In March 1874, the Erie fell behind paying the workers at the Susquehanna shops.
On March 15, the day the railroad promised that they would pay their workers, they announced that finances were even worse and would have to delay the payment until March 25.
The workers at the shop agreed with the delay, but that they were willing to walk off the job on March 25 if they were not paid.
That day, the Erie announced that they had to pay workers in other parts of the railroad.
Denied their wages, the railroad shop workers told the managers to leave the premises and took over the facilities.
They demanded that if the railroad did not pay within 24 hours, they would begin to stop trains from running.

The railroad responded by firing the leaders of the strike at Susquehanna, which caused things to get worse.
The shop workers disabled locomotives and put them in a roundhouse and stranding cars of coal and fuel on sidings in the area.
Workers kept mechanical pieces of engines hostage and put them elsewhere in the town.
The railroad was on the attack end of the media and the government, who sympathized with the workers.
M.M. Helme, the local Sheriff refused to have the strikers chased off the property.
The Governor of Pennsylvania, John F. Hartranft told the railroad that only the Sheriff could request state troops to come in and the latter denied doing so, along with several leading citizens of the village.

The lawyers of the railroad soon learned that the trains down the line were being affected by the strike, causing Helme to call in troops.
The railroad offered that in ending the strike, all but the spokespeople for the strike would get their jobs back, which was denied.
With that denial, the railroad threatened to move their shops to Elmira, New York, which would affect the local economy, causing their support to dwindle further.
The strike ended within hours of that, with workers returning to their jobs.
In March 1874, the Erie fell behind paying the workers at the Susquehanna shops. On March 15, the day the railroad promised that they would pay their workers, they announced that finances were even worse and would have to delay the payment until March 25. The workers at the shop agreed with the delay, but that they were willing to walk off the job on March 25 if they were not paid. That day, the Erie announced that they had to pay workers in other parts of the railroad. Denied their wages, the railroad shop workers told the managers to leave the premises and took over the facilities. They demanded that if the railroad did not pay within 24 hours, they would begin to stop trains from running.
The railroad responded by firing the leaders of the strike at Susquehanna, which caused things to get worse. The shop workers disabled locomotives and put them in a roundhouse and stranding cars of coal and fuel on sidings in the area. Workers kept mechanical pieces of engines hostage and put them elsewhere in the town. The railroad was on the attack end of the media and the government, who sympathized with the workers. M.M. Helme, the local Sheriff refused to have the strikers chased off the property. The Governor of Pennsylvania, John F. Hartranft told the railroad that only the Sheriff could request state troops to come in and the latter denied doing so, along with several leading citizens of the village.
The lawyers of the railroad soon learned that the trains down the line were being affected by the strike, causing Helme to call in troops. The railroad offered that in ending the strike, all but the spokespeople for the strike would get their jobs back, which was denied. With that denial, the railroad threatened to move their shops to Elmira, New York, which would affect the local economy, causing their support to dwindle further. The strike ended within hours of that, with workers returning to their jobs.
Susquehanna station