Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-07-12
ELEGANT DIPLOMATS, BOTH
NOT STRIKE. PLEASE, nut a
"sBuT DOWN"
The Local American hallway Union
and the Fort worth and Denver
Railroad Try TO Outstep Each
other in Politeness.

yesterday. Bulletins announcing thht'
due to lack Of work, the shops would
be closed until further notice, were
posted about the shops with the ex-
ception OF a handful OF men who were
completing almost finished Jobs. the
toIiers donned their coats and strolled
away. -.
The Gazette predicted yesterday
morning that this would happen. The
Gazette predicted similar casualties To
befall the other railways here at the
same time. and the reason this did
not happen. and that the Fort worth
and Denver actually did shut down
without any declaration OF strike
on the part Of labor involves points OF
politeness between employer and em-
ploye worthy OF diplo'.ats.
II Is "A fact that the yards or the
road here are in a state of stagnatlon'
There II comparatively very niue 10
do. No shipping IL attempted Inc
switch engines remain idle for noufA
together. There are no incoming freight
cars to occupy the hundreds OF work.
srs as heretofore
While this is true and the Fort
Worth and Denver shops did smut
down ON account OF lack OF work yet
1t is only half the truth. The other
half OF the reason Is that hud the
shops not shut down the employees
would have shut down ON the shops
and queerly enough, at the very hour
the shops selected to shut down.
THE POINT or DIPLOMACY.
Herein Hes the delicate poiat OF dip
lomncy referred to, than which nothing
could better Illustrate the mutual es-
teen and cordially OF feeling exist
ing between employer and enploye at
this point and the consequent reluc-
lance with which "A positive order to
strike is obeycd.
When the bulletins announcing the
shutting down had been posted Ga
gottc reporter called upon Master Me-
chnnic h. w. Hayes at the yards Of
nee and asked the reason Of II.
1T is on account of lack Of work.
said Mr.. Hayes. There ~ congestion
stngnatlon-here; comparatively moth
ing going out and nothing coming In
"Is II not n fact that another equally
important reason IL that had the shops
not shut down the employees would
have struck and the company simply
wished to take the mitlativeY
The master mechanic smiled and
Baid, "Well. that n u fuct, also
Ten minutes later. when President
Greeley OF the local American Railway
union was asked about II he showed
himself an equally courteous diplomat.
When asked II the employees would
not have struck had the shops not
shut down, he replied that there was
in reality no work to be performed at
the shops and this was the only course
to be pursued until tho strike was
over.
No BAD FEELING EXISTS.
When told what Mr.. Hayes had said
on the subject, however the president
OF the local American Railway union
began to explain; well. what's the
reason OF even show OF bad feeling
whore none exists, The company took
the Initiative because 1t was good man
ners. and we all certainly uppreclat,
It very much Really. however there
~ scarcely anything doing. In a few
days the strike VIII be over"
Continuing, he said, "Thcre win bt
nothing for the other roads TO do here
" they have anything To do at pres
emit"
AS a matter OF fact. then, the shops
closed today because they would hav,
had TO- and no strike has been ordered
here because you anticipate 1t wi
become useless In Il day or TWO be
cause OF the railroads having nothing
"wen. that is about the size OF IT,
responded the local railroad unior
preBdent.
II was indeed gloomy sight to re,
the long procession of wOrluncn nl'
out OF the Fort Worth and Denver
shops just after the whistle blew fol
u o'clock today.
They had received orders from tn,
officials of the road that the shops
would shut down until further notice
Here they We're marching down tbs
railroad tracks. the most OF them I,
their respective homes. each and every
one OF them carrying their luncl
baskets and buckets 20 eat the mea
their wives and mothers and sister
no doubt prepared for them In tn,
morning. In the hopes that all would
20 peaceably through the day and tn
men, II they went out on their owl
accord. would do 30 lawfully an,
peacefully.
The men as they left the shops II
obedience to the orders OF the com
pNny. We're OF course donned In thel
greasy and tlme-worn working COS
tunes: men who had not even W
rolled down their sleeves, but win
Were on their way home TO tell thel
families OF what had happened, ant
what they thought the prospects 10
the future We're.
A reporter passed around amonl
the mon as they were homewur,
bound, and OF course he did his best 4
ind out all that would interest tn
public or In any way throw light upp
the situation up TO date.
The scribe came In contact Wit
members OF several different unions
including the boilermakers, the ma
chinists, carpenters. blacksmith;
carmen, boilerwashers. wipers. hell
era and several others.
Each and every one wore an expires
sion Orwell, Il Is hard TO exprcsa /
They looked ae though they didn
know exactly where they were AT,
but atlll at the Same time. that look q
serious determination was visible upo
every countennnce, they were trouble
and whatever might be the nnl
outcome they wanted TO do the rich
thing and pursue the proper course.
A reporter approached prominer
member of one OF the unions and askc
the question, what the men though
about the officials closing the shops.
well | win tell YOU" said he, ~
men are not kicking, and the cot
sencus OF opinion among the mon
the shops and our friends Is 10 III
effect that the homogeneous actio
In shutting down the shops Is COZ
nidered favorahly by all concerned"
"Why sog. asked the reporter
"Of course you know the oillcia
pretty well understood how the feclni
OF the union men were IN regard
the present situation OF the strli,
They had n pretty gnod idea that
iclat four-flfths-and maybe mere tina
that number-ot the union men on