The Globe-republican., 1891-11-19
The OTHER SIDE.
The Brakemen Give
Their Version Of
the Difficulty

Some of the brakemen connected with
the so-calied strike ut Caddo which we
mentioned last week :, isited our sanctum
after the paper appeared and kindly vo!-
unteered to give us all the facts pertain
ing thereto. The main point of Interest
is the question whether or not trainmen
must work to the end of Il run without
rest. after sixteen hours. in the absence
of any extraordinary emergency. The
schedule IF rules agreed to between the
At. & S. F. company and tlainnien on
their line says in substance: After
sixteen consecutive hours work they are
entitled to eight hours rest before being
again called for duty. upon application
by written or telsgraphic message to the
trainmaster or superintendent" In this
case the brakemen had been on one run,
hard at work seventeen hours, one of
them having started the trip. after a
ve:y brief interval IF rest. They were
going west OH No. 43, the local between
Dodge City and La Junta, 2O2 miles, the
longest division for local freight run
in the United States. 1t takes from
sixteen to thirty hours to make the trip
one way and do the local work. The
train was behind time and had to lay
over at almost every siding to wait for
east bound trains to pass. The brake
men saw no reason why they should not
be permitted to lay off in accordance
with their understanding of the agree
ment, and telegraphed trainmaster f. \.
Baty 1T LII Junta. Colo. asking for
eight hours rest. He made them no re-
ply. but wired back to conductor POad
that there would be two men on 81, c0m-
ing from La .Iunta. To help him in with
the train. and to collect fare frCm the
two brakemen or put them off, rs they
mad refused to work and were nothing
more than passengers. But instead of
sending the two men he called Il brake
man off 81. which was going west. The
brakeman from 81 found the train on
siding at CaddO. and inquired of the
brakemen what was the matter. They
told him they had asked for rest and
were fired without refusing to work.
There were four freight trains passing
through and the mau from 81 inquired
for information, pursuant to which he
wrote message to trainmaster Baty,
who received about a line and half or
two lines and stopped the operator and
gave him half minute to decide
whether he would 60 or not. He de-
cided not to 60 under the circumstances.
Baty then sent message for Pond to take
his way car and come in to La Junta; to
collect fare off the three braGemen or
put them off. Pond telegraphed back
that it was easier said than done. He
could not cope with three brakemen.
Trainmaster replied to come to Los
Animas and he would have an officer in
waiting to help him. The officer came
down before the train came in. but on
learning the circumstances from the
operator declined to stay and interfere.
The brakemen being completely ex-
hausted had gone to sleep in the way
car and did not wake up until next
morning at La .Junta. The men asked
for an investigation, but Baty refused it.
He told them they were not entitled to
rest between terminals if they were out
thirty six hours.
1t seems to us Mr.. Baty acted in an in
excusable, harsh and arbitrary manner.
Whether he was right or wrong in his
Interpretation Of the schedule, those men
who honestly differed from him had a
right to be treated like men, and not
kicked off the train like brutes. or,
thrown into dungeon as criminals.
The law which permits a railroad com.
pany to prosecute criminally one who
persists in riding without paying fare,
was never intended to catch man sum-
marily discharged from the employ Of
a company in the middle of Il run. The
men bad not refused to work. Mr.. Baty
had their request for rest. 1t could have
been granted without Inconvenience to
the company, as other trains passing
could have dropped off the men to do
the work without extra expense, and but
little delay. If the trainmaster bad de-
clined and asked the men to bring the
train in to La junta, and they bad re-
fused, he might under his Interpretation
of the schedule have discharged them,
but even then he would not have been
justified in throwing them off sr having
an officer take them in as If they were
attempting to defraud the company. 1t
was simply difference of opinion be-
tween employees of the company as to
their respective rights and privileges,
and because Mr.. Baty CHANGED to be
clothed with little authority he tried to
make those who differed from him suffer
in consequence on account Of such differ
ence of ODiuiOn. and not ONLY DISCHARGED