Omaha daily bee., 1894-04-03

Nebraska divisions II would make no re
duction. On the Denver g. South PAR
division the rates Of pay per hour wer
much less than on the Nebraska division
even though the rate Of pay was higher
owing to the slower time made.
IN regard to cost OF switching In the Den
yer yards, which were the largest on thu
system, he said these yards we're three-ral
yards, to permit Of the handling of both mar
row and standard gauge cars. This condition
required much greater caution in handling
the cars In the yard. The Denver a. Rio
Grande at Denver pays the same rates a
Denver, and these are the only three-rai
yards in the city.
Comparing the South Park with Other
mountain roads, he stated the line was very
crooked, some OF the curves being as high
as thirty-two degrees, and the entire road Is
a succession of curves, with grades averaging
1S1 feet to the mile where mountain rates
are allowed, and on the Leadville and Gunni-
son run the grades, many of them, were
over 200 feet to the mile.
The Colorado Midland, which runs be.
tween the same points, is 210 miles long,
which extra distance is run over to avoid the
heavy grades. That road allowed 81 for
forty-four miles of mountain road and paid
$475 per hundred miles for passenger en-
gineers for other roads. The South Park paid
$3.65 per hundred miles. Freight engineers
received on the Midland $5.11 for forty-four
mountain miles.
The Denver & Rio Grande paid on the
Leadville run $4.35 per hundred miles.
Judge Caldwell asked If the witness heard
what Mr.. Woman and Mr.. Clark stated in
regard to strikes, and he said he did. The
judge asked him what he had to say in re-
gard thereto, and he stated those gentlemen
expressed his sentiments exactly and that he
thought that was true in regard to all the
engineers.
Daniel Breese of Laramie was put on the
stand. He stated he had been on the system
as an 5pnUinnpr Einna tI2Tn and ms, fa.lIia
with the conditions of the Wyoming division
as compared with the section east. He
stated the country was mountainous, rang
ing from an elevation of 1000 to $500 feet.
The winters were long and severe. The cost
of living was much more there than here:
from his best information it was SO per cent
more. He claimed the duties of engineers
had increased, as the class of engines was
the largest used anywhere. The Northern
Pacific paid S4.75 per day on that class of
engines. If they doubled the run every day
the reduction under the new schedule would
reduce the pay of engineers SAT per month.
1t took almost as long to run ffty-six miles
on that division as to run ITO on the Ne
braska division.
Judge CAN'T offered to introduce in evil
dence a bundle of freight bills to show that
freights were higher to that section than
on roads east, which caused an increase in
the cost of living, as these men were con-
sumers. The officers Of the company ad-
mitted these facts and the matter was
dropped.
TELLS HOW THEY QUIT.
Mr.. Vroman was recalled to explain how
the engineers proceeded when they were
about to quit the service of the company.
The section of the laws was read, which was
in effect as stated in his testimony in the
The witness then presented in condensed
form his comparison of the wages paid on
the Union Pacific with the Central Pacific.
The average on the Union Pacific west of
cheyenne was S4.46, and on the Central Pa
cific $3.50.
J. A. Randall was then sworn on behalf
OF the engineers employed on the Pacific
division The pay was at first $12O per
month of twenty-siX days. 1t was then
changed to $4.62 per day of 100 miles run
and proportionately for more than 100 miles.
In March 1889 the schedule was changed to
mileage basis, the same as was in force
on the Union Pacific, and after some con-
ference the rate was fixed at $3.50 per 100
miles: The excess mileage feature was re-
tanned in the schedule. In some portions
1t dangerous to the men. In some portions
there were heavy grades and in some parts
over the sand flats the drifting sand made
1t both unpleasant and dangerous. Where
the road followed the base of the cliffs fall
lng rocks very often caused serious wrecks.
On one division Of lightweight miles there
not a mile of straight track In one
place and only two miles of level road.
The cost of living at Portland was about
The same as in Omaha, but inland from
here the cost of living was at least Is or
20 per cent higher than at Portland.
j. ID. Matheson was sworn. Was an en-
sineer running on the Pacific division from
Jmatilla to Huntington. In the 21S miles
IN the division they ran over three ranges
If mountains and the grades were very
and very steep, ranging from forty
i've feet per mile to 116 feet. The road also
many bridges and was very
rocked. During the winter eleven feet and
seven inches of snow fell on the mountain
'anges.
Albert Flood of Rawlins was the next wit
less, who testified the winters were long and
severe and the cost of living was very high.
lie earned on the average $135 a month; had
lived plainly and only been able to save
about 800 a year.
The judge asked If Mr.. Clark and Mr..
Buckingham had completed their computa-
ion on the comparative statements of wages,
md they stated they had not.
Thomas Wechter, a fireman, whose run is
rom Cheyenne to Laramie, stated he SHOW
lied an average of nine ton of coal on the
On a level run it would require about
wo tons. 1t formerly took two engines to
10 the work the one big engine now does,
nd the fireman only gets the same wages
ZACH of them used to get for firing the
mailer engines. There was no let up in
NiONCliiS NOui UNI me lidil TbdClbu LUe
OPP of the hill. The 1 ,600-class engines now
eighteen freight cars, while two 200 |
lass engines formerly only hauled twenty.
our cars. 1t took about ffI5oi Tons of coal
m a freight run to double the run. The
.yerage time of a passenger run over the
livision was three hours and of a freight
tx hours.
Mr.. Harper asked Mr.. Mcconnell il it was
rue. as stated in the report, that the COM
amy paid it's engineers and firemen $312,-
'l0.6 less in 1893 than in 1890, while the
onnage had increased. He asked Mr.. Nc
Ionnell to explain how this could be If the
wages of the men had not been decreased
r their duties increased. There was, Mr..
stated, a decrease in train mile
ge of about 1000, 900 miles. The engines
'ere enabled to haul this much more by
eason of changes in the build of the en-
inc, In response to Il question Mr.. Nc
'onnell stated that 200 less men hauled a
tonnage and burned 81 900 less tons
I coal owing to these changes.
PETRIE FOR THE FIREMEN.
c.. A. NJ. Petrie was sworn and stated
nat he was Il fireman and was chairman
I the grievance committee of their order.
lie stated that the engineers had gone over
of the ground and in the main what
ffected one affected the other. Referring
Mr., hcConnell's statement that the rates
pay had been increased almost one-half
ten years he stated that in that time
had been substituted for pumps,
n hon tang lllpipatar=. aud et.nn, a