Seattle’s Sympathetic Strike Ends—With a Petition, Not a Picket Line

The American Railway Union strike in this city was officially declared off yesterday, and the ex-employes have applied for reinstatement. Some of the old men have filed applications for work with Superintendent Kline, of the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern, and others have carried their grievances into court, asking Judge Hanford to order the receivers to give them employment.

A committee of American Railway Union men, all ex-employes, headed by H. W. Smith, one of the old locomotive engineers, called upon Superintendent Kline yesterday and notified him that the strike was off and asked for work. Mr. Kline told the committee that it would be impossible to give them work now, as all the places were filled, but he advised them to file their applications, and, though many men were ahead of them, theirs would be taken up in their order.

About the same time another batch of ex-employes, headed by A. J. Erisman, the old yardmaster, and including all the old switchmen, filed a petition in the United States court, asking that Judge Hanford order their reinstatement in the company’s employ. This petition, which is a remarkable document, is signed by A. J. Erisman, E. A. Bills, C. W. Hefferon, W. A. Leonhardt, J. E. Lachapell, L. Cardie, B. C. Williams, George H. Dopee, John Booth, Thomas May, H. E. Gilbertson, E. A. Swallow, K. C. Kiddle, J. A. Heed and N. W. Overley. The men ask to be reinstated either in the positions they have heretofore held, or in such positions as they may secure under the orders of the receiver. They explain that in behalf of the Pullman employes they went out of the employ of the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Railway out of respect and deference to the order of which, as a fraternity and brotherhood, they were members. The petition then continues:

“It was the first strike. It was known as a sympathetic strike, but we did not understand that to obey the orders of our respective fraternal societies in this matter would place us either in the contempt of court or destroy the position of confidence which we would hold by long service with the company. Nor did we have any intention of interfering with the successful management of the road, nor have we done so. The strike is over. We did everything in our power to avoid any inconvenience to the road, or violence, or any conduct unbecoming perfect freedom in the management of the road. We are contented at this time to regard our own action as a misfortune to ourselves, and being thrown out of employment, and having, by a long time of service with the company, become wholly identified with it and accustomed to its service, we find ourselves unable at this time to serve another master with the same amount of competency and faithfulness. We beg to say that at no time in the future can there possibly arise, according to our views, another occasion for the leaving of the company for causes similar to the one growing out of the Pullman strike. Many of us have families depending upon us, and are very anxious that they be preserved from want and from great distress.”

Accompanying this document was another petition signed by sixty merchants of West Street and Front Street, asking Judge Hanford to act favorably in the matter. Judge Hanford will probably take the petition up in its regular order on the blotter.