The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-09
THE OPEN SWITCH.

Jim Cudahay had got his blue en-
velope from the S. & P. road He
was a single man of twenty-five, liv-
ing with his mother and ostensibly
supporting her on the $35 per month
he received as a switchman in the
wards. but in reality making her sup
port him good share of the time
Jim's offense was drunkenness on
duty. He had been warned several
times. and several times he had heed
ed the warning and braced UP, put on
a certain afternoon when he mad Deefa
patronizing the bottle in his shanty
too often he threw a wrong switch
and wreck eight loaded freight cars
and caused the company a loss OF
five thousand dollars. Then it was
| decided that he had to go.
At first Jim was bit frIghtened
and inclined to admit that he had
gotten off very cheaply, but after lis
| tening to the talk of several men IN
the Red Star saloon for half an hour
be became convinced that he was
badly used man. All the men but one
were discharged employees of the
road. and no one but themselves were
to blame for their going. The one
exception was a good talker but
thorough loafer, who had not done
an honest days work for years.
well, it's only what I expected, .
he observed, when Jim had told MS
story 'sThey won't allow a man any
and crirge to them, or he must go.
The superintendent had wine for his
dinner, but because our friend Jim
takes a wee draD of whisky to get
over his tiredness he gets the bounce
at an hours notice. Does any man
here call that a fair deal? Has the
time come when a workingman has
no rights ~
'JiTn's being bounced is going to
come tough on his old mother" re-
marked one of the men as he finished
his glass of beer. They'll likely put
him on the blacklist. and will some
one tell me where he's to get another
I'm the poorhouse. added third.
''That is, unless he's a man, and 1
hope he is
I'm a man, and I'll let folks know
it," replied Jim, who began to realize
the injustice done him
That's the talk said the only
loafer who hadn't spoken before.
"Jin's right when he says he's a man.
and he'll prove it by attending our
lecture tonight"
And what may that be?" asked
There's man going to talk to us
down at Racket hall tonight. I'll come
around after supper and take you down
Have you never attended any of the
tallxs?"
Never a time. When I haven't been
workin' I've been sleepin', and so had
never an hour to myself"
Jin's hours of work had been ten
hours per day, and he had 1oafed the
streets every night until midnight, but
his statement passed unquestioned. In
fact it was encouraged by the leading
loafer, who said:
That's the way of it-grinding a man
into the dust just because he has to
work for living. When Jim has
wanted to walk around in the daytime
like a human being it's been work
work work and when he's wanted to
read the Bible to his old mother O.
nights he's been too dead beat and
sleepy. Come along tonight, Jim, and
you'll hear talk that is talk
And so you've got the bounce?"
queried his old mother when he got
home and told the news.
Yes, they've turned me out on the
world to starve, and all for nothing at
that
but you must have done something. :"
ct was all the engineers fault, and
I believe he was put UP to it by the