The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-02-04

those signs of age. He is skillful in avoid
ing answers to subjects concerning the diff
ficulty between the railroad and the en-
gineers, and when pushed into a corner
will reply with merry laugh, "Ask me
something easy"
A self-reliant, forceful man is Chief
Arthur. He is used to acting in emergen-
eies, and it only took him few hours to
grasp the situation here His mind was
then made up and he laid the matter in all
its phases before the assembled delegates
yesterday afternoon.
During Friday and Saturday last there
were frequent conferences between the en-
gineers' grievance committee and the
chief. 1t was finally decided to hold a
meeting of all the delegates in Oakland
yesterday. Accordingly at noon the rep
resentatives of nineteen divisions on the
Atlantic and Pacific and Southern Pacific
railroads met in Stanford Lodge, B. of
i. E., on Peralta street. All the engineers
from the Oakland and San Francisco yards
that could get away also attended, so in
consequence there was hardly standing
room, and an adjournment had to be
taken to the hall below.
Stanford Lodge is peculiar in one respect
There are only two pictures on its walls.
The other adornments are made up of
charters and certificates from lodges with
which it is affiliated. Over the chairman s
desk and facing the door is a lifesize pic
ture of the late Senator Leland Stanford.
Facing it is a speaking picture of Chief
Arthur. While waiting to be called to Or
der the engineers kept looking from one
likeness to the other. Finally one voiced
the opinion of all by saying: Boys, if
Leland Stanford was alive to-day we would
not have Chief Arthur here to assist US in
arbitrating with the Southern Pacific" An
emphatic ''You bet'' came from dozen
Threats, and then an adjournment was
taken to the lower hall.
All the divisions between San Francisco
and Portland, Ogden and New Orleans
were in attendance, and each delegate
voiced his sentiments. Chief Arthur
talked for over an hour, and gave the
Brotherhood some excellent counsel. Al
though there was crowd of engineers in
the hall everything was conducted in a re-
markedly quiet manner. The situation
was discussed in a dispassionate manner,
and at no time did a delegate raise his
voice above the pitch employed in ordinary
conversation. In fact some engineers who
arrived late, and finding their headquarters
deserted, went away, thinking the meeting
had adjourned.
When the engineers came out of the hall
after the meeting they all seemed confident
and happy. Chief Arthur, in company
with H. B. Meyers, chairman of the griev-
ance committee, caught the 4 80 P. NJ. train
for San Francisco. When seen on the
steamer in regard to the situation Chief
Arthur said: "We are not prepared to
make a statement. Let US settle our elf
ferences with the Southern Pacific first of
all, and then we will be able to give you all
the points you want"
FWill the Brotherhood of Engineers
agree to compromise, chief"
Arthur had it on the tip of his tongue to
give direct answer, but paused for a
second and, turning to his questioner, said
easy" 1t was the same with every ques-
ton put to him. He would discuss the
weather, the ships in the bay, the future
of California and even the seagulls, but
when anything in the shape of question
touched upon the Brotherhood of Locomo-
tive Engineers his answer invariably was
"Ask me something easy"
One thing seems to have been definitely
settled. The engineers have arrived at a
conclusion as to just what terms they