The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-04-17

hAo
Atlanta, Ga, April 13.-The situation
in the strike of t~elegraphers on the
Southern shows an improvement at
midnight for the railroad. Passenger
trains, which yesterday and early this
morning ran from one to five hours
late, arrived this afternoon and tonight
on time, or slightly behind schedule
time. Freight is beginning to move
and the car reports to the officials here
tonight from enarly every branch of
tonight from nearly every branch of
the service is not as seriously hamper
ed as on yesterday.
The officials of the road here claim
that the situation is not even unchang-
ed, that 1t has not at any time been
other than normal.
President Powell said tonight that
the strike would continue indefinitely
or until the treats with the
men
My organization has a protective
fund of 1000 to be used in case of
strike" said the president, and l am
having this money transferred from
the headquarters TO a point on the
Southern and every cent of il will be
spent if necessary. If this fund is ex-
hausted / shall call on the 20, 900 MEM
bers OF the organization throughout the
United States, Canada and Mexico for
assessment fund and will have 500, 900
more inside of ten days" President
Powell says there has been no bought
of a strike on the Queen and Crescent.
II there Is extension of the present
movement it will be to include those
operators at connecting points who
have been asked to perform work for
the Southern.
At Flowery Branch, Ga, the operator
who took the place of the retiring agent
was run out of town by the citizens
and at Corona, Ala, Dispatcher Cox,
of Columbus. Miss, was roughly han
died and escorted out of the place.
President John T. Wilson, of the Or
der of Trackmen, has wired from st.
Louis that he is ready to come and is
awaiting further adviceS from Presi-
dent Powell.
CONFLICTING STATEMENTS.
Birmingham, Ala, April 13.-There
is little change in the local situation
Fegading the t~elegraphers strike on the
Southern system except that the rail
road appear to be less
hampered than yesterday and claim
that they are handling their trains On
schedule time
The strikers claim many others have
Joined the strike and that some of
those who were sent from here have
returned.
VICE PRESIDENT GANNON'S
STATEMENT
Washington, April 13.-Reports re-
ceived by Mr.. Cannon this morning
showed that. III all, 152 operators had
quit work, many of them, it was state
ed, had returned to their key :. About
1.4O9 telegraphers in all are employed
by the Southern Railway Company.
The places OF those who have not re-
sumed work have been filled in part
at least, says Mr.. Cannon, by men
from the clerical force who formerly
worked a The key, but had been pro-
NOTED to higher positions.
Mr.. Cannon characterized as absurd
the reports coming from the headquar-
ters of the strikers declaring the strike
to be a COTcpiete success and asserting
that the business on the Southern rail
way was paralyzed. Only in one in
stance he said, had there been any
great delay to the service and that
was in the case of a train which reach
ed a station by the name of Alto, loo
miles north of Atlanta, just after the
strike had occurred. This cause a
delay of about four hours and Incl
dentally prevented n movement OF
other trains whose arrivals and de-
partureS from various stations were
secondary to or effected by it. Other
OSldGS, less serious Ill consequence
had been occasioned by the strike an6
also by the failure of connections from
other railroads to arrive on time.
From reports from the railroad Off
GERS. Mr.. GannO said that on the An
nistOn division of $50 miles, employing
81 men. only s~eventeen a struck, or
the Memphis, on the North Alabama
and on the Danville division nor haC
deserted; on the Richmond division
one had gone out; on the Norfolk di-
vision of 600 miles, employing 1872 men
80 had left their places and on TIT
Washington division II men went out
some of whom had returned. Those
who had gone out, he declared included
employees at relay offices whose ser
vices were missed so greatly a!
had they occurred at other points.
Atlanta. Ga. April 1S.-Little change
has occurred throughout the day ir
the situation of the t~elegraphers' strike
81 the Southern railway Both sides
claim they are satisfied. Officials OF
the railroad say that they have beer
given little inconvenience by the STRIKE
and that the trains are moving or
schedule time with no congestion OF
travel or freight at any point.
President Powell, of the Order o
Railway Telegraphers, in a statement
made today expresses the greatest con-
hdence in the outcome.
Southern railway trains nave beer
~ AN AASAo ooly OA
schedule today. but all delays are mo-
attributed to the striking operators.
President Powell in his statement to,
day. says:
we are highly elated over the sue
cess of the strike. The members OF
the organization went out to a man
Ny information shows that the traf
fc on the Southern is almost total,
demoralized. Not a freight train il
moving and dozens of trains are side
tracked.
ENGINEERS REFUSE TO RUN o.
WILD" ORDERS.
My reports show that the Alabam;
Great Southern is unable to run fEeigh
trains and only the principal passen
gers are moving. Wild orders hav
been put into effect On some OF the di
visions and I am informed his morn
ing that the engineers and tralnme
of the Columbia division have refuse
to run on them, declaring that the