The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-02-26

AT THE TABERNACLE.
Address to a Railroad Men by Non.

Address to Railroad HIen by Non. L..
s. Coffin.
A large number of railroad employees at
tended the services at the Tabernacle last
night because they desired to see and hear
| Hon, L. S. Coffin, who has made himself
noted because OF his advocacy of the automa-
tic coupler for cars. After Mr.. Coffin had
devoted twenty minutes to reading and COM
nenting on the last portion OF st. Matthew,
| chapter %. and a portion of Johns Revela-
| tions, he delivered his lecture taking for the
| subject, st. Matthew viii, s. The entire
lecture was devoted to reasons why railroad
employees should shave one day OF rest out OF
seven. and why they should wholly abstain
| from incompetence
Il am here said Mr.. Coffin, ito plead for
Sunday rest for railroad men, and / wish
this house was crowded with citizens, so that
| might plead with them for these men"
The speaker said that the changes had been
so rapid which had brought about the great
system of railroad transportation that the
general public had not kept pace with them,
and did not realize that nearly one million
men were employed on railroads. He said
these men formed a comparatively new class
of workmen-a new industry. That at
present there was about ITO, 900 miles of rail-
road system in this country, not counting
double tracks, and that this new class OF
workmen handled about 100000 freight
cars annually. Referring to the danger in
this business Mr.. Coffin said that until re
Gently none of these freight cars could be
coupled together without one or more of the
railroad employees being exposed to danger:
The automatic coupler had removed much OF
this danger.
AS an Indication of the rapidity of the
growth of this new industry, Mr.. Coffin said
that he was quite a large boy when the first
railroad tracks were laid, and that within
1 a .EF t.c - y L +. 1x.r .,1,.ct,. fhfC u1.Qaf
system of railroad transportation had come.
After declaring that he was not an enemy to
capital, the speaker remarked:
s.How easy it is for capital to sit in its
eosev Office and draw a check for the con
struction of a railroad. When this Is done
how easy it is for capital to draw another
check for the placing of locomotives and cars
! on the tracks. but when this has been done
and the road is complete and equipped, CAPT
tai must wait until these brave men, the
railroad EMPLOYEES. take hold of the locono-
tiyes and make use of them. 1t
is to these men that we are
indebted for the wonderful trans
There is no class of men more faithful,
more honest and more worthy than the rail
road men. You know that this is true and
YOU trust them more than any others. Your
lives and property are consigned to their
custody, and when you enter a car at a
| 06DOJ III JQlS Guy Win Odi rIduCloIo 10 yVuA
point of destination you do SO with a feeling
of security, for you know that every railroad
man viii be at his post, no matter what the
dangers are thai he is exposed to or what
the weather may be"
Mr.. ,tofin said that during the last twAlve
months about $1,000 railroad men had been
forced to give up life or limb in order that
the general public might enjoy the present
system of transportation. He said that on
Thursday last the people of this country had
celebrated, and very justly too, the birthday
of George Washington, but, he asked, how
many people knew that during each year for
the last five years there were more railroad
men sacrificed than there were during the
Revolutionary War The speaker said
j that the general public were not satisfied
with six DAYS work for these men, but in
sisted that they SHOULD work on Sunday also.
The Christian Public demanded this. These
railroad men, feared to plead fer themselves
for Sunday, and they depended on outside
people to plead for them, and that was the
reason why he was entreating the general
4 pnblic to give tostiie railroad men the same
right and opportunity to worship on Sunday
that all other workmen enjoy. If Sunday
travel was discontinued, this condition OF
things could be brought about.
Mr.. Coffin gave the railroad men some ex.
cellent advice concerning temperance and
closed his lecture.