The Saint Paul globe., 1900-04-13
STRIKE Is RlPIDLY SPREADING
RAILWAY OFFICIALS ASSERT THAT
THEY WILL RUN TRAINS
WITHOUT STRIKERS
ARE PRETTY BADLY TIED UP
Mobile Passenger Reaches BirmiaE-
ham, Ala; Two Hours Late,
Having Run Through
Without Orders

ATLANTA, Ga, April 12.-The threaten
Ing trouble Of the telegraphers and other
station employees of the Southern railway
and Alabama Great Southern railway,
which has been pending several months,
came to a head today, when President
POWELL OF the Order of Railway Teleg-
raphers, called on the telegraphers to quit
work.
The trouble commenced early last fall,
when the telegraphers of each division ap-
pointed a committee to go before the di-
vision superintendent and ask settlement
or certain grievances Hearings, they say,
were refused them, and an appeal was
made to General superintendent Barrett,
at Washington, and later to Vice Presi-
dent and General Manager Cannon. The
ofhcers OF the order state that no salts
faction was received from these officers,
ana the grievances were finally taken to
President Spencer, whose secretary said
the president was too i'll to consider the
matter at this time
President Powell says the committee
selected to represent the men have been
dismissed to the number Of more than
twenty, and that dozens Of members of
the Order Of Railroad Telegraphers have
peen discharged because Of their mem
bership. He says the last communtca-
ton to the officials of the company con-
tanned an offer to arbitrate the differ
ences.
In the Atlanta Office of the Southern
seven of the nine telegraphers employed
there have quit work
Reports received at strike headquarters
are said to be very satisfactory. Rail-
road officials, however, say the strike has
caused them no inconvenience, and has
not interfered with the traffic
TIED UP AT MERIDIAN
MERIDIAN, Miss, April 12.-The tele-
graph operators of the Southern railroad
and Alabama Great Southern railway
walked out today. They are backed up
by all other telegraphers in the city, who
refuse to handle Southern and Alabama
Great Southern business, and all trains
are tied up except on time-card sched-
ules.
OUT AT CHATTANOOGA.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn, April 12-The
strike of telegraph operators on the Ala
bama Great Southern and Memphis di-
visions of the Southern railroad is COM
plete tonight. No response could be OBJ
tained to calls for any station along the
line, and the 0. r. T. officers state that
all the men, with one or two exceptions.
are out
The several Chattanooga operators went
out. The Southern tonight states thew
will be able to supply the places Of the
strikers in few days. Meantime passen-
ger trains will run on schedule time, with
here and there an operator from among
the officials. Freight traffic is already
beginning to congest here, as no trains
have been sent out this afternoon.
On the Georgia division and on the
Knoxville line of the road very few oper-
ators remain.
TRAINS DELAYED.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala, April 12.-Al-
though the local officials of the Alabama
Great Southern and the Southern railway
claim little inconvenience has been caused
by the telegraphers strike, the Alabama
Great Southern between this point and
Chattanooga has been pretty badly tied
up since the order was issued at IL
o'clock this morning. The south-bound
passenger train, due here at Las. has not
reached the city at late hour, and many
freights are reported laid out along the
line
The officials claim that they will have
everything in working order in, a few
hours, special with about a dozen oper-
ators having left here today Between
here and Meridian Miss, only two men
have quit work. Wires between Birming-
ham and Greenville, Miss, are open and
trains are being run on card schedule
Several men are out on the Admission d.
vision, but the strike is not general
there
The men on the Mobile division, about
fifteen in number, are out. The passen-
ger train due at Mobile at ABS D. m
came IN two hours late, having run with
out orders.
AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT:
KNOXVILLE, Tenn, April 12.-Gen-
eral Superintendent ]. III. Barrett, of the
Southern railway, who is in this city to-
night says there are tonight only fifty
two telegraphers on strike on the entire
Southern railway system, the number out
on each division being as follows: Knox
vile, IA; Charlotte, 6; Asheville, 6; At
lantar or 10; Richmond, i; Memphis I:
birmingham, g; Macon, s. Other divisions
have none out. He says that the trains
are all running on time without inter
ference, and that he has 225 telearaphers
In reserve to fill vacancies that might
occur.
The Southern officials at Macon say that
only three operators are out on the di-
vision between Atlanta and Macon. The
telegraphers however, claim that a ma
jority of the members on the division
have gone out.