The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-08-09
THREE DAYS AN AUTOCRAT.
The brakeman Who Was the Brains OF
-- the Pittsburgh Trainmen.

The brakeman Who Was the brains of
the Pittsburgh Trainmen.
From the Pittsburgh Pos,.l
An important action Of Sub-com-
.mittee on Public Safety Yesterday was a
conference with Mr.. Robert Almond,
brakeman for the past year on the
Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago
Railroad, who rejoices in the honor of
having, for three days, taken from the /
hands of General Manager Laying the
sole control and management Of the I
road and its branches. On Saturday /
evening he was an humble brakeman;
on Sunday morning he was great rail-
road manager and magnate, dispatch
ing trains, receiving all dispatches from
employees, officials, stockholders, even
from Manager Laying himself; on Tues
day evening he had resigned his high
office, and sat in the door of his little
cottage, with his blooming wife and
child, a simple brakeman again, happy
that the burdensome responsibility had
| been shifted from his mind.
Knowing his influence with the train
men, the subcommittee requested the
conference for the purpose of inducing
him TO use his power to effect the rails
ing of the freight blockade on the road,
as far, at least, as was necessary for
provisioning the city The result of the
conference was that Mr.. Almond
promised his influence to this limited
extent, and a committee of seven MEM
bers of the Committee of Safety was APP
pointed to meet jointly with committees
of conference previously appointed by
the trainmen and the officials of the
road respectively. Subsequently, Mr..
Almond called upon Mr.. Laying to
plead with him further to restore the 10
per cent. subtraeted from the wages of
the employees and thus secure at once
two blessings-the provisioning of the
city and the raising of disastrous block
ade. This consultation was not at all
satisfactory to either citizens or tram
men. -
Late'yestcrday afternoon meeting OF
trainmen was held in Dietrich's Hall
Allegheny. The Committee of Seven
from the Committee on Public Safety
were present, with Mayor Phillips anC
Mr.. Almond. The meeting Jagged
Speeches were made by members of the
committee friendly and paeiieatory il
character. All went quietly until Am
mond arose and offered a resolution il
effect that one locomotive be steamed
up and a train of IA freight cars manned
and taken out ia the interest of dealers
= who should use the train, provision it
take Is cars, and give the fourteenth t.
: the trainmen in remuneration for thei
5 services, they to distribute the content
l of the car to the strikers and their fami
lies. 1t was strange, a very commun
e istic proposition, ignoring all claim o
e the Pennsylvania Company to remun
4 Grafton for the use of their property, bu
t that was not the thing at stake. Th
: resolution failed, and the meeting soOl
J., adjourned, the only subsequent actiOl
of importance being the passage of
j.. resolution which provides that the train
: men will furnish men to run Passen
# ger train to Chicago and return ever
a day, one to Erie and return, one to Emo
o and return, and one through mail trai
h per day each way, and concluding wit
cynical clause, permitting the Penn
: sylvania Company to run any Othe
trains they wish, providing they cal
Il get the men,"
IS Near the upper end of Adams Street
If in little white cottage which stand
n far back from the street, leaving ROOF
&c for pretty lawn, trellised grape vine
and beds of flowers, lives the retire
magnate. He is in his twenty-fift
year, tall, slender, intelligent, quic
and forcible He is well connected, hi
father being Mr.. August Almond {
the NIinersi and Manufacturers DIT
. quesne Company, Wood Street. f,
:" cess in habit has given him some trOu
bic, but he is now a proud and staid p;
ter familias. With all his mistakes, h
T. AYERS that he has never tasted a drop {
4 strong drink. A year ago he came wit
letter of introduction to My Laying
&c admitting he had been wild, but el
u pressing desire to reform. He ws
III placed on the road as brakeman, 500
ie attained a wonderful influence anon
his fellows, and never failed in attend
a ance to duty. When the crisis can
<, last Saturday, and it was judiciOus fC
m the attainment of their object for tn
Of trainmen to take complete possession
n the road, he was unanimously chosen
3. the office of General Manager.
lie During the three days when he hel
the office not a single mistake or acc
4 dent occurred, though excitement an
E, danger attended everywhere. I'll
If conduct of the road was entirely in h
re hands, even to the issuing of passe
4 Mr.. Laying himself could not have dea'
IN headed it over the road without hayin
5, pass countersigned by Robert An
rs mond. Disafection began its worl
er however. The older heads among IL
p strikers lay close together and whispe
ed that 90 Bob" was too young, too il
10. experienced for so grave respons
=. !. h;l;tr A nnnfnrnnne waS held and tN