Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-02
ALL WORK STOPPED.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Dis
charges 5000 LaborerS.
RETRENCHING ITS Expenses.
Denial That the Cholera Has Anything to
10 With Ii.
MILLIONS BEING SPENT ON TRACKS

During the past three days nearly 5000
men employed on the Pennsylvania Rail-
road between Pittsburg and Philadelphia,
laying new tracks, have been paid off and
discharged. Nearly 500 men came in from
Jeanette yesterday. They were princi-
cally italian laborers and each had in his
pocket an envelope containing his months
pay. From one of them, foreman, it was
learned that they had been employed by
William Howley, the railroad contractor,
in building the fourth track" on the great
Pennsylvania Railroad, which was being
built to more easily accommodate the traffic
next year when the Worlds Fair opens
The foreman, Michael German, stated fur
ther that the order to suspend work on the
fourth track had come from President
Roberts, now in Europe. He said it was
generally understood that the order resulted
from the belief that the cholera plague
would postpone the opening of the Worlds
Fair from 1898 until the following wear.
Superintendent Pitcairn only laughed at
the latter statement when asked as to its
truth, though he admitted that all the
extra men on the Eastern division had been
y
move on the part of the company, Mr.. Pit
cairn said:
Cutting Down Its Expenses.
"a blind man should be able to answer
that question. The Shoenberger mills
stopped work this morning tor an indefinite
period Many other large manufacturers
and shippers in this city have been idle for
several weeks. The same conditions prevail
in other places. The Pennsylvania Com
pany follows the principle of cutting its
coat according to its cloth. When business
is good and the lines are making money
mach is srent on extensions and improve
ments When business is dull the opposite
course is followed. The suspension of work
now is nothing new with us. We do it
every year at about this time. 1t was done
last wear. The fact that our
contractors have stopped work and have
not held us down to the conditions of our
agreement with them simply shows that
they are appreciative OF existing conditions.
OF course if they insisted on proceeding
with the work under contract we could not
stop them, but they have not done So As
to the work in progress l have never heard
the fourth track applied to it. In some
places, 1t is true, fourth track is being
laid, but in others, where there are only
two tracks now, two more are being added
The work is simply one OF general improve
ment, the LAYING Of tracks where they are
needed, and extension of Sidings.
Not Figuring on the Worlds Fair
';Did President Roberts issue the order? |
That l cannot answer L presume the |
same condition of stoppage exists all |
a.ong the company's lines, as it |
is not customary to select one |
division on which to retrench expenses.
But the Worlds Fair cuts no figure in the
matter 1t would not Justify this comnany
to build an extra track for the Worlds Fair, /
even if it received all the patronage AS
far as 1 know there is not q railroad in the
country building extra tracks for the
Worlds Fair. The cost of track laying re-
quires several years prosperous business to
TO cover its expense and that we don't ex-
pect from the Worlds Fair -
Mr.. Pitcairn would say nothing as to the
cost of the work done or contemplated, but
from another source it was learned that
nearly 200 miles of new track have been |
laid during the present year by the Penn
sylvania Railroad at an expense of several
and nearly as much more was
before the present shutdown.
w. H. Brown, Chief Engineer of the
Pennsylvania Railroad, says a telegram
from Philadelphia, denies the rumor that
ali constructive work on the road between
this city and Pittsburg has been suspended.
MIR Brown said: cit is not true that work
has been stopped at all points along the
line. We are working at number of places
and We have so much to do with the work
already in hand that it was deemed advis-
abe not to enter upon any further new op-
Drations this summer. In consequence OF
tins orders were sent to Pittsburg the other
day not to give out contract for two points
on the Pttsburg division at which we had
doing work, one of the places,
believe, being near Nineveh and the other
al Cresson. At neither of those places was
work begun, it only being contemplated, so