Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-06-17

~
from the WOFkIngmen. and a Few
Pertinent Inquiries.
Having been criticised by some for our
course 10 reference to the Nashville and
Northwestern railroad, we beg leave Oh be-
half Of ourselves and others who have
acted with us, to submit the following state
ment, so that discriminating public may
have the real facts in making mp a iudg-
ment.
The Nashville and Northwestern rail-
road passed into the hands Of General In
mes, as Receiver, on the list Of September,
but the employees were not notified that he
was running the road as Receiyer until
about the 18th Of December, 1867; from
that time he has run The road as Receiver,
and since the LIST Of February, the EN-.
pl0yea, with here and there faYofea ex-
cepiion, have not been paid. The number
thus wrOnged amounts 10 over three hun
dred and fifty men, about One-half of whom
have families-making in all perhaps one
thousand persona who have been for four
and q half months without the means of
support, and compelled to live Just as they
could pick up living. This was patiently
borne until the cries Of children for bread,
and the nakedness Of the sufferers made
the wrong 40 appalling, that il could no
longer be endured. AfA y Le u IS
Ali our appeals were disregarded. An
effort to bring the Receiver up to a settle
ment or to a showing of the receipts be-
fore the Financial Board has, we under
stand, utterly failed, The entire earnings
of the road (which previously had been
about enough to pay expenses) and $780,
900 Of State bonds pass ont of sight and are
only seen If at ali in the skill of sharp
clerks and accountants whose merit doubt
less extends to making up as we'll as max
ing out accounts.
We have done the work for this com
pany to the amount perhaps of $4,000
and during the whole time We we're doing
il under this Receiver, we have not had
word of notice from him that we could not
be paid We think il was due TO Us that
those who managed and knew the facts,
should have notified US the moment il be
came apparent we could not be paid.
Under these promises We have worked our
sevles out of money, clothes, meat and
bread, aud ont of credit, and many of us
are actually beggars. Our case is one Of
actual suffering, while we know a very
large amount Of money has passed into
some ones hands which ought 10 have gone
to pay laborers.
We claim ~ be Law abiding men, but our
suderings have made our case desperate.
We have worked for bread, and in its stead
we have the frowns of q would-be master.
We have not been engaged in speculations,
but we have been toiling for something to
eat.
Our course may be regarded as harsh,
and it may be condemned, but we appeal
to humane public, and ask If the cries
of our families for bread, are not some pal
liation.
We have 10 money TO 60 TO law, and no
free passes to reach those in authority, but
we appeal to the Governor Of Tennessee,
whose reputation, though severely assailed,
has not yet suffered upon the score Of hon.
esty, and beg that he will come to our re-
lief
All we ask is the small pittanee due us
for labor TO relieve our pressing wants.
We submit If the debts made by us who
did the work and earned the money which
the company did make, are not more
meritorious than any to which the
money could have been applied, and in
this connection we would like to know the
exact amount paid TO attaches and hangers
on, and nominal clerks. In other words,
we wonld like to know If the men, and an
unusual number at that, who have soft
places, have not been paid, while the men
who run the trains and kept up the road,
have gone without even bread.
Il will be remembered that when the
men, on the road above referred to, had
resolved TO quit working, and 10 prevent,
az far az they were CONCERNED, the running
of any more trains on the road until pay
ment should have been made, lines and
his colleagues Immediately housed all the
engines and tools, and disposed of all the
necessary apparatus for running the trains,
as il nothing was intended TO be done for a
year TO come With these dispositions Of
property the men had nothing 10 do. When
arrangements had been made with the
special Mail Agent to run the mail train,
the men were anxious and willing for the
public good to facilitate and aid in the
transmission Of them regularly.
The mails went to the depot at the hour
agreed on by the authorities, but no engine
was ready-no one had been asked to get
one ready. The men dare not go into the
round-hOuse to disturb a thing, which was
necessary to be done before an engine would /
be ct to leave. If one Of those men would,
unauthorized, lay his hand upon a bar or
attempt to get up FIRE on the round-house,
he would undoubtedly be sent TO the peni-
tertiary. After delay Of a few moments 1
the mails were driven back TO the postofice
and things remained exactly as they were
at fret. Upon such foundation as that
il was sought TO blacken the character of
the men, and TO give the strike the appear
ance of riotous characterization. Well,
that failed, and another dodge was got up.
Some bastard was sent out by somebody TO
FIRE the trestle over the Richland creek, a
few miles outside of town, but he was too
cowsrdly to do the job properly, and left
nothing behind as evidence of his inten- \
ton save one charred stick, in no wise in
iured from the abortive attempt made TO
set il on fire.
Tom. Canning, M. w. Glenn,
A & Blanchard NJ Ke8rney