The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-07-29
An OLD ENGINEERS TALK.
George Bnrker's Mnniiness-Frank Thomp
sons Tyranny-The Conductors Uniforms.

"Yes, SIR" said an old engineer Of the
Pennsylvania Railroad yesterday, - George
Barker broke the strike on this road. II the
other Superintendent had had the sense OF
George Barker. the men never would have gone
out on the Western division. and there wouldn't
have been any boodshed in Pittsburgh. In
stead OF concliating them. as he did. and talk
ing to them M one OF themselves TOR many
freight train George brakcd on. on the old Jer-
sey Railroad. before Tom Scott got iO-instead
Of that the men were browbeaten. and told.
There's your pay; take it or leave it, They
have confidence into him. and when he gives his
word they know that's SO. Now, Just look at the
contrast in Frank Thompson, tho manager ut
PHILADELPHIA. Why. he's little king. No use
10 talk TO him about giving hack our ten per
cent When Superintendent Gardiner Of the
Philadelphia and Pittsburgh division went 10
him and told him. There's going 10 be strike
| II YOU keep on with this ten per cent. business,
| and doubling mp tho trains sothe ireisht men
cant make n living : he says. Let them strike.
| They get enough to buy bread ana molass.s,
| md brrad without molasses Is good enough for
| Them Then they had n quarrel. Thompson
| called Gardiner n liar, and Gardiner knocked
| him down and blackcd his, eye some 81 our
| talk Tint way about the men, Why, he spends
| enough in special ears for him and Cossnit and
| Gwlnner with their splendid lunches and
their Niger attendants. To pay the men Yen
| per cent twice over. I've often seen MN nfd'r
out "A special engine To take nm hohl'l 10 lihN,I-
| ford in his fine ear when ihere was REGULAR
| train leaving five or ten minutes nitcrward.
| Yes and I've heard the men curse him Tor II,
| too. He's tho man that brought over thcs"
| English uniforms for the conduNorA lie,
| brought over II uniform of the London and
| Northwestern Railway. | believe 1t was, for Il
| pattern md made the conductors wear thcin
during all that Centennial travel An English
uniform was II nice thing. wasn't 1t, for the road
that carried the people TO the American Cen
| trnninlY Then hn made them carry a lag
| strapped over their shoulders like the English
conductors do. That showed his ignorance
The English conductors. YOU see have 10 walk
to collect their tickets and the bug IL handy Ion
| them: but it's no use to Il conductor on Oul
roads, and they hate TO be- mndc To look like
nunkics. I've lizard them swear ahout II often
Some of them left the rond sooner than wear H.
+" Then Thompson must have his tram agents
to keep the conductors from kno,Alng down
and he kept 'cm until he found 'cm out in q
regular cons piracy to rob the road by wholesale
Now hos getting them of gradually ana they
sny he's drilling lot Of fellows on what he calls
| the Austrian system Ihry re- to board IN,
trains and 20 over the conductors accounts
you never saw such red tape rs they got nov
for the conductors. Some of them tell mo they
enough to run AN ordinary ralroAd. me ncl
hato Thompson. IT they had caught him n
Pitts hlrgh they would have hung HIM iu LAM
post They did burn NJ his Inc ear there, an'
run his Niger for his life. don't say that WA
right; hut | tell you what II Is, the COMPANY
couldn't do II better thing than To take the al
vice their men nj Harrisburg gave tnen. The
/ passed resolutions asking the company 20 dis
/ charge tho manager at Philadelphia That
- what they ought 10 do, Let thom put sOmehOd
there that would use men Ike men. Then the
wouldn't have no strikes.