The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-01-27
ROBERT A. AMM0N'S STORY.
dN INTERESTING CH4PTER IN THE
GRLII SIRIkE or 1917.

When the ultut strike OIL 1871 WAS lilHlKu-
,o,cd -, Al.ghanv PA II had ns its recognized
hand u,h.,t 4 Amman When. in the progress
., Nm, .,iL, phenomenal encrov md nbility
Torn denanlci to snvc from destruction Ivy a
,uri,s MI, ,,iili,,. of dulnrs' worth of rail
,ooI ,r,,,,,,, ,bc man who dcvcloped those
,or,. ,,,nl,,i.- ,,ns Robert A. Ammon When In
IA. ,,i,st If ,hn, time OF terror and confusion.
,,no, - ,,u.unl ability WAS rcmircd
,oss,,,. III. rosrnnsi Utilities of manager " "a
.,rn,, ,,ii,a, .,,,,,rati,u for ia, rroteciion "
,ublir iu,,,,-,a and the preservation oil the
regul,ri,v 81 ,hn mail service the man was
,o,,nd If, r,L.rt A Amman who stsppcd into
,bc turtles ~ that high Office from the humble
,,.i,,,, + a freight brakeman. After the
.,r,Ln ,y,s .,,r tho man selected by the railroad
.,..,,,,t,, b,. tho in,v nud
ih"gh"''7 LOT 'Ie', p''7V."'''' i'','''. ,.,'i,h
.ho,,lI 49, f,r "a r,4siblr close aguinst him
'"ou'' o., o,,,ln,mrn, x.s n,l.rt A
Ainmon who. by his eminent services was Just
IL entitled to their gratitude ns 10y his manly
- - :. t., ,.,,i i,i,,,...,, In
hohor nm co"'"s' NC va" pi"''N '''''','' Wv
serving ~ the prominent position iorccd upon
him by circumstances in that memorable strue
~" o"twc'h 'hpNW anu 'anor'
Mr. Ammon. IA tall. athletic young man. with
n fin. Intelligent fnce. weu-deyslopcd head
~" " - -, ~. -
and large reflective brown oyes. IL worthy OF
being viewed H. an embodiment Of the strength
and 1i,ri.v If labor He /. onlv tw.nty-nye
hhu ulSl'p "' '"por' me- II on' Mo,V w
years OF AZ" 50 has yet large fund OF the sell
hacritl ing puf lu -in-m Of noble youth but his
,ni,dis An, ,,,,r,,. ii, r,osouinu and his ,uIpment
49,, " ., -, a.,
II suitfi' nt.y 'und 10 prevent enthusiasm ue-
generating into mere impulse. Having been
a ,,r,d,,,,, o, ,b, Wratcrn I'nivrr.ity mt Pitts
,"N ~ -.
burgh ana also OF INC CapUol 'hNers'N .,
Columbus Ohio. il may be taken for granted
,h,, ho i,os r,..,,o1 a, laaat n po,d ordinary
',''' ~. "'' Wv ~ 49,, ~, ,
cdu'atiun ana th" AUhlhul'hl7 w" Sc III v"h-
vcrsation sufficiently evidence that fact. Per-
sisteut rnsl.ruity has hunted him out " railroad
e'S"n' 'n"''t'.'P n"7 ."I,''" ~ ~,
employment 'n the worn Se'''i' "'r"S L" l''
such mtun- ne remain idle. and at present he
~ en,,,o,, =, ~ IN, largo houso Of r W Jcn-
nin. - pro @r nerchnn,. 40 Chnmncrs
kins Bro ID ur hcr'ihil'S' Inv Nh'hucrs
street. Ii Wa there that reporter for 7 NE sun
fnunihim anil with some persuasion induced
IL and IN, -mi-f,nr' n. follows:
When railroad employees bocame cOgnilant
of tho 90 nslIrary II the principal officials
of tho pauusl ,Npuin Central, NV York Cen
lral and Baltimore aud Ohio railroad COM
ranics IN May. 1911 Tor still further reduc
lion nf wages below the exceedingly small
rate. then Laid. they recognized that choice
between starvation and revolt was merely u
question OF time Tn. tranmcn OF the first
division of he Pittsburgh Fort Mnyn" ana
ThcaAo Railroad Operated by the Pcnnsylya-
pia Central Eqilrgad oT9mpanyL H., bc GNy, n
nuemut the organization Of Trainmcn's
Union. | belonged To that division, and was
empowered 10 organiza divisions Of thu union
and T., nl.poiit Delegates TO assist me In doing
40. We oreaniznd on June Q and hy the 23d of
that month had l2OOo members. The men
once hu' rer-urdcd them instead to make
respectful rrprc- ,ntntion 70 the company. and
give nm A a ~ u ON the 9th for "a reply. In the
mean Tine -aoali state. however when got
bs,S from q short nh.rnce on organizing union
divisions IA the Baltimore ana Ohio road Mr.
Laying the q neral Superintendent. sent for
me ana heern o. question me .conccrning tho
Tsrt had taks en- in IT, .' Srsan1pion. d"maad
ing OF netse ham,so of members on the Fort
Wayne road. AMI saying that If furnished him
nssurci in.' "a h a. "ouid not hope 10 obtain
by years al faithful and unremtting service.
Offering ni- thr alternative, in the event u non
complain -. II inline iiatr ii-rhargr. | refused
the Oh %. ai.I was promptly dirhargci. With
my dis harg- received a cOmmondntury letter
from III. Superintendent cuunt"rsigned by
Mr. William Haw. second VicePresident Of
the road
A traitor was found. however. one Samuel
Allison whO Tor hr.be of $500 gave the com,
Sanys oi ,r- ,he names oi our menlers ana
followed and when we had n general strike
planned ior %. .7th. thu company officers we're
by ial-.t grams that there would hc no strike.
aud by cu-iis the wires against all The would
be- striker. The iroa,hcry in our ranks. the
falur,uf .ur strike IN It's very inception. the
vigorous trrrorzation hy means Of wholesale
coniiti1n ~ ,he families 81 the employees u
The roads all combined 10 demoraliZ' our
good could 20 ~ ''ted hy the union, while much
harm ml -, come 10 the men. ! caused the
union - Zoe ii lstanl"d ia the vicinity 81 AL
lcghpny. H. understand however that the
union j. broken M. II IL to-day widespread
and pom r;u4 iu cher ipgulties. and M strength
Is steadily wing. and where il started 1t is
not len !. ? az ..,..llng.
Tho strike uf July was precpitated 10y the in
famous af q OF the Baltimore and Ohio Rail.
road oiiiri,.- They hal cut the men down
nty por cont. in April. promising NJ tho time
that that S..,l.d he the la~t re- IL non. but an
other of ten u"r cont was ordered III July. IN
accordance WIKI the agreement be- tween the
cotpnra.. L. . mod. Then the !ur"Wrn ON IA,
Mart iu-'. ~ II .st Va division determined
on "a stllr,.
had L o." Lu Ia tho oil regions T. tke Il posi-
ton as .A!sr r. Dvrring Tor tho time All ny
connect % with railroad aiiaiis News OF W.
Martin. arg ~iriN' rrnchrd mo hut deemed !
mere j. .l AFFAIR ON the morning oi July -
lrecciy.d a;e.csrlm from an employee ~ IN,
ut once; We want YOU The n.yt morning
WIS IN l.Ns' ur-l. The Fort Wayne mon
found f." 'rmlhcd upon strlkH; Mttil r.
quest vs. ~ down T. the yard. wner" me IRAN
du-lat..4 rr WIS ini.h NIX futlle cnd"aNnrs 10 gr
tIcIg i TIA n out lie tired to have me arrest
Ell by the Allegheny thi"f OF Pole" who WINS ot
the gt iuni IN company with Mayor Phlllp'
and force o.. I.licr mon. but lie would mol ar
r"st ne. ~ ! WIS guilty OF No. offence. The
dosputrAer thrn demanded that the ponc'
should dlspersr ihc crowd aS-elnh"d, deohrlht
HAT nine-'"n'f- of the!n were outsiders ana no
bupluyr ~ tAe iOnd. felt Indignant al M
|l al he I'm of