The sun., 1909-05-25
FAMINE NEAR IN R. R. TOWNS
NOT 4 WHEEL HAS TURNED ON
GEORGIA LINE IN TWO DAYS.
Meat. Flour and Other staples scarce
In Territory Supplied by the Road
Arbitration Proposed Citizens Re-
sponsible for Failure to Run Trains.

In Territory Supplied by the Road
Arbitration Proposed-CttiZens Re-
sponsible for Failure TO Run Trains.
ATLANTA, May 24.-The Georgia Rail-
road is still completely tied up by the
strike OF white fremen against the en-
ployment Of negroes. Not a wheel has
turned on the system since last Satur-
day and there is no immediate prospect
of resumption Of service.
The situation is growing serious along
The line owing to the failure Of food sup
plies. Many towns report that they are
short OF -four and that the fresh meat
supply is exhausted. Twenty five business
men of Crawfordville to-day wired the
State Railroad Commission: For Gods
sake do something, as we are threatened
with famine
In many other towns the situation is
just as serious. but the people who have
created the situation by mobbing the
negro firemen show no disposition to
reoede from their position.
The mana cement of the road recognizes
that residents along the line arc respon-
sible for the tieup, and it is said the road
is willing for the people to be punished
The fremen charge that the road is
bent on Furnishing the intermediate
points between here and Augusta, at
L. H., ctr Il
for the strikers.
There are several corpses in Atlanta
which cannot be inferred because Of the
strike. Relatives wanted to bury their
dead at home towns along the Georgia
road but can get no transportation.
So far there is nothing to indicate an
early settlement. though pressure is being
brought on the management to submit
the matter to arbitration OF six Georgians.
three to be selected by the road and three
by the firemen. 1t is likely that this
proposition will be accepted.
Commissioner OF Labor Neill will reach
here from Washington tomorrow to see
what he can do toward settling the
trouble
The immediate cause for the strike is
the discharge OF ten white firemen or
hostlers' helpers from the Georgia Ter
minals apd the filing of their places with
negroes. The demand now Of the firemen
is that negroes be eliminated as far as
possible by the Georgia road. They will
probably not insist that negroes who
were employed as firemen before the
strike be discharged. but they will ask
that white men have the paeference.
They will ask too that whenever posi-
bic a negro will be replaced by a white
man. .'t
The strike is not confined simply to the
Georgia road but also extends to the
Georgia Terminals which is separate and
distinct. The Georgia Terminals are
owned jointly by the Georgia, West Point,
and Louisville and Nashville roads.
The threat was made to-day by E. A.
Ball. vice-president OF the firemen, that
IL the roads receive freight shipments
diverted from the Georgia road the
strike Of the Georgia firemen will extend
to them. He says that the receipt Of di-
verted freight from the Georgia road by
other roads makes them the allies Of the
Georgia road and the opponents Of the
firemen. When they take such freight
he asserts that they abandon their neutral
position and put themselves in the atti-
tude Of fighting the firemen.
AUGusIA. May PA riot was pre-
oipitated here tonight when Cecil Todd,
who was guarding strike breaker on a
Georgia railroad yard engine, lost his
head and fired at a number of workmen
who had just left an iron foundry. Todd's
shot hit no one. but the workmen became
angry and chased him. Todd again fired,
without elect. He was overtaken by
workmen and was being roughly handled
when rescued by the police and hurried
to prison. The police say Todd lost his
head, Us no demonstration had been made
against him.