Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-05-16
CHAPTER XXI.
THE INsuRREcTioNARIEs.


at work looping of department heads
they commonly ignore consequence
overlooked by many: namely, the pos
sible effect of such wholesale changes
in leadership upon the rank and file.
The American railroad In its uncon'
solidated stage Is modern feudalism
Its suzerains are the president and
board. of directors: It's clan chiefs are
the men who have built 1t and fought
for its footing in the sharply-contest'
ed field Of competition. To these lead
ers the rank and file is loyal. as loyalty
Is accorded to the men who build and
do, ratIer than tc Gneir successors who
inherit and tear Gown. Add to this
the supplanting - competent execu'
tive officers by staf OF political
trenchermen, ignorant alike OF the
science of railroading, and the equally
important subsistence Of industrial
man-handling, and you have the kim
ding for the fire of insurrection which
had been slowly smoldering in the
Trans-western service since the day
when Mai. Guilford had issued his gen.
eral order No. 1.
At first the fire had burned fitfully,
eating it's way into the small econo-
mics: as when the section hands pelt
stray dogs with new spikes from the
stock keg, and careless freight crews
seed down the right-of-way with cast
of links and pins; when engineers
pour oil where 1t should be dropped,
and firemen feed the stack instead OF
the steam-dome.
But later, when the incompetence
of the new officials became the mock
ing gibe of the service, and the cut
rate avalanche Of traffic had doubled
all mems tasks, the flames rose high
er and out of the smoke OF them
loomed the shape Of the dread demon
of generalization.
First It was Hank Brodrick, who
misread his orders and piled two
freights in a mountain Of wreckage
in the deep cut between Long Pine
and Argenta. Next 1t was an over
worked night man who lost his head
and cranked a switch over in front OF
the westbound Flyer. laying the l,O2o
on her side in the ditch, with the
postal and the baggage car neatly tele-
scoped on top to hold her down.
Two days later II was Patsy Calla-
han; and though he escaped with his
life and his job, II was a close call
He was chasing time freight with the
fast mail, and the freight was taking
the siding at Delhi to let him pass.
One of the red tail-lights of the freight
had gone out and Callahan mistook
the other for the target lamp OF the
second switch. He had time to yell
at his fireman. TO fling himself upon
the throttle-bar and to set the air
brake before he began to turn Irish
handsprings down the embankment;
but the wrecking crew camped two
whole days at Delhi gathering up the
debris.
II was well on in the summer, when
the two divisions, east and west, were
strewn with wreckage and the pit
tracks in the shops and shop yard
were filled to overflowing with Grip
pied engines, that the insurrectionaries
began to gather in their respective Ia
Dor groups to discuss the growing haz-
ards OF railroading on the Trans-West-
ern.
The outcome was protest from the
Brotherhood Of Locomotive Engineers,
addressed to the receiver in the name
Of the organization. setting forth IN
plain terms the grievance OF the mem
bers, and charging it bluntly to bad
management. This was followed i'm
mediately by similar complaints from
the trainmen, the telegraphers and the
firemen: all praying for relief from
the incubus Of incompetent leadership
Not to be behind these, came the Anal
gamated Machinists. demanding an In
crease of pay for night work and over
time: and last, but not least, an intl'
nation went forth from the Fedora
tive council of all these labor unions
limiting at possible political conse'
Quences and the alienation OF the labor
vote II the abuses were not corrected.
What dye calclate the major will
do about it?" said Brodrick, in the
roundhouse conclave held daily by the
trainmen who were hung up or on
duty. will he listen 20 reason anc
give us a sure-enough railroad mar
or two at the top"
mot in Elm 'tousand year" quotf
Dutch" Fischer, Callahan's alternate
on the fast mail. "Haf you not de
Arkoos been reading? 1t is bolotic:
from der beginning to der ent; mi
der governor vorwarts."
Then am tellin' you-all right now
there's goin' to be heap o trouble.
drawled pike County" Griggs, the
oldest engineer on the line. The
shopmen are bilin'; and if the major
puts on that blanket cut in wages he:
talkin' about"
off," broke in Callahan, with fin'
scorn. otis slaping on yer injurie:
ye are, Misther Griggs. The notice IL
out; twas posted in the shops this
day"
Then that settles It," said Griggs
gloomily. When does it take hold?"
THE first day av the month to come
An they're telling me it catches every
body, down to the missinger bys IL
the of'ceS."
Griggs got upon his feet, yawnins
and stretching before he dropped baoi
into his corner of the wooden settle.
You lissen at me; If that's the fact
I'm telling you-all that every whee
on this blame, hoodooed railroad il
goin' to stop turnin' at IL o'clock OF
the night before that notice takes
hold"
"Is Durgan with us?" asked Brod
rick.
Hes wit himself, as a master me
chanic shu'd be-" said Callahan. Soi
M'Tosh. But nayther wan mr. tothe
av thimn take thrain out whin tn
strikes on. They're both Loring min.
At the mention Of Loring's nam
Griggs looked up from the stick n
was whiting.
mo propects o. the Boston folks get
Il