The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1907-02-14

Ine general
superintendent happened 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 1t over to the Columbian Pa
cific"
Our contracting freight agent on the
coast at that time was a fellow so err
ratio that he was nicknamed Crazy
horse. Right in the midst of the strike
Crazyhorse wired that he had secured
u big silk shipment for New York. We
were paralyzed
We had no engineers, no firemen and
no motive power to speak of. The
strikers were pounding our men,
wreckng our trains and giving us the
worst of 1t generally-that is, when
we couldn't give it to them. Why the
fellow displayed his activity at that
particular juncture still remains a
mystery. Perhaps he had a grudge
against the road. If so, he took an
artful revenge. Everybody on the sys-
fem with ordinary railroad sense knew
that our struggle was to keep clear or
freight business until we got rid or
our strike Anything valuable or per
ishable was especially unwelcome.
But the stuff was docked and loaded
and consigned in our care before we
knew it. After that refusal to carry
it would be like hoisting the white
flag. and that is something which
never yet flew on the West End
"Turn it over to the Columbian"
said the general superintendent. But
the general superintendent was not
looked up to on our division. He
hadn't enough sand. Our head was o
fighter and he gave tone to every man
under him.
NO" he thundercd, bringing down
his fist, mot In a thousand years!
Wen move it ourselves. Wire Mont
gOmery, the general manager, that we
will take care of il. And wire him to
fire CraZyhorse-and TO do it right off,
And before the silk was turned over
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 We're twelve car loads. 1t
was insured for $50 900 u car. You can
figure how far the title is wrong, but
you can never estimate the worry that
stuff gave lis. 1t looked as big as
S12,000,000 worth In fact, one scrub
car tink, with the glory of the West
End at heart, had fight over the
amount with skeptical hostler. He
maintained that the actual money
value was hundred and twenty mil
lions, but | gave You the figures just
as they went over the wire, and they
are right.
What bothered us most was that the
strikers had the tip almost as soon as
we had it, Having friends on every
road in the country. they knew as
much about our business as we
ourselves. The minute it was an
nounced that we should move tile silk
they We're after us. 1t was a defiance,
a last one. If we could move freight
for we We're already moving passen-
gers after fashion-the strike might
be well accounted beaten.
Stewart the leader of the local con-
tlngent together with his followers,
got atter 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 boys
ask for your discharge they'll get II.
This road can't run without our engi-
neers. We're going TO beat you. If
sou dare try to move this stuff Wen
nave your scalp when it's over. You'll
never get your silk to GAINESVILLE, I'll
promise you that. And if you ditch it
and make million dollar loss, you'll
get let out anyway, my buck"
I'm here TO obey orders, Stewart"
j retOrted, What was the use OF more?
felt uncomfortable, but we had de-
termlned to move the silk. There was
nothing more to be said.
When / went over to the rOundhouse
and told Neighbor the decision he said
never word, but he looked a great
deal. Neighbours task was TO supply
The motive power, All that we had,
unerippled, was in the passenger serv-
Ice, because passengers must he NOV
ed-must be taken care of first of all.
In order 10 win strike you must
have public opinion on your side.
Nevertheless, Nelghbor," said /,
after we had talked awhile, 1--WE must
move the silk also
Neighbor studied, then he r0ared at
his foreman
Send Bartholomew Mullen here" |
He spoke with decision that made me |
think the business was done. | had |
never happened, il is true, to hear of |
Bartholomew Mullen in the depart |
ment of motive power. but the i'm |
preston the name gave me was OF /
monstrous fellow. big as Neighbor or
old man Sankey or Dad Hamilton.
"Ill put Bartholomew ahead OF IT,"
Nelghbor tightly, A boy
walked into the office.
'Mr Garten said you wanted TO see
me, sir" said he, addressing the mas
ter mechanic
81 do, Bartholomew" responded
Neighbor.
The figure in my minds eye shrunk
In Z twinkling. Then it occurred to
me that 1t must be this boys father
who was wanted.
"XOu have been begging for q chance
to take out an engine, Bartholomew"
began NeighbOr eoldly And ! knew 1t
was on.
''Yes. sir"
"You want to get killed. BariholO-
new"