The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1877-08-02
Whole No. 2149.
From the Baltimore American, July Is.
The Grievances of the EN-
pIoVeG.

The Grievances of the EN-
pIoyes.
The more the grievances claimed by the
iremen and other employees are inquired
into the worse they appear. The men all
tell the same story, and do it in a way that
is apt to impress the bearer strongly. A
reporter Of the American, with view Of
getting something like q fair statement Of
the employees side of the question, singled
out a conductor, a brakeman, an engineer
and a fireman, whO-are yet IN the employ
of the company. and recognized as sober,
reliable men. Their statements did not
vary, and were afterward COrrObOrated by
a dozen OF more other employees They
state that notwithstanding the large num-
Der of men dismissed from service by the
company during the past year, there are
vet more men employed than the business
Of the road jUstifes. This causes all Of
the men to lose several days in every week,
as they cannot get constant employment.
The method pursued by the company in
the working Of the men is about the great
est grievance. This method is economi-
cal, and in carrying It OUT the employees
say they are treated Just as the rolling
stock or locomotives, the company failing
to make the slightest concession in their
behalf. All, trouble grows ont Of the fact
that the company, while hauling good
amount of freight eastward, has not
enough freight westward to load their
empty house cars. The heaviest freight
business of the road in any one day is
thirty-five trains in each direction, but
those westward bound are largely made mp
of empty cars. This has led to the prac-
tiee of increasing the number of cars in
freight train, and consequently an increase
of labor for the fremen and brakemen.
PuEa ON WORK
Freight trains now have abOut eight
more cars attached than was the custom
a wear ago, and a brakeman often has over
twenty cars to attend to- The number of
men on a train has been lessened so that
now there are only four men on train,
the conductor, the brakeman, the engineer
and the fireman. To quote the expression
Of one Of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
road engineers, ''The Northern Central,
which the Baltimore. and Ohio calls a one
horse road, has six men on every freight
train-a conductor, two brakemen, flag
man, and the engineer and fireman The
increase of cars gives the fireman nearly
one-third additional work TO keep the en-
Gine supplied. The longer the trains the
greater danger of accidents. On down
grades, owing to the momentum, after the
engine has been reversed and all the
brakes put on, a train viii frequently slide
a mile or more before it stops.
HARDsH1Ps ENDURED by THE TRAIN MEN.
In the winter time the percentage Of
accidents to brakemen is usually a mishap
every other day, and one death a month.
During rainy weather especially brake
man becomes so benumbed that he is very
liable to tumble of. In two instances, 1t
is said, brakemen, after loss of rest and
under the depression of reduced wages,
ETC., have purpOsely thrown themselves
under the wheels. Nearly all the men
talked with said that at one time or another
when melancholy they had meditated about
stepping over the bumpers and meeting
instant death. As for fremen, their case
is no better. They have to go out on the
engine at all times, while it is in motion,
and oil it up. A misstep or an inch Of
leaning backward is death. With the
thermometer up in the nineties, they con-
tinually face furnace hot enough to melt
glass.
STARVATION WAGES.
During the past two years the wages of
the firemen, always the least paid of the
running employ ees, have been reduced 100
per cent. Formerly they were paid day
and a half's wages for Sunday; now it is the
same as any other day. Formerly they
made S5j a month each on an average :;
now they do not average $50 a month.
~ nnrTfInrTf 0r a nv
similar cause they we're held on the road,
they we're paid a reduced rate for their
time now, if it takes forty hours to make
a half trip they only get one days pay.
Formerly, when they could not get train to
work on back, they were given passes to
return with; now they are not given passes,
and have often to wait several days at
Martinsburg, spending more for board
than they can earn In the whole trip. A
davis work is to run from Baltimore to
Martinsburg OF from Martinsburg to Balti-
more. The distance is 100 miles. If ev-
ervthing goes right the run can be
made in six hours, to which must be ad-
ded an hour for firing up before starting
and an hour for cleaning the engine after
coming in. Whatever happens on TIE
road causing delay to the freights Is loss to
the employees. If it takes fOrty-tive hours
from Martinsburg to Baltimore it only
counts one days pay. Formerly the com
Dapv szspioyed ''hOstlers, who attended
To cleaning the engines ; now the lremen
have to do that work. Last summer when
the ''hostlers" were put off a committee Of
fremen waited on President Garrett to
state their grievances. He would not see
them. and the next day they were all dis
charged. The brakemen, who used to get
$40 per month, now get about $50. The
conductors, who used to get 800, now
make about $50. The system first in,
first out" is considered a great grievance
bv the men. II amounts to this About
P. N. possibly a dozen freight trains, ali
close together, will arrive at Baltimore,
and the first man will have to take the
first train out, generally without rest or
meals, and without being able to see his
family. Thus it often happens that ire
man is on his engine two days at a stretch.
without anv sleep, and with no food eX-
cent what he takes in his bucket. As
re6arils earnings. it is asserted that about
one-haIf the fremen IN the employ of the
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad for a long
time past, owing to small wages and the
method of moving trains, after paying ex-
penses at MartiDsburg. have not averaged
SO per month for their families. In con-
sequence many of them have had to move
outside the city, not being able to pay
even room rent. This is the statement Of
four men now in the employ Of the COM
psnv, divested of the color which their
simple but forcible expression and emphat-
ic manner lent to the original statement.
A TERRIBLE WARNNG.--We clip
the following from the Ripley Bee Of
last week:
NJ I.nurir Rnrd rhn lives near