"BROTHERHOOD OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS, PITTSBURGH DIVISION, NO. 50, PITTSBURGH, PA., _July 20, 1877_.
_To the Superintendent Western Division, Pennsylvania Railroad_:
_First._ We, the undersigned committee appointed by the employés of the western division of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, do hereby demand from the said company, through the proper officers of said company, the wages as per department of engineers, firemen, conductors, brakemen, and flagmen as received prior to June 1, 1877.
_Second._ That each and every employé that has been dismissed for taking part or parts in said strikes to be restored to their respective positions.
_Third._ That the classification of each of said department be abolished now and forever hereafter.
_Fourth._ That engineers and conductors receive the wages as received by said engineers and conductors of the highest class prior to June 1, 1877.
_Fifth._ That the running of double trains be abolished, excepting coal trains.
_Sixth._ That each and every engine, whether road or shifting, shall have its own fireman.
Respectfully submitted to you for immediate consideration.
J. S. MCCAULEY, D. H. NEWHARD, JOHN SHANA, G. HARRIS, J. P. KESSLER, _Committee_."
Mr. Pitcairn informed the committee, that these terms could not be accepted by the railroad company, and that he could not send such a proposition to Colonel Scott, the president of the company, and the negotiations were broken off. An attempt was made on Sunday, by some of the citizens, to induce the railroad officials to submit some proposition for a compromise to the strikers, but the officials refused, saying that the men had taken the law into their own hands, and that no proposition could be made to them until their property was restored, and all opposition had ceased, and that it was now a matter of law, and the State authorities must settle the question with the men first.
The propositions embraced in the papers submitted by the committee of engineers, proposed that the railroad company should make concessions that had never been asked before. The first and second explain themselves fully, and had been grounds of complaint before. The third, requiring the abolishment of the classification of conductors and engineers, had never been a ground of complaint by the men. The conductors were divided into three classes: The first of which received a certain rate of pay per month the first year of service; an addition of ten per cent. for the second year, and another addition of the ten per cent. for the third year. The engineers were divided into four classes, and received an advance of ten per cent. for each year of service after the first until the fourth class was reached. This classification was adopted at the request of the men themselves, some years previous, and no complaint in regard to it had ever reached the officers of the company.