The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-08-02
HUNDREDS OBEY
ORDER TO STRIKE
They Set Their Signals at Dan
ger" and Abandon Their
Offices.
OFFICIALS HOPE TO
= KEEP TRAINS MOVING
Men Imported to Take Places q
Strikers, but No Violence
Occurs.

Hundreds Of telegraphers in the en-
ploy Of the Great Northern and North
ern Pacific roads quit their offices today
in response to strike call issued at IL
0 CLOCK last night by 81. P. Perham,
president of the Order Of Railway Teleg-
raphers.
cities to the Pacific coast the men
turned the danger signal and abandoned
their keys. Trains thus deprived of IA
cilities for getting running order pro-
ceeded slowly over the rails. In some
instances they stopped at various points
and sent handcars ahead to ascertain
The condition of the tracks. In many
places trains were running without the
usual clearance orders. Up to 2:3O pm.
no reports had been received OF any ac-
cidents due to the strike.
Officials of the roads said that, while
traffic was impeded, there would be no
tieup. Representatives, of the teleg-
raphers, however, declared that the
strike would be SO complete by midnight
that no trains would be run.
Altho the railroads have engaged
many men to take the places Of the
telegraphers who have walked out, no
violence has as yet occurred.
Commercial kilograms Delayed.
Reports from many cities on both
roads indicate that commercial tele-
grams are accumulated, there being no !
means of getting them off. At many
stations the railroad telegrapher is also
the operator for the Western Union
Telegraph company, and since they have
gone out messages for those points are /
taken subject to indefinite delay.
Turnout the negotiations with the
representatives of the telegraphers the
railroads had been preparing for the
condition which has now arisen. Sew
eral weeks ago it. was learned that te-
Louis and other cities south and east
and placed at points along the Great
Northern and Northern Pacific roads
where they could drop into places made.
vacant by the walkout of the regular
employees. These new forces have been
augmented by telegraphers from the
central passenger and In, freight Offices
of the impe tlftion Of the traffic, can
well be spared from the terminals for
work at points where it will be neces-
sary to deliver orders to trains. The
roads believe that there will be little
difficulty in keeping the most impor-
tant trains-those carrying passengers
and perishable freight-in motion.
Lockout Precipitated It.
The final decision for the strike was
delayed by Mr.. Perham in the hope that
replies might be received from mes
sages sent by him to President James j..
Hill and Howard Elliott of the Great
Northern and Northern Pacific roads in
the east.
The order might not have been issued,
Mr.. Perham said today, if both roads
had not declared yesterday lockout
of all operators unwilling to accept the
tN, /.
eve waived number of our de-
mands,' Mr.. Perham explained: Eve
gave up the matter Of reinstating GER
tain Of our members, who, as We be-
ieved, were unjustly dismissed. We,
modified our demands for minimum
scale. What we actually split on, In
the case of both roads, was the point
of overtime for Sunday work. We
were willing to take less even even on r. tn an
agreement. And if our wishes as to
Sunday overtime had been fairly met,
we would have given up great many
other things. But we could positively DO
nothing as to the Sunday overtime; the
companies would make no reasonable
ron the Great Northern It wa.
argued by the company, that the road
was willing to give us altogether apouI
l ~
receiving. AS a matter Of fact, -
concessions offered wouldn It exceed SIS
isOn the Northern Pacific we were,
assured that the Sunday overtime rule
desired by us would cost the company
$40, 900 a year. We persisted in de-
claring,, that it o would COST IN iact, no
stThe schedule and wage list finally
offered us by both roads last Friday
was too low in its figures and too mean
in it's terms. Why, the operating ex.
| penses on both the Northern Pacific and
the Great Northern are lower in pro-
portion to the gross earnings than those
Of any other important road IN the
country. The saving has been erected
by underpaying the employees.
After Strike Breakers.
Efforts to secure strike breakers have
already begun, it is said, by agents OF
| the Great Northern and Northern Pa
cific in Chicago, Kansas City and other
cities The strikers declare that bunch
| of strike breakers started from Kansas
City yesterday.
The Northern Paciic's Side.
At noon today General Manager 81.
/ j. Horn of the Northern Pacific made
the following statement.
In response to President Perham g
strike. instructions, the telegraphers on
the Northern Pacific went out at mid
night last night. The order was gen
orally obeyed, and on all the ten di-
| visions of the system many operators
have left their KEYS.
8 This situation has not, however, tied
up traffic at any point on the North
ern Pacific system. Passenger trains
over the entire line are running this
morning very close to their schedules.
The North Coast Limited, which left
st. Paul yesterday, is on time, and the
limited, due in St. Paul this afternoons
is also on time. The night express to
| the Pacific coast (train No. 81, which
left st. Paul at 1915 last night,
was on time at Staples this morning.
The strike has interfered to some
degree with the movement of freight
over the system, but not in such proper
lions as to produce blockades or serious
congestion. The movement Of freight