on duty at the State Arsenal, relieving
the Governor’s Guards, which were sent to Decatur. The Governor’s Guards
occupied the Junction at Decatur, thus protecting the Illinois Central,
the Wabash and the St. Louis branch at that point.
Major Bluford Wilson telegraphed from St. Louis, that upon taking the
proper steps, there was no doubt a sufficient United States force could
be thrown into East St. Louis to take control of the town. The Governor
was anxious before calling for any further aid from the United States,
to try other measures, which he hoped would be effectual.
A number of the leading citizens of Southern Illinois having consented
to act as deputy United States Marshals for the purpose of restoring
order and protecting property along the line of the St. Louis and
Southeastern Railway, the following appointments were made by telegraph:
M. K. Lawler and J. J. Cassels of Equality, and J. M. Crebs of Carmi.
Mike Lawler is the old Colonel of the Eighteenth Illinois, who won his
stars and lost his leg at the battle of the Big Black. Crebs is a lawyer
and a democratic politician, and Cassels is equally well known as a
leading republican of that part of the State.
The representatives of all the roads at East St. Louis asked the
Governor to allow General Jeff. C. Davis, U. S. A., to occupy East St.
Louis and the Governor replied in the affirmative.
Governor Shelby M. Cullem, of Illinois issued a proclamation on the
27th, in which he recited the story told by other Governors before, that
certain persons, active in violation of law had assumed to interfere and
prevent the movement of railroad trains in that State, and had sought to
intimidate honest workingmen engaged in the avocations by which they
earned their bread, and to compel them to cease from their labor; and
that such condition of affairs continued, and was intolerable, entailing
disastrous consequences, the nature and extent of which was impossible
to foresee, he therefore commanded all such riotous and disorderly
persons to desist and return to their homes, and called upon all
Sheriffs, Mayors and other officers charged with the execution of the
laws to break up all conspiracies against the rights of property and
persons, and to that end to employ every lawful means in their power,
and to enjoin upon all citizens to assist in bringing about restoration
of order, resumption of business, moving of trains and revival of
manufactures.
He further gave notice that the entire military force at his disposal as
commander-in-chief of military, would be employed for the support of the
civil authorities in the endeavor, and that orders would be given to
troops to use whatever amount of force might be necessary to compel
obedience to law.
The most serious trouble which occurred in the State of Illinois,
outside of Chicago, was experienced at Braidwood, a small mining town in
the northern central part of the State. Sometime before the general
labor uprising, the coal miners employed in mines at that place, had
struck for better wages. The company operating the mines refused to
acceed to the demands of the miners, and imported a large number of
colored miners, to take the places vacated by the striking miners. This
greatly exasperated the white miners, and the company experienced no
little trouble in protecting their new employes from the vengeance of
the old miners. However, they managed to keep the colored men at work
until the general uprising, when the striking miners rose en-mass and
expelled the colored miners from the village. Indeed, they were
fortunate to escape with their lives. General Ducat, with a strong force
of State troops, was sent to Braidwood to restore order. For a time it
appeared that very serious trouble would follow the advent of the
militia. The striking miners were bold, defiant, and reckless in
bearing. On several occasions collisions seemed inevitable. But by
careful management on the part of General Ducat, bloodshed was avoided.
The colored miners returned on the 29th, and quietly resumed work in the
pits. The state of feeling entertained against them by the strikers,
however, was such that it was necessary for a guard to remain at
Braidwood for several days, in order to protect them.