The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-16
ANXIETY AMONG ENGINEERS
How Members of the Brotherhood in In
dianapolis View the Situation.
the Santa Fe--No Trouble Anticipated
Here, but All Depends on Arthur.

The locomotive engineers who reside in In
dianapolis. and are employed on the thirteen
lines of railway that ce9ter here. still watch
ing .ne c.. B. & @. strike closely, and holding
themselves in readiness to be called out at any
time, although they not expecting such an
order. Those who were informed of the strike
on the Santa Fe last night expressed much sur
prise. and it was their opinion that the move
ment would change the situation very material
ly. The engineers were surprised at the
strike from the fact that so far they
knew the Santa Fe men had no grievances Il
should have thought those men would have
been the last in the country to have struck.
said one engineer, ''and do not believe they
have gone out. They haven't been handling
o. freight, and always understood they were
well paid and ordinarily well treated OF course
] will not condemn them until they have given
their reasons for going out but do not under
stand what their action means"
None of the engineers think there is much
possibility of the men being ordered out any
of the Indianapolis roads. They agree in say
ing il strike should occur, it will not be of
their own volition, bnt through Chief Arthur.
81 had believed that the c.. B! & @. strike
would be settled by the end of this week said
one engineer, "but if the Santa Fe men have
struck, it may be that the most serious trouble
is yet to come" 1t has been the oponion of the
best-posted engineers all along that if any strike
occurred it would be on the l.. B. &
w. road. but the engineers employed
on the road appear to be satisfied, and see no
reason why they should complain. Alexander
Thompson, better known SANDY" Thomp-
son. of the Oldest engineers the road,
said there was no truth in many of the state
ments published in the Cincinnati ENQUIRER and
other papers about the men being dissatisfied. I
1--WE entered into agreement with the officers
of the road a year ago" said he, land we are
trying to live up TO it. The officers OF the road
also doing their part TO keep the agreement,
and satisfied that there IS
desire either side to see it broken. Before
it was made there was considerable trouble with
freight engineers. They were not paid for time
lost while ''laylng off, Under the new agree
ment they are paid SO cents per hour for all time
lost. 1t is true that passenger engineers do not
receive as high pay as the men on the other
roads running into this city. but we consented
to the rates in order that the freight engineers
might be better treated. There are, perhaps a
few dissatisfied the road. but the dis
satisfaction is not sufficient to cause any
trouble"
William Nagel, an old l., c., st. L. & @. engi-
neer who runs between this city and Chicago,
said he felt very sure that there would be no
trouble here, unless Chief Arthur should con-
Guide to order the men off of the roads hauling
20" freight, and he believed that if any such
action as that had been contemplated it would
have been taken before this time.
There is some dissatisfaction on the j., NJ. e.
j. road because it has been handling 60
freight but the engineers have never thought
of going out and say that there is no likelihood
of any trouble on the road. 1t is quite noticea-
BILE that the men not enthusiastic in their
support of the c., B.. g O engineers they
were ten days ago, and one engineer said last
night that he doubted very much whether
order from Arthur would be obeved not. He
felt sure that the mon would not go ont without
protesting against the movement