Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1892-10-19
NINE HUNDRED OUT.
The Entire Santa Fe Railway System at q
Standstill.


Standstill.
ToPEAKA, Kan, Oct. 17.-Nine hun
dred telegraph operators on the Atchi-
son, Topeka and Santa Fe main line
struck at 10 o'clock this morning.
The trouble is on the Gulf, Colorado
and Santa Fe Railway in Texas, which
is operated by the Santa Fe. The ope-
rators of the Texas line have q schedule
for increased wages before the officials,
lowed. The Santa Fe operators have
struck in sympathy with the Texas ope-
ratOrs.
The following dispatch was received
at $3.50 this morning from Grand Chief
Ramsey, of the 0. R. T., now in st.
Louis, and was obeyed at 10 o'clock:
To ALL OPERATORS AND DISPATCH
ERS: In view Of the fact that the Gulf,
Colorado & Santa Fe is operated by the
Santa Fe proper 1t is thought best that ali
operators on the Santa Fe should so out
as well, as the company refuses to cOncede
the conditions of the Gulf, Colorado IL
Santa Fe schedule
road will be tied up until the difficulty
can be settled in some way.
There are twenty-five men employed
on the Santa Fe general Office here and
seven train dispatchers. The men de-
clared Immediately after the strike that
800 operators employed on the st. Louis
d San Francisco, and the 500 employed
by the Atlantic & Pacific would strike
unless the Santa Fe came to time. The
men had rot heard at noon from Grand
Chief Sommers, of Emporia, who has
charge of the Emporia division, of
which the Topeka operators are mem
bers, and will make no statement for
publication until they can do SO.
General Manager Robinson, in an in
interview this morning, said: This
entire strike is a mistake. General
Chief Ramsey has not ordered our men
out at all. l have traced the matter
down and find that the order for
strike proceeded from Dodge City, and
that an operator by the name of John
son wrote it and signed Ramsey's name
to it. He only intended it as q Joke,
and when the men learn this they will
return to work"
The men here take no stock what
ever IN the story that any operator at
tempted to play I. Joke. The Gulf, COL
orado & Santa Fe, on which the first
strike occurred, is not owned by the
Santa Fe, but is leased and operated by
1t and General Manager Robinson is
the second vice president. The oper-
ators of the Santa Fe line had no per-
sonal grievance.
Last spring General Grand Chief
Ramsey secured for the operators who
went out to-day an annual increase in
wages of some $4,000 Operators re-
ceiving from $50 to $50 were increased
to $40 and $40, and train dispatchers were
increased from 500 and $l25 to S125 and
$3.50.
The Santa Fe officials contend that the
strike on the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe
was not ordered by Chief Ramsey, bit
by his assistant, Tobey, who claimed
authority to represent Ramsey, and sign
his name to orders. :.
ST. LOUIS, Mo-, Oct. 17.-Inauiry
among railroad telegraphers here elicit
ed the statement that Grand Chief Ram
sey IS not now in this city, but his
whereabouts could not be ascertained.
Members Of the grievance committee
OF the operators and train dlspatchers
on the Missouri Pacific system. who
have been here in consultation
with officials of that road for
some time past, say it is a fact
that Chief Ramsey has ordered the
men of the Topeka & Santa Fe ont.
The order was wired over the line this
morning. They also say that dispatches
are being received from various points
on the road, saying that the men have
quit work, and that by 2 O'Clock this aft
ernoon there will not be an operator or
train dispatcher at his post on the
whole system.