HOW IT ALL BEGAN - All Aboard: The Complete North American Train Travel Guide - page 15

in protest. Things turned ugly in short order; in an ensuing riot,
34 people were killed at the Pullman plant. The U.S. Army was
sent in and restored order by simply arresting the union leaders
and tossing them into jail.
The Government Steps In
For a number of years, George Pullman had been regarded as an
enlightened and respected businessman, but that image changed
quickly after the strike and the ensuing violence. He soon found
himself the object of severe criticism from many quarters. Pull-
man wasn't alone either. Sharing the spotlight of harsh public
opinion with him were a number of other men, all of whom had
made millions from railroads: Cornelius Vanderbilt, J. P. Mor-
gan, James J. Hill, Jay Gould, and others.
These men were portrayed as greedy robber barons, and in
truth many of them richly deserved the label. After all, these were
the days before government controls, and many of the railroad
tycoons took full advantage of that lack of regulation through
shady stock deals and shameless gouging. In many areas of the
West, for instance, farmers and ranchers were at the mercy of
the railroads that carried their cattle or grain to eastern markets.
The railroads regularly increased their rates and were soon mak-
ing huge profits while their customers continued to struggle for
survival. In 1887 the federal government finally reacted, and the
Interstate Commerce Commission was created by Congress to
regulate the railroads, specifically to set the rates that could be
charged for hauling freight.
The Unions Step In
Railroading in those early days was notoriously dangerous work.
The combination of improving technology and the lack of any-