Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-03-24
THE RAMBLER
Rounds Up the Railroad Ques.
ton and Obtains News of
the Strike,
The An-Absorbed Question Discussed
by Railroad Men and Others About
Town-The Great Strike Affect
ing Business in this City
and Elsewhere.

Yesterday, though Summertime DAY IVES
dull one in the city. Nothing OF special
| interest took place. The great railroad
strike, which il now drawing near home,
was the all-absorbing question and l had
MANY talks with railroad men, Of all classes.
and others on that momentuous question.
/ observed feeling in favor of the strikers
among railroad men who had never mani
tested sympathy with the strikers since the
beginning of the trouble There seems to
be general awakening among all railroad
| men, whatever it means. ] was told that
that the yard men who we're discharged
here by the Santa Fe a few days ago were
promised q job on the Southern Kansas, but
when they arrived there they were in
formed thet instead of taking on more men
they would be discharging men. because the
strike was on, and heard in the morningt that
the strike on that line had reached Cherry
vale. In the evening Ad. \. Jones, who
came up from Wellington, told me that
there are no freight trains running on thst
line. TIE Fort Scott people have sus-
pended all freights, and will not receive
freight for even local points on their road.
j. T. Campbell & Co. wanted to send
some freight to FL Dorado, but they were
refused. An employee Of the company told
me that it would not pay to run merely
local trains, and that they could not tell
when nor where they would be stopped.
They are suspending their clerks and other
employees, and everything is dead. Not a
wheel is turned except the regular passenger
trains. The Santa Fe is still safe, but there
is no telling how long they will continue to
be go. They will receive no eastern freight
via Kansas City, and the only transfer points
open for the transfer Of eastern freight
at Atchison is somewhat shakev, although
an official of the road told me lest night that
they are taking freight for Chicago and 9TH
er eastern points via Atchison. have heard
nothing concerning trouble on the Frisco.
/ met prominent railroad man-not q
laborer-and in a long talk he presented the
question between railroad men and the COM
panies. He said: "The time has come when
all railroad men must stand together or be-
come slaves" remarked that l thought
that the men had been steadily gaining,
when he asked, SLOW are they gaining? The
section men are working for 81 and S1.l0 a
day. Now want to know what worse they
can be of? / tell you that no matter how
this strike terminates Mr.. Hoxie's
usefulness as railway official is
gone and the most sensible thing he can
do is TO resign" This seems TO be the uni
versal feeling among railroad men. / was
talking with another railroad man who said:
"This question, in my opinion, goes away
back of the present strike, and although
some men call this revolutionary, it will
take big revolution to settle it. and it may
result in terrible war" "What trouble
do you refer to behind the present striker"
said l. "Watered stocks. There are mil
lions upon millions OF dollars IN dividends
paid yearly on stocks that never cost a
nickel. and the employees and patrons Of the
roads have TO pay it all. Must laborers
and all employees continue to bear this bur
den? This is the point that will have to be
settled, and no arbitration of small difficult
ties existing between the companies and
their employees can settle it"
Referring to the organization OF
the Knights of Labor and the
present strike. "You can't tell" said be,
.'when the strike may reach out over all the
roads in this country. Any one who thinks
these men have not things well organized, is
mistaken. AT the tap of bell they can
stop the revolutions of the wheels of CON-
merce in all this broad land. The Western
Union operators are union men and the Off
cials of any railroad company cannot send
private messages TO each other without the
organization being aware of it"
Such YVES about the substance of what l
learned from railroad men, and nearly all of
them talked in about the same strain.
Our wholesale men are beginning TO feel
the effects of tie strike already as they can
not send out goods. If local frcights would
run our. wholesale men would be gamers as
no goods can be brought frem other cities.
/ dropped into the American District
Telegraph company's Office yesterday and
was surprised to learn to what extent that
institution has spread already, though its
existence is only week. The messenger
boys in their livery were flying about on
efrsnds of all sorts, and until | had investi-
gated the matter had no idea Of what bene-
fit this institution is TO the public of a live
city. and at how little expense one can get
all manner of errands, etc, done. The of
flee is open all night and anyone having
connection with this office can call police
man TO any part of the city in iiffy. The
doctor can be called and messages of any
kind delivered in any part of city. Those who
have boxes in their houses and offices have
learned their benefits and would rot be with.
cut one. | am of the opinion that within a
year they will be in general use throughout
the city. Mr.. Walden, the superintendent
and msnsger, is well known here and will
deal honorably with his customers
me. Emil Werner and asked him il he
was in the newspaper business now. He
leaned over on his cane, and with peculiar
s9uint in his left eye, said: "Do you know
any first-class dead beat you can recommend
to me- would like to get hold of another
genuine dead beat" OF course told him
there were none but honorable men in the
newspaper business.
BEGINNING YOUNG