Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-09

fellow, how did you make OUT.
Fine"
Have a good time?"
Yes. indeed; the best 1 ever had in my
life"
"CIad of it. Now's the time-while you're
young. BY and by, when you have a fam
lily to support, and have to be forever on
the lookout for job, or, if you've got one
on the lookout to keep it, you won't have
much fun tell you.
That evening Ed Dennison andhis COUSIN
Ben Allen, who was visiting him from
Greytown called for me to go down to the
round house" and have talk with Dave
We picked up Joe Everton and Tommy
Woodford on the way.
Ed introduced his cousin. TO whom Dave
spoke pleasantly. You don't seem TO ao-
mire my mill, Young MANI
why, no. you see I was a little disap-
pointed. Ed has been telling me all the az
tcrnoo- about the wonderful engine down
here. and I've been used to regular loco
motives-hig. handsome engines.
1t WIS true that Dawes old engine dld
not make a very credtable appearance
She had been a first-class machine IN heF
day hut that was long time ago.
Were You ever in a strike, Mr. VIII
lOughby ~ asked Ed.
80. I've been in few little rumpuses;
and one that. only for the tact of one man,
would have been pretty serious affair." L
guess. 49,
30, tell us about that. won't You. please?
Yes l don't know but what l viii. Come
out here under the tree. where we can d"
comfortable, for it's middllng long
story
Dave leaned against the tree, his hands
clasped behind his head, while we lay IN a
semicrcle on cur stomachs, before MN
We rested our chns in our hands ana KICK
ed our toes In the dirt.
II was promoted said he, from fire.
man to engineer twenty-seven years ago
last fall The w. & 7. was as good ROAD
as ever laid outdoors for man TO work
on. I've known engineers, after LOSING
their Jobs go there and work up to promo
ton again rather than look for a job run
ming somewhere else d only peeh run
ming about a year. and had got married
when we got a new general manager he
was an eastern man by the name of Harm
den.
'Old Harnden. as we called him. hadn't
been at the helm three months before we
began to notice things. The pay car. which
had always been as regular as the mail,
frequently dropped in from a week 10 a
month late. Our supplies We're gradually
cut down and became SO miserably poor IN
quality that we could hardly get along
with them. The shop crews We're reduced,
until only the most urgent repairs were
done The track gangs the same way; the
sections were heightened out TILL man
couldn't go over one in an entire day. AS
the time rolled on engines, cars ana track
became so out of repair that wheel was
liable to jump a frog anywhere, and
wrecks-which had been few and far be-
tv-een-b .came the commCnest occurrence.
.Old Harnden lad but one remedy for all
these ills-discharge. He discharged all
concerned.
I'VE began to think something ought to
be done He had kept this kind of thing
going for three years. and 1t was getting
unbearahle. l went down to the round
house and found fifteen or twenty men
talking about Jacks discharge. They were
very bitter. Even if he paid US said one
but here we are two months ana a nan
behind: and / hear that Earl who was DIS
charged today. will have to walt for the
pay caI-maybe three months-pelore ne
gets his pay.
See here boys said L talk is no good
not this kind. anyway. Somebody's got
to MAKE a move. Now, / propose that we
who are here appoint committee at once,
to call a meeting and discuss this matter,
and I'm willing to be one of that commit
tee.
'Wen in about half an hour commit
tee of five went into the foreman's office
and drew mp notice for meeting. We
marched out in q body and tackled it on the
bulletin board just as the master me-
chanic was going through the roundhouse
on his way to dinner. He looked at 1t,
looked at us. and we glared back at hln'
But he passed on without word
Next day the news that meeting mad
been called for Saturday evening at
o'clock for all employees to discuss their
grievances, was all over the road
by $50 on Saturday evening there were
twenty-five or thirty men in the hall, from
the various departments. They We're all
talking over their troubles in haif-scared
way. | and my fellow committeeman cir
culated among them and cheered them as
we'll a. we could. \ conductor asked me
what time the meeting would begin. l re-
piled as we could find 4 chairman
to c7ll Us to order.
That's so said he. Here comes Jim
Bailey Jim. cali to order. will ye?'
No | won't: call yerself to order
"'Whv. what We scared Of?
~ amt scared o nothin': but faint my
meetin' What l got TO do with calm it
to order"
seeing the necessity of some one max
ing a move before they got tired and stroll
ed off again | stepped to the table. raped
with my knuckles and told them TO be seat
ed and remove their hats. When the shut
fling of feet stopped l made them little
speech. ] told them the purpose of the
meeting was to enable us to discuss our
grievances and take steps to have them re-
dressed. You all know said l that be-
fore Mr.. Harulen succeeded Mr.. Saunders
as general manager the w. and T. was as
good q road to work on 8 there was in
the country II did a good business-it
couldn't help it. 1t taps the richest section
of country in four states and Is the short
est route to tidewater by twenty-five miles.
But as soon az he took hold he commenced
a system Of penny-wise pound-foolish econ
omies that have ruined II.
He gave US fuel that was 70 per cent
slate and the remainder dirt. The oil we
get is about as fit for lubricating purposes
as so much tar. When failed to make
time for want of steam. on account Of
hot boxes. he discharged our Oldest and
best men. Do any of you fatter yourselves
that YOU will escape? Don't you believe it
Your turn will surely come.
The roads business has been divert
ed to the A. K. and F. and the w. and 7. is
no longer in it. He has taken off trains
and left their crews idle. He has reduced
the shop force until there isn't an en-
CINE q on the system that's fit to
run. Conductor Billy Simms was killed and
Jack Earl discharged because 16's tires
were double Hanged for the want of turn
ing off. and because one man can't keep
ten miles of track in repair. In the last
three years thirty-two engineers and
don't know how many conductors and flag
men, have been discharged, and Bill Joyce
and his fireman killed at ryant's trestle
because engine truck journal burned n
for the want of Modification. Such OF US
still survive have our pay held up, be-
cause, under that old idiots laundering
management, one of the finest properties in
this country has been fritted away. l. for
one, don't propose to stand it any lonrer-
not without protest, anyway. l think we
ought to send committee to Mr.. Harden
and demand our back pay
when l sat down an enthusiastic Young
brakeman In the rear of the hall shou- ed.
Il second the motion That made them
laugh and set them at their ease We dis
cussed the subject for an hour The radi-