The Somerset reporter., 1902-07-24
Master of
the Strike
BY FRANK d. BLUE
Copyright, 1901, by Frank D. Blue


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All the men went out at East Cor
NTH this morning; not a train out"
was the laeonic telegram handed to
the superintendent when he reached
his office. With him action was first,
reflection afterward, and he shouted:
! Here, you boy, go hunt up Caddigani
Get him here! Hustler
In an incredibly short time Cardigan
showed up, hat on one side Of his head,
hands in his pockets, coolly whistling
the latest popular air, the picture of
unconcern, striking contrast to the
busting activity of his superior Off.
Ger.
"Say, Cardigan. do you know there's
strike at East CorinthY'
yep; heard So" was the brief re-
Spouse.
well. what In blazes are you doing
here anyway? Why amt you down
there? Get down ON first train. 1t
leaves in ten minutes. And see that
you get trains out. Do you hear?''
Underneath the apparent Indifference
of Cardigan lay quiet, calm and cool
action, and long before he had made
all plans to go to East Corinth. 1t
would never do to say SO, however, to
the superintendent, who had a failing
for always wishing to be first to give
orders.
"All right; I'll go. Any further or
ders?'
Eyes; you fire every son of a gun
that won't go back to work at once.
Do you understand"
And Cardigan did understand. He
understood the superintendent better
than the latter understood himself and
/, well enough to take his instructions
with grain of allowance.
Don't compromise the company In
any way, and send an immediate re-
port of things when you get there"
were his final instructions.
East Corinth was 300 miles away
and it was late in the evening when
the superintendent received the follow
Ing telegram:
All men out RED Jack" Podeck is
running strike. Swears not train shall
leave here. All sympathize with yard
men. Things shaky. CARDIGAN.
Cardigan was very popular among
the men. He had risen from them,
having himself twisted brakes and
shoveled coal, and reaching his present
position, train master, by sheer force
of character, combined with hard and
willing work.
The strike ran along without incl
dent for several days. Each attempt
to get a train out resulted In failure.
The men were watchful and headed
off each move toward getting yard
work done 1t would seem no hard
matter to get trains out once in awhile,
as the engineers, firemen, conductors
and brakemen were not engaged in
the strike, but sympathy ran rampant,
and failure was recorded each time.
One evening the superintendent re-
ceived section of a telegram reading:
Il will get a train out tomorrow
apparently from Cardigan, but the OPP
orator said the wire went down, and
he could not get the rest. and direct
communication ceased.
All trains had to pass the telegraph
tower, where the interlocking switches
were, a point closely guarded by the
strikers, pickets being constantly on
guard. Cardigan knew this point held
the key to the situation, and he direct
ed his attention to it. He tried to get
authority from headquarters, but the
telegraph operators, though not on
strike and apparently playing fair,
managed to favor the strikers. 1t is
comparatively easy matter to have the
wires down" Nothing daunted by
this, Cardigan resolved to stand the
layout and Ego it alone"
To get dependable men not in SYM
pathy with the strikers was not an
easy matter, yet it was accomplished
In time Taking these men aside, he
told them to go down into the yard at
noon, a time when few strikers were
around, and dsconnect all the brake
chains on train of cars that had been
ready to go east since the strike be-
gan. He then went to the tower. Mort
Collum, one of the best known oper-
ators of the middle west, was in
charge.
Mort" Cardigan said, 81 want you
to give clear track for an outbound
freight at l o'clock"
"All right sir" he said. But don't
you think you had better wait till
wings grow on your box carse You'll
never get car by on wheels"
sit won't cost much to try" Caddi-
gan laughingly replied, "and at the
worst it can only be another failure"
Cardigan then went TO the engine
house and had old 142 fired up. She
was in charge of Andy Devine.
81 want you to be right on time
Andy" said Cardigan. Back right
down into the yard, couple on to that
train of cars and start for Europe
straight across the pond. Pay no at
tention to any stop signals until you
are at least ten miles out"
"I'll do 1t, sir, but suppose l lose my
cars
go on, Andy" Cardigan called
back. You'll have your cars all right.
Trust me for that"
The engine went to the yard without