The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-10-18

take effect at 10 O'Clock a. m. Oct. II: See
that no telegraphing is done and no tlckets
sold, and that nothing is done to lnJure
our cause. See that the company's
regularly relieved"
Manager SWEET, after reading it. imme-
diately repeated the message. ana within
fifteen minutes it was received by every
operator on the entire system, ana nfteen
minutes later every operator on outy nao
struck work. The operation OF the road
was comDlety blocked, and Dispatcher
Barker'S joke was complete.
Barker is doubtless the only man VINO
got any fun out of the joke, and his ENJOY
ment probably received sudden check
when he learned that it had resulted IN
complete suspension of all business on the
road. 1t was mighty serious business Tor
the Santa Fe road. For twelve hours
its business was at a stands:iil and an
immense amount of traffic was lost to it.
Orders were sent out to all stations oy the
managers to decline to receive freight, ana
no freight wss received during the entire
day Passenger trains were somewhat ae-
layed, but were kept moving on their
schedule. So far as learned this method
of handling passenger business met with
comparative success. No accident has
been reported, and trains were not greatly
delayed
Immediately after the news OF the strike
reached the Santa Fe headquarters here
General Manager Robinson sought TO put
himself in communication with Cnlsi
Ramsay. After some time 1t was nnaIly
ascertained that the car OF ali the teleg-
rauhers was in ST. Louis couferrlng with
the Missouri Pacific officials on the pro-
posed new telegraphers' schedule on tnat
system 1t took some time to reach him
by wire, and when he was reached ne couio
do nothing until he had received an au-
thoritative report of the strike from some
OF his trusted lieutenants on the line. IL
was therefore not until O'Clock tonight
that a message was received from hIm,
stating that the order instructihg the men
to strike was forgery, and that he had
ordered the men back to WORK at once. Al
the same time that this message was re-
ceived the operators received message
ordering them to go to work Immediately.
| The order was immediately complied with
| and the road resumed business At coV
| O'Clock.
During the day the entire system, from
| Chicago to the Pacific coast and from
! Kansas City to Galveston, was practlcaliy
| at a standstill, over 1000 operators being
idle. The only man who remained at MS
| post was the operator at Barclay, kan.'
and he says that he knew that the order to
strike was hoax. :. The loss to the com
| pany is great, while the only benefit to the
| ner in which they are organized, ana Ia
demonstrating that they are III good
condition to enforce their demands.
, Operator Barker, the joker, has been dls'
| charged Public sentiment here Is very
strong against the action OF the Dodge
! City operator, in tying up the 1relgb'
business of the road and causing delay
| embarrassment and loss to the public.
ORDERED BACK TO WORK.
| TOPEKA, Kan, Oct. lion receipt o
the following message ali of the Santa Ft
operators returned to work tonight:
| '.GALVESTON, Oct. II.
'.To all Dispatchers and Operators
| Messages dated Galveston, Oct. II
| signed, ID. G. Ramsay has been proyel
| to be bogus message. All men Will re
turn to work on receipt of this message
This does not apply to men OUT on u. Z. q
S. F. ;,
ISigned.l 81. d. SoMERs."
! The following telegram was received:
| "GALVESTON, Oct. II.
| ITO r. E. Gemmell. A. Il. Nickerson and A. A
| Robinson;
"All dispatchers and operators Will re
| turn TO their duties at once. l Will sent
bulletin to all concerned, and hope yot
will help me out in getting it to our men
[Siyned. u. ID. Somers,
| chairman"
Chief Ramsay was heard from tonight
as follows:
EAST ST. LOUIS, Oct. II.
| ITO r. B. Gemmel
"Man who sent out forged bul'eti1
should be arrested thought my deput
CTobey), now at Galveston. had issued re
quest, he having full authority in ADJUST
meut of Gulf, Colorado aud Santa BE
Please bulletin my order to all our SAINT
Fe members, except Gulf. Colorado an
Santa Fe line, to Immediately return
work. u. II. RAMSAY.