St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-10-18
Atehison Operators Leave
Their Keys Because of a
Bogus Strike Order.
For Ten Hours Not a Wheel
Was Turned on Kan
saS Lines.
Acknowledgment From It's
Author That the Order
Was a Hoax.
Belief That the Greatest Rail-
road Strike for Years Is
Impending.


purporting to come from Grand Chief
Ramsey, of the Order of Railway Teeg-
raphers, caused 900 operators and train
dispatchers on the AtchiSon, Topeka IL
Santa Fee TO desert their posts at 10
O'clock this morning. The dispatch
was received here at O'Clock this
morning. The dispatch reads as fol-
lows:
ITO All Operators and Dispatchers: :
In view of the fact that the Gulf, Col
orado Il Santa Fe is operated by the
Santa Fe, it is thought best that all
operators OH the Santa Fe should go out
as well, as the company refuses TO con-
cede the conditions Oh the Gulf, Col
orado & Santa Fe schedule"
The walk-out resulted in the stopping
of all trains, and not a wheel was turned
until $40 tonight. General Manager
Robinson endeavored all the afternoon
to convince the strikers that the tele-
gram purporting to come from Chief
Ramsey was forgery; he insisted that
it emanated from an operator at Dodge
City, and produced the following dis
patch to substantiate his Statement:
The Bogus Message.
dodge City. Oct. 17.-To All Oper-
ators and Train DIspatcners: The mes
sage from Galveston on 10th, signed by
ID. G. Ramsey, ordering a strike is a
fraud written by me, simply for a joke
on Manager Sweet.
H. n. BARKER, Operator"
The strikers place no credence in thi S
dispatch. and look upon it as trick to
induce them to return to work. They
insisted that it must be verified by Chief
Ramsey himself before they will resume
their duties. At $40 tonight the follow
ing message was received here, bring
ing the strike to sudden termination.
''EmpOria. Kan. Oct. Ito All Op-
orators and Dispatchers: The message
dated Galveston, Tex, Oct. Is, signed
ID. G.. Ramsey, has been proven to be a
bogus message. All members will re-
turn to work on receipt of this message.
This does not apply 10 men Oh the Gulf,
Colorado & Santa Fe.
I'D. G. RAMSEY, Grand Chief.
81. ID. SOMERS. Chairman.'
The men all returned to work.
The COmpany's Side.
General Manager Robinson this after
noon gave out the following statement
to the press:
The trouble on the Gulf, Colorado &
Santa Fe is over the company's rules
and regulations, and we did
not expect the strike. In fact.
the strike was not ordere d
by Chief Ramsey. but by a Mr.. Tobey,
of Vinton, To-, who said he had author
lty to sign RamSey'S name. | had eX-
pected to meet Mr.. Ramsey to advise
with him about that matter as soon as
he could arrange date. but last week
L was down in the Panhandle and
for three days was away from the rail-
road. When | returned | found that
this Mr.. Tobey had turned up at Gal
weston, where the grievance committee
was in session, and had given General
Manager Wheeler twenty-four hours
notice to accede to the demands Of the
operators, or he would order a strike.
am second vice president of that COM
pany, and Mr.. Wheeler could not reach
me
To Lay the Matter
before me. Mr.. Wheeler was poweress
to do anything, and Mr.. Tobey ordered
the strike which occurred on the Gulf,
Colorado d Santa Fe at O'Clock this
evening.
"Mr. Ramsey had telegraphed Mr..
Wheeler that he would withdraw Mr..
Tobey, as Mr.. Wheeler had expressed
desire to have Mr.. Ramsey himself
confer over the matter. l did
not return to Topeka until yesterday
morning, and did not receive Mr..
" Wheeler's telegram until after the time
for declaring the strike had passed. At
II o'clock Sunday morning it appears
that MIR. Tobey presented still
another schedule to Mr.. Wheel
er, demanding that it be
agreed to before noon. l was greatly
surprised at all this, because | had un-
derstood that Mr.. Ramsey and myself
were to confer in the matter the latter
part of this month. The company has
been willing to make an agreement
with its operators similar to the one
existing with the operators on the main
SYSTEM"
ST. LOUIS. Oct. 17.-Chief D. G. RAM
sey, just before taking the train for Chi
cago, wired the general manager of the
Atchison, Topeka q Santa Fe to have
the operator who sent the bogus mes
sage arrested and he would prosecute
him to the full extent of the law.