The Greeley tribune., 1907-10-03

superintendent happened 10 be witt
us when the news came.
You can't handle ii, boys. said he
nervously. What you'd better do is
to turn it over TO the Columbian Pa
cific"
Our contracting freight agent on the
coast at that time was fellow so err
ratio that he was nicknamed Crazy
horse. Right in the midst of the strike
Crazyhorse wired that he had secured
big silk shipment for New York. we
were paralyzed.
We had no engineers. no fremen ana
no motive power to speak OF. Inc
strikers We're pounding our men,
wreckiug our trains and giving us the
worst of it 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 grudge
against the road If so. he took an
artful revenge. Everybody on the sys-
tenn with ordinary railroad sense knew
that our struggle was to keep clear OF
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 a refusal to carry
it would be like hoisting the white
flag. and that is something which
never vet 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. lie
hadn't enough sand. Our head was a
fighter, and he gave tone TO every man
under him.
NO" he thundered, bringing down
his fist. mot in thousand years!
Wen move it ourselves. Wire Mont
gomery. the general manager, that we
will take care of it. And wire him to
fire CraZyhorse-and to do it right of.
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 freight hustler was dis
charged for getting business.
There We're twelve car loads. 1t
was insured for Ss5,o0o car. You can
figure how far the title is wrong, but
you can never estimate the worry that
stuff gave us. 1t looked as big as
S12.0O0.OO0 worth. In fact one scrub
car tink. with the glory OF the West
End at heart, had a fight over the
amount with a skeptical hostler. He
maintained that the actual money
value was a hundred and twenty mil
lions. but l 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 the silk
they We're after us. 1t was a defiance
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
tingent, together with his followers
kOt dlteT Iue 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 boy
ask for your discharge they'll get i
This road can't run without our eng
neers. We're going to beat you.
you dare try to move this stuff we
have your scalp when it's over You
never get your silk to GAINESVILLE, T.
promise you that And If you ditch
and make million dollar loss, you
get let out anyway. my buck
I'm here to obey orders, Stewart
/ retorted. What was the use of NOR
1 felt uncomfortable. but we had d
termined to move the silk. There W
nothing more to be said.
When I went over to the roundhou
and told Neighbor the decision he sa
never word, but he looked a gre
deal. Neighbor's task was to SUPP
the motive power. All that we ht
uncrippled, was in the passenger sci
ice, because passengers must be mt
ed-must be taken care of first of {
In order to win strike you IN,
have public opinion on your side.
Nevertheless, Neighbor." said
after we had talked awhile, 1--WE N,
move the silk also"
Neighbor studied, then he roared
his foreman.
"Send Bartholomew Mullen her
He spoke with decision that made
think the business was done. I
never happened, it is true, to hear
Bartholomew Mullen in the dept
ment Of motive power, but the
preston the name gave me was o
monstrous fellow. big as Neighbor
old man sankey or Dad Hamilton.
"I'll put Bartholomew ahead Of
muttered Neighbor tightly. A
walked into the Office.
"Mr. Garten said you wanted to
me, SIR" said he, addressing the n
ter mechanic.