The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-08-09
NAY BE A LONG STRIKE.
Railroad Managers and Operators Make
Conflicting Statements.

ST. PAUL, Aug. 3.-The operators
strike has been reduced to conflicting
claims on both sides. President
Perham asserts that the strike
Is effective from St. Paul to the coast.
The railroad officials deny this, say
ing that passenger trains are running
on schedule time by means of tele.
phones operated by strike breakers.
In spite of the difficulties resultant
from the walkout OF the telegraphers,
the railroads have been able to keep
the more important trains on sched-
ules. Through trains1from the coast
arrived in St. Paul today on time,
with the exception of the North Coast
Limited on the Northern Pacific, which
was not seriously delayed. The freight
tratns are being successfully handled.
The abandonment of a number of
way freights was the most serious dis.
ablement of traffic today.
The railway officials claim tonight
that there has been q notab BILE break in
the ranks of the strikers, all the opera
tors on one branch of the Great
Northern in North Dakota having
gone back to work and 30 or 40 more
have signified their willingness to do
so. Many substitutes were placed
during the day and men from different
parts of the country are being exam
ined and put to work as rapidly as
they arrive.
BUTTE, Aug. 3.-Butte operators
are feeling good over the prospects.
They say that the order has not
settled to work yet, that the men have
not been placed along the line, and
that when they are, many of the opera.
tors still working will be induced to
quit and tie up the system most effec.
tually. On the other hand, the rail-
way officials cay that things are look.
ing better today than they were yester.
day, and that it is only a question of
hours until the vacancies along the
lines are filled and the traffic handled
in the usual way.
Although no publicity has been
given the matter, the striking opera.
tors confidently expect that in the
event the positions of the strikers are
filled with on.union men, the train
men will refuse to accept orders from
them, on the ground that they are in.
competent, and If such a thing should
come to pass, the telegraphers' strike
would develop into q universal agree.
ment between all employees and the
companies.
HELENA, Aug. 4.-There was prac.
tically no change today in the strike
situation on the Northern Pacific and
Great Northern roads. Both the Off.
cials OF the Order of Railway Telegra.
piers and the railroad companies de.
clare that they are more than satisfied
with the situation as they find it, and
each side seems to have the utmost
confidence 40 to the outcome.
The strikers assert that more men
have joined their ranks and that the
railway company has found it neces.
sary to close several Offices. Highly
encouraging messages were received
during the day by Fourth Vice Presi.
dent j. J. Dermody from President H.
3. Perham of the order, who has gen.
eral charge of the strike at St. Paul,
as we'll as from local points in Mon.
taua.
The Great Northern, officials declare
their passenger trains are moving on
schedule time, not only on the Mon
tana Central, but on the main line
east and west from Havre. Freights
of the regular class are also asserted
to be moving as usual, and on the
whole they declare they feel no i'll ef.
fects from the strike.
With the Northern Pacific, very
little effort is being made to move
freight traffic, while the passenger
trains were from two to four hours
late today, and the night trains sim
ilarly bulletined. The Northern Pa.
cifc officials declare, however, that
they will begin the regular movement
OF freight within few days.
Archibald Gray, assistant general
freight and passenger agent of the
Great Northern, who is in town today,
claims that train service upon the
Great Northern is not as seriously
hampered by the strike of the telegra-
pher as has been reported.
II have advices today" said Mr..
Gray, "that both passenger and
freight trains are moving along the
system about on schedule and that
there is very little delay regardless OF
the Inconvenience that has resulted |
from the operators quitting. We are
accepting freight from all points un.
less i, is of perishable nature.
Where freight is destined to points at
which there is no agent we of course