The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-04-13
SOUTHERN'S MEN
co ON A STRIKE
Trains lied Up by Turning
of Red Boards.
WENT INTO EFFECT AT Il
Three Men in Raleigh Leave Their
instruments.
WENT INTO EFFECT AT Il
CsLL THOSE WHO TAKE PLACES ''SCABS'
Reported That Several Of the "Scabs" Have
Been Badly Beaten by the Strikers.
Contentious of the Two
Sides.

Yesterday morning at IL o'clock a
strike of the telegraph operators on
the Southern Railway went into effect
The strike was ordered by the Order
of Railroad photographers and is in
tended to cover all the system, from
Washington to Atlanta, Birmingham
and Knoxville.
The notice of the strike was receiv.
ed over their wire by all operators
along the line shortly after 10 o'clock
and read as follows:
Turn your board red and quit work
at eleven O'Clock today, Thursday
April 18th. Perform no service of any
Kind. Stand firm and victory is ours.
This came from Atlanta and was
signed by wv. V. Powell, President
Order of Railroad photographers.
The order was obeyed by nearly
every member of the order in this
division. AT the appointed hour they
left their instruments, all turning the
red board and many cutting the wire
by leaving the key open.
The result was that traffic was de-
layed and the risk of collisions and
other accidents prodigiously increas-
ed on the Southern road.
Immediately the authorities receiv-
ed notice of the strike they set to
work to remedy the trouble. From
the Southern offices everywhere all
the men that could telegraph and
would consent to undertake it were
NV h, fro | m
also We're put on the road. for some
how as, fast as the Western Union fur
nished <lew wires to the railroads the
wires got into trouble.
In Raleigh three men obeyed the
order to cease work. They are:
John \. Wood, day operator in the
Southern freight office.
II. f. Patterson. night operator in
the Southern freight Office.
w. b. Shepherd, night operator for
the Southern.
Wood. was on duty when the order
came. He obeyed it. turning his board
and leaving a passenger train stand
ing on the track at the Union depot.
IT stood there until Chief Clerk Miller.
of First Nice-President Andrews Of
flee, went down and took Woods place.
Later in the day j. II. Cunningham.
chief clerk in the freight office, took
his place temporarily.
Later in the day every operator that
could be gotten here or elsewhere
along the line was sent out. From
some of them the report came back
that they had been very roughly treat
ed by the strikers. At one or two
places the new men We're badly beaten
Last night the railroad officials
were claiming that they could in a
day or two get all the operators they
need and that the strike will amount
to nothing.
The striking operators laugh at this
and appear confident of their ability
to win out in the fight.
THE TELEGRAPHERS SIDE.
President Powell. of the Order OF
Railway Photographers, asked for state
ment of the controversy, said:
THE Southern Railways management
says there is no dissatisfaction among
their telegraph employees. Picture if you
will several hundred agents and telegra-
piers along their line working for $40
S25 and $40 per month, as many hours
per day as they may be called upon to
perform service by the company, every
day in the year. Sunday included, AND
ask yourself if they are properly com
pensated.
There is no pay for overtime; there is
no redress against unjust discipline OF
discharge The telegraphers have no
voice in the making of the rules under
which they work, or in fixing the amount
of pay to be received. The work of
telegrapher is responsible one, all trains
being handled through his agency. Be-
sides the handling of trains, he performs
the clerical work of his station: sells
tickets; handles baggage, freight and is
the general factotum around his station.
He must be man of education and able
to intelligently and trustworthiIv repre,
sent his company's interests with the
public and patrons of the road He must
be of a sufficient order of intelligence tc,
understand and carefully observe all in
structions of his superior officers, and
to be able to decipher and make appliea-
49,