East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1907-02-06

Here If an Illuminating little tale
concerning our government. In July
last there was wreck on the Great
Northern railroad near Diamond
lake, in the state of Washington, that
cost six lives, says Ridgeway's Maga-
zine. Exposed to death in the wreck
were two railway mail clerks, William
Donaghy and p. Vanlippoley by name.
Various versions. official and other
wise, were given as to the cause OF
the accident, and finally the mail
clerks wrote letters to Spokane news
papers telling what they knew about
IT.
Donaghy in his letter had the te-
merity to tackle James j. Hill, presi-
dent Of the Great Northern railroad.
He declares that the roadbed was de-
fective, that trains were run at dan
gerously high speed, and that upon
no system over which he had run in
a lifetime devoted to railway and
railway mail service had he seen life
held so cheap. Here is fragment
of Donaghy's letter that is literary:
'"rhen why this suicidal speed? Be-
cause the schedule calls for it, and en-
gine drivers are expected to make
It. Not only are they expected to
make it, hut they are continually and
eternallv pounded on the back until
they do make it or go in the ditch.
occasionally an engine driver,
through regard for his own and other
human lives, refuses to take such des-
perate chances. What is the result?
He is called up on the carpet and
not very politely informed that unless
he can make the time a man will he
found who will. The man has spent
tho best years of his life working up
to a position which enables him to
begin to clothe and feed his family,
and cannot afford tG begin life anew.
He becomes desperate. He says to
himself, I will make it this time or
die trying He tries-and his last
run, the fireman's last run, the pos
tai clerks last run, the messengers
last run. and. incidentally, the last
run Of a few passengers ends in Dia-
mond lake"
For thus speaking their minds the
two postal employees were promptly
fined $40 apiece and each was sus-
PENDED from his run for 10 days by
the great government of the United
States, and that no other postal en-
ploves should ever fall into their dis
graceful error, w. S. Shallenberger.
second assistant postmaster general,
Issued the following muZzling order:
''it is deemed essential to the prop
er administration of public business
that officers and employees of this Of
flee shall maintain respectful official
relations with railroad companies and
carrying companies. as well as with
their superior officers. Railway pos
tai clerks must not engage in contro-
versies with or criticisms of railroad
officials involving the administration
of the postal service by furnishing
Attenuation to the newspapers or
discussing or denouncing the
acts or omissions of such officials as
affecting the postal service. Clerks
this instruction will be sub
jert to discipline and possible remov-
al from the service.
"All information, criticism or COM
plant which clerks or officials can
give from personal knowledge or OBJ
tain from credible sources looking to
the betterment of the postal service
and the comfort and safety of their
persons while officially employed.
should be forwarded through their
superior officers in order that prompt
action may be taken"
This odious order is still operative.
and tho fact that an anonymous pro-
test from a party of mail clerks comes
to Ridgeway's shows how badly bull
doZed are the men affected by it.
That they feared to sign their names
to the communication is pitiable.
Peculiarly exposed to the villain
ously bad management of American
railroads are the railway mail clerks.
Their cars are nearly always carried
near the engines, and there is scarcely
a mail train wreck in which one or
more of them is not killed or manned.
Before the Shallenberger ukase was
issued they were the only men in the
train crews with souls free from con-
troll, but now they, too, are ironed
and the public may only get their
testimony through the censors at
Mr.. Shallenberger may be a pure,
kindly soul, untouched by the influ-
nnce of the railroads, but it would be
to know. His sense of
humor is surely deficient. Can you
hear mangled postal clerk say to
a railway official, please, kind sir,
It was good of you to kill me, but
won't you notify my wife," or,
Please, good sir, when you get time
Won't you lift your box car off me
and pull your coupling pin out of