Lots of interesting stuff on the Pullman Strike, from Harpers Weekly, 1894.

http://www.railroadextra.com/sk94edit.Html
ryarger@rypn.org

> Lots of interesting stuff on the Pullman
> Strike, from Harpers Weekly, 1894.

The main cause of the stike against Pullman was the fact that he reduced wages but didn't lower the rents for the company housing the laborers were required to live in.

The ARU, of which Debs was president, refused to operate trains which contained Pullman cars. Suddenly all the locals and mail trains got Pullman cars (must have been merely a coincidence). Altgeld realized what was going on and refused the rr company's demands to bring in the troops.

A fire was set, destroying the railroad cars. This happened in a yard clear across town from where the strikers were picketing, and all the cars which burned were bad order freight cars (another innocent coincidence).

This fire was used as an excuse to force Altgeld's hand to bring in the troops. There's a bin Laden - er ah ahem, excuse me - Communist under every bed!!!!!!!!!!!!