The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-06-25

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1880 a. n. and 2 p. III was allowed
for dinner. but hat - the train dis-
patcher finds that tlaips are coming
in and that he wants the operator 70
stay OF duty. that the dinner hoor 70
cut out and the operator paid 70
cents for the hour, even II ne n given
time afterwaId for dinner, and that
II the operator vas out the trains
would have TO delay. After nlucn
prodding OF the witness, bdr. Justice
got from him a practical admission
that the operators at Pelham
pas 8 by s feet. eight feet nigh, tin
roof. with two or three sides OF glass.
the sun shining on the telegraph In
struments and operators seat ana
as 10 the cause OF wrecks On railroads
that the men don't carry out instruc-
tons.
Shy as To the Sabbath.
There was a lively tilt
Messrs. Justice and CoPeman as -
the effects OF twelve hours a day. Mr..
Justice asked II twelve hours a day
for ass days in the year did not
render q. man unfit for work who was
confined in such a hot little room.
Mr.. Copeman replied that he did not
consider twelve hours a day too much.
What is the Sabbath for?" asked
Mr.. Justice. and Mr.. Copeman said:
II don't know what the sabbath has
TO do with this in North Carolina,
religious duty, nor as TO one days
rest in seven. Later when Mr.. JUS
which Mr., Justice said that they
ought not to disagree az 70 a mans
religious duty. Later when Mr.. Jus
tice frightened down for a yes or no.
ed his questions, and Mr. Copeman,
addressed the Commission and said he
was trying 70 be frank, but could not
answer some questions asked. as Mr..
TlISfica did not know what he was
aaking Mr.. Justice, however. press
ed his questions. and Mr.. Copeland,
getting mixed UP as TO statements he
had made that he had not visited
Pelham. took it back and said that he
had visited Pelham. A half hour was
spent in getting from the witness his
knowledge as to how many times a
telegraph operator would have to use
the wire when a train entered and left
= block, the witness saying three
times, but finally agreeing that 1t
might be five times, but that only
minutes was the time occupied by the
t~elegraphtng, about twenty-five min
utes by the train, and that about
forty a day passed Pelham. II all
trains passing should meet at Pei
ham he said the time taken would be
ten. twelve to fifteen hours. and Mr..
Justice deduced from this that If all
did not meet that all twenty-four
hours would be used In getting the
trains through. Another tilt came
as to q railroad rule quoted by Mr..
Justice that no wire shall be cut
through for messages each way, to
his Mr.. Copeman not agreeing at
first, then saying the rule had been
made to stop gosstping by telegraph
operators. He declined to answer for
awhile and Mr.. Justice said il he did
not he would ask the Commission to
TN.--ll Il
that the rule be put in evidence. but
no one had the rule, and at last Mr..
Copeman stated that he agreed with
MIR. Justice as to the rule, and hat
also while an operator might use the
wire five times in passing a train
through a block. yet believed that
three times would cover the rule.
Then it was brought out hat the OPP
orator at Pelham assisted in the block
work for the Danville and Western,
and also made out reports for the
coal shute at Pelham.
Finds One Place Needs Eight Hours.
The cross examination then took up
the points from Pelham to Green's
boro, Int 1t was not till the M. G.
office at Greensboro vas reached that
Mr.. Copeman said he believed that
there was need for the eight hour
law, the sum total of his examination
and cross examination showing that
his view is that at all stations from
the Virginia line to Greensboro, and
only excepting one office there. the
operators could work for twelve hours
with safety to the public, a position
~antagonized by the counsel for the
te~legraphers, who pointed out condi-
tons existing at various places that
demanded that h eight hour law be
observed. Adjournment was lac for
dinner while Mr.. Copeman was on
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hearing was
The Afternoon Session..
At the afternoon session the cross
examination of M. Copeman was re-
sumed by Mr.. Justice, this along the
line going to show that the operators
had more work to do than was set
out in the statement made to the
Commission The matter Of the work
of the telegraph operator at Cary was
gone into ~exhaustively. AS to this
place Mr.. Copeman ave answers
largely from his general information.
as he la not been there recently and
was not informed as to the details of
the duties performed by the operator.
The second witness for the South
ern was Mr.. George r. Loyal, of
Knoxville, general superintendent of
the western district, who spoke as to
the conditions on the Murphy division
Of the Southern. He was cross-ex-
amined by Judge Strudwick, the line
of this being to show thaat the opera
tors were kept 50 much employed that
eight hours out Of the tw~enty-four
was enough for them to work. Mr..
Loyll did not favor the eight hour
laW.
Following this Mr.. H. w. Miller
said that superintendent Faliack, of
the Charlotte division, could not be
present, as go many of the operating
officials could not leave the road at
one time, hat if Mr.. Fallack was
needed, he could be brought today
He offered Mr.. j. n. Scale, Of Wash
ington, manager of the eastern and
northern districts, to speak of the
Charlotte division of his general
knowledge, saving that the statement
submitted with the petition had
been prepared with Mr.. Scales knowl
edge.
Had Only a General knowledge.
Mr.. Scale stated that for thirty-one
years ne had been a telegraph opera
tor, had only a general or approximate
knowledge of the work and number of
men at places on the division. AS he
said he could only testify as to the
hest of his knowledge and belief Mr..
Justice entered an objection to his tes-
timony, as it was not from his own
knowledge. Mr.. Justice asked Ques-
tons about Grover and Kings Noun
tain, but Mr.. Scale said that his knowl-
edge of those was only by infertnce.
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