Omaha daily bee., 1888-02-27

Reading road, Knights OF Labor engineers
and the Brotherhood!n
''There is none that know Of. I deny the
assertion that sent men to take the places OF
those now on strike on that road. did not
send man there. did not know OF any
brotherhood engineers had gone 10 WORK 1or
that road.n
Have you heard of any Reading men COM
ing herer'
might expect. They discussed this view OF
the situation and decided to go out III the
company can get other engineers TO NIL their
places our boys must acknowledge their de-
feat
Fourteen engineers from the Reading road
arrived here tonight and were at once given
employment by the Burlington company.
The situation in Omaha.
When BEE reporter visited the passenger
depot Of the Burlington last night the wait
ing rooms were deserted, and the affable
gentleman who sells tickets peered through
the wire screen in front of the ticket office,
occasionally turning his head around to ad-
vance q word in the conversation that was
being carried on by party of gentlemen in
the office. The Kansas City train which was
scheduled to leave in thirty minutes, was
already made up, and stood on the tracks
without waiting for passengers and the
signal to start on the journey. There was an
apparent look of agitation on the features OF
the officials present, who, however, retained
their usual composure and affablllty when
approached by the reporter and questioned as
to the latest aspect of the threatened strike
among the locomotive engineers of the Bur
lngton system.
II know nothing, positively nothing" said
one Of the gentlemen, adding, "All
par parted '''',5aa on time time today, and our
last train out, the Kansas City run, is made
up and will leave on time as near as can
understand"
The reporter informed the gentleman that
dispatch had been received from Chicago
to the effect that the strike had been ordered
fov4 a. IN. TO this he replied: "As to that
l cannot say of my own personal knowledge.
All the engineers have spoken to are dumb
as oysters, and their mouths are sealed"
Stepping out on the platform, the reporter
encountered an almost wholly deserted train
as far as passengers were concerned. With
the exception of the two occupants OF the
Pullman, the day coaches were empty: The
engine that was to pull the train was already
attached, and snorted and pulled with dismal
frequency. In the forward, or smoking
coach, the engineer who was to preside
over the train, lay stretched out
walus, and leisurely putting away on a cigar
and talking to fellow engineer. Others of
| the train hands sat close by, and the reporter
| mingled among them. An acquaintance was
struck, and the engineer told the reporter
| that he was member Of the brotherhood.
"Have you been notified yet that the strike
has been ordered for o'clock tomorrow
morning" questioned the reporter.
mo- was the curt reply.
"Report has it that orders to that effect
| have been sent out from Chicago" was the
reportorial rejOinder
The engineer expressed no surprise over
| the news, and it occurred to him at that
moment he had to 90 out and "oil up'' his
,.rin iIA hn Gin
| that while he had not as yet received any
definite orders he was expecting them. When
| he did get them, however, it would not be in
Omaha, as there is no one in authority in
| this city to promulgate them. There is no
branch of the Burlington brotherhood
| in Omaha the order centralizing at Lincoln
| and Plattsmouth, where the officers are To-
| Gated. 1t is from these points that official
| instructions will be issued, and further than
| that the engineer would not speak.
Stepping over to the Union Pacific depot
| the reporter encountered man who solicited
| the ticket agent there to exchange Burling-
| ton ticket for one on the Union Pacific line.
| "They told me-" spoke up the ticket ex-
| changer, ''over to the Burlington depot that
! they would not guarantee me transportation
| after o'clock tomorrow morning, and as
| that would leave me good ways this side OF
| my destination, which | am anxious to reach,
came here upon their instructions to ex-
change tickets and take the Union Pacific"
The ticket seller gave the applicant a
| Union Pacific pasteboard and he went his
way rejoicing. To the reporter the ticket
| agent said that he had made a few such eX-
changes during the evening. 1t was an un-
usual thing to do, but he had received orders
to make all exchanges on application.
Meeting Burlington official little
| later the reporter buttonholed him
for information regarding the situation,
but he expressed total ignorance. Questioned
as to the causes leading to an exchange of
tickets with the Union Pacific road, he reluc-
tantly said that the Burlington company an.
ticpated the strike for Monday morning and
We're guarding against having any of their
patrons laid out at points far from the des-
tinations they had bought tickets to.
| visit to the yards of the Burlington COM
pany presented Gonyneng proofs fretaa, tina,
trains We're being sent out, and only
two freights had been dispatched during the
day. The yardmaster said that no more would
be sent out during the night. and he and his
crews We're working like beavers crowdine
all the loaded cars up to tracks beside the
freight house. The yard engines were
manned by their regular engineers, and
when spoken to in reference to the rumored
impending ''walk out'' they refused tC
answer. At the yards it was learned from
men in position to know that at O'Clock
this morning every engineer on the
whole Burlington system would refuse
existing difficulty was settled.
Last night there was not a road engineer IL
| the city, some being compelled by their runs
to be in Lincoln and Plattsmouth, and the
others being absent by their own free will
| 1t is understood that meetings of the brother
hood were held at Plattsmouth and Lincoln
last night
| AT Lincoln.
LINCOLN, Neb., Feb. 90 Special Tele
| gram to the BEE. THE local brotherhoods
| of both engineers and firemen have been in
session to-day and at this hour are holding
meeting, at the local headquarters of tn,
road. Superintendent Calvert was at his Of
flee during the evening hours, but nothing i.
divulged rs to the course the road will take
The central position which Lincoln occupie,
in the Burling ton system in the state makes
nearly two-hundred engineers and tremei
residents here and strike will Temporarily
stop work for a large number of employees
Some eighty trains arrive and depart from
this point and other roads here are preparing
| for extra business.
At McCoOk.
McCooK, Neb., Feb 90 Special Tele
gram to the BEE, About two hundred Bur
lington engineers and firemen are statione,
at McCook All trains, both passenger ant
| n;.,ht .,,,1l ~ 1nft t,t1 icin lto