The San Francisco call., 1904-04-24

ssrne. and not a pound OF freight
had been moved; things looked
smoky on the West End
The general superintendent happen
ed to be with us when the news came.
You can't handle it, boys" said he.
nervously. What you'd better do is
TO turn il over TO the Columbian Pa
cifc'' ss
Our contracting freight agent on the
coast at that time was a fellow so er-
ratio that he was named Crazyhorse.
Right in the midst Of the strike Crazy
horse wired that he had secured a big
silk shipment for New York We were
paralyzed
We he'd no engineers, no firemen and
no motive power TO speak Of The
strikers were pounding our men. wreck
isng our trains and giving Us the worst
of it generaIly-that is. when we
couldn't give il TO them. Why the
fellow displayed his activity at that
particular juncture still remains mys-
terry. Perhaps he had a grudge against
the road II so, he took an artful re-
venge. Everybody in the system with
ordinary railroad sense knew that our
struggle was TO keep clear of freight
business until we got rid OF the trcu-
BILE Anything valuable OF. perishable
was especially unwelcome. s..
but the stuff was docked and loaded
and consigned in our care before we
knew II. After that a refusal to carry
it would be like hosting the white
flag, and that is something which never
yet few on the West End.
Turn it over to the Columbian said
the general superintendent; but the
general superintendent was not looked
up 10 on our division. He hadn't
enough sand. Our head was a fighter,
and he gave tone to every man under
him.
NO" he thundered, bringing down
his fist, mot in a hundred years. Well
move it ourselves. Wire Montgomery
the general manager, that we will take
care Of it. And wire him to fire
Crazyhorse-and to do it right off.
And before the silk was turned oveI
TO us Crazyhorse was looking for an
other job. 1t is the only case on rec.
ord where a freight hustler was dis.
charged for getting business.
There were twelve carloads; it wa:
insured for eighty-f1ve thousand dol
lars a car. You can figure how fal
the title is wrong, but you never car
estimate the worry that stuff gave US
It looked as big as twelve million dol
lars worth. In fact, one scrub-cal
tink, with the glory Of the West END
at heart, had a fight over the amoun
with a skeptical hostler. He main
tanned that the actual money valu,
was a hundred and twenty millions
but give you the figures just as the,
went over the wire, and they arr
right.
What bothered us most was tha
the strikers had the tip almost as soor
as we had it Having friends on ever!
road in the country. they knew a
much about our business as we our
selves. The minute it was announced
that we should move the silk. thel
were after us. It was a defiance; +;
last one. II we could move freight
for we were already moving passen
gers after a fashion-the strike Nigh
be well accounted beaten
Stewart, the leader of the local con
4n-.o4t,or x.-s4y, rf- 80
after me at once.
You don't show much sense, Reed
said he. You fellows here are break
ing your necks to get things moving
and when this strikes over If our boy
ask for your discharge they'll get ii
This road can't run without our en-
gineers. We're going to beat you. 1
you dare try to move this stuff wei
have your scalp when it's over. You'll
never get your silk to GAINESVILLE. II
promise you that And il you ditch /
and make a million dollar loss, you'll
get let out anyway. my buck"
I'm here to obey orders. Stewart -
retorted. What was the use, of more
i felt uncomfortable; but we had de
termined to move the silk; there wa
nothing more TO be said
When I went over TO the roundhous
and told Neighbor the decision he sal
never a word, but he looked a grea
deal. Neighbor's task was to- suppl,
the motive power. All that we had, un
crippled, was In the passenger service
because passengers must be moved
must be taken care Of first Of all. i
order to win a strike you must hav
public opinion on your side.