Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1903-10-16
PACIFIC EXPRESS TIED UP
Expressmen Have Cult On Gem
eral Strife 0rder.

sent to the office by the local nor
chants The three drivers do NOT he.
long To- the union. all of taein beng
new men, and consequently Gid Lot go
cut. but can do but little toward re.
ceiyin& or delivering goods witlou tht.
aid Of the billing clerk. Save III a few
instances. where the packages were
carried to the Office. no goods aa4s.
been gathered by the express people
tals morning Mr. W M. Hutchias )l,
the local agent, says that the strike of
his two union men will cripple the To-
ca office great deal. for where dri,5-
ers can easily be obtained. it is not so
easy to get an experienced cashier and
billing clerk. Mr.. Hutchinson is try
ing to do all the work around the Of
fce in the way Of receiving the goods
from the northbound trains. which
We're brought to this city before the
strike was ordered A young lady Is
also kept busy answering telephone
calls and waiting on customers who
bring their packages to the office. but
no attempt IS being made to ship goods.
Route Agent Marshall of the Ron
Mountain road this morning brought
down a whole carload of goods from
Little Rock. which was billed to Pine
Bluff and points beyond, but all un-
loaded here The scene around the
iron Mountain depot aI.er the depar-
ture of the southbound train at II
O'Clock, looked like a homeseekeks ex-
clrslon That part OF the goods that
could not be loaded on wagons was
stacked on the side of the tracks to
or two helpers, which he had picked
up in Little Rock. We're the only ones
on the train as none of the express
messengers made the hun The goods
were simply received here and stored
to prevent loss at some of the smaller
stations where the would be no one
to receive them
No demonstration of any kind was
made at the train, though a Large
crowd witnessed the unloading Very
few people had heard of the strike
up to the time of the arrival of the
train, and many did not know what the
unusual amount of packages meant
Started a Little Rock.
A movement of the Little Rock
brotherhood started the uouble @n
which the strike was ordered In
regard to the way in which the order
was received at that place the Gazette
says;
For six days the local employees
have been impatiently waiting to hear
from st. Louis, where j. w Fuller.
president of the local brotherhood. OF
which every man of them is member.
has been, as a member of a conference
comlttee to negotiate with the express
companys head officials for the secog
milton of the brotherhood. AS day aft
er day passed and no message came a
spirit of suppressed excitement began
to be noticeable. Saturday night. aft
er the expected order to strike failed to
come, they wired for news. and were
told that definite decision would be
made at meeting of the board of di-
rectors yesterday.
When the first kilograms came that
perishable matter should be refused. 1t
was an inklng of what was coming. a
refusal on the part of the company to
meet the demands made upon them.
and several local employees stated that
1t was but question of possibly min
utes before the trike would be in ef-
feet
'At about $50 o'clock a telegraph
messenger boy walked into the local
express office, at 11S Main street, and
asked for Mr.. Welch who is cashier in
the local Office and an officer in the
local union of the brotherhood. Those
who heard and saw him knew that the
yellow envelope he carried contained
the unexpected news the strike was
on.