The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-24
Delegates from All Parts of
System Were Present.
CHIEF RONEMUS THERE
II. Y. Brown Elected Chairman
Protective Board.
Hen Have No Grievances Against
the Company.

The Brotherhood of Railway Carmen
Of America on the Rock Island system
held 4 convention in Horton Monday.
This is a national organization, but
instead of being divided by states, it is
divided by railroad systems. The car
men on each system look after the in
terests Of their members who work for
that system.
The Horton Commercial says of the
convention: There were delegates from
all over the system in attendance, and
the meeting convened at $50 a. m,
Monday, March 81. Delegates from all
points reported the relations existing
between the carmen and their foremen
as being all that could be desired, with
very few exceptions. The schedule
granted the carmen last July by the
management of the railroad was OBJ
served by both the carmen and the
existing being where the terms of the
schedule were not thoroughly under
stood. In the evening an open meet
ing was held, which was addressed by
F L Ronemus, grand chief carman of
the brotherhood. and by Mrs. Marie
Ronemus, president of the Loyal STAR
auxiliary to the B. r. c. of A.
Supt. A. ]. Cunningham attended
the meeting and made an address well
coming the visiting delegates and Chief
Carman Ronemus and Mrs. Ronemus.
Chief Ronemus certainly made it
plain TO the men and the ladies that
the order was a good thing to belong
to. He is man possibly so years
old and started to work on the sec
ton when quite young and gradually
advanced from that place, until he
was appointed car inspector, then
foreman and later he conceived the
idea of organizing the car men on the
same order as the other railroad mea,
and in the last few years they have
had a wonderful growth. The order
now has over 25,O0O members.
Mrs. Ronemus, the president of the
Loyal Star, auxiliary to the B. R. c.
of America, made the ladies a good
talk and eomplimented them on their
interest and intelligence. She is o.
ganizing Loyal Star lodges all over
the country and travels with her hus-
band.
The carmen are striving to better
their condition industrially and social
~ Their chief plan to this end is TO
make themselves so valuable to their
employers. by increased efficiency, that
their worth will be recognized by their
employers with bettered conditions.
The Rock Island company has dealc
fairly and honestly by their carmen
efforts of the men working in the car
department.
The following is a. partial list of the
A E Freeman, Goodland. Kan.
A. 3. Stark, Colorado Springs. Colo.
J. II. Burlock, HeringtOn, Kan.
c. A. Neher, Chickasha, l. T.
J. S. Harmon, Fort Worth, Tex.
VIM. Murdoch, Dalhart Tex.
D c Ellis. St. Joe.
Charles Shelton, Horton, Kan.
H. Y. Brown, Horton, Kan.
R c Andrews, Fairbury, Neb
T. Z. Durkin, Kansas City, Mo.
ThOs Grimes, Trenton Mo
T. H. Klunden, Rock island.
H. H. Blanchard. Davenport, Ia.
@. L. Jack Peoria, III.
J. w Libby, Valley Junction, Ia.
Milford Matthews. Cedar Rapids Ia.
II. l. Hickman. La Sale.
w A. Case. Baskerville, Pa.
John Abbott, Council Bluffs, Ia.
Charles Foster, Chicago, Ill
c. A. Pratt. Albert Lea, Mimi
The following officers were elected at
Tuesdays session of the convention:
II. Y Brown, chairman.
A. Z. Freeman, vice chairman.
G. l. Jack, secretary and treasurer.
This committee is known as the joint
tends from FL Paso to Minneapolis and
from Denver to Chicago.
Resolutions We're adopted, thanking the
Superintendent of shop, a. J. Cunning
ham. and the foreman of the car depart
ment for their kindness to the carmen
delegates in showing them about the
shops and explaining the many new appli-
auces that have been adopted in the Hor-
ton shops. One delegate said that he had
learned more about the working of air
brakes in one hour from Mr.. Acker than
he had learned in a whole course of in
struction in a correspondence school. All
frf~ tot.