The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-01
RAILROAD NEWS.
What a General Strike Would
Mean to This Country.
Santa Fe Engine Crew Discusses
Situation.
A REIGN OF TERROR.
White HearSes Would Be in
Evidence Everywhere.
Other Items of General Interest
in Railroad Circles.

II all happened down near the
Santa Fe depot the other day when
one of the oldest and most popular
engineers running out of Topeka on
the Santa FEE was squatted in the
gangway of his monster pet waiting
for the arrival of No. and the be-
ginning of his long greyhound run to
the west. His fireman was seated on
the edge of a switchstand just oppo-
site the purring anxious locomotive,
wiping his hands to a shiny cream
with some brand new waste" just
procured at the roundhouse.
Jimmy" drawled the veteran en-
gineer as he shifted his position in
the shadow of the apron and aimed
well delivered tobacco avalanche at
spike near the edge of the right-of-
way, Jimmy, what do you suppose
would happen to this country and to
this town if Sam Gompers and John
Mitchell and Frank Morrison were all
Jailed and general strike would be
declared by the Central Labor Union
of Philadelphia ?"
The ffremen drew the last piece of
waste through his fingers and tipping
up his greasy cap he took a searching
glance at his captain" Then lean
ing back against the switchstand with
his knee propped up with clinched
hands he inquired:
man? What are you trying to do
pull train with the brakes set. You
act as though they had bumped you
back on the chain gang"
The Engineers Picture
After he had recovered from this
disinterested and cold blooded reply
the engineer got down from his en-
CINE, and after fixing himself comfort
ably on the wide bottom step that led
to the gangway he commenced:
Jimmy, 1 want to state a few
facts to you-facts that would make |
wife and good big family at home |
even though some of them were |
grown up. I want to make you I'M |
derstand just what a general strike !
in the United States would mean to |
this country, this city, this railroad,
and you and I.
In the first place, Jimmy, let me
impress you with the fact that a
strike of this nature would put over
10000 600 men in the United States
out of work and conditions would |
arise which would mean suffering to
and death to hundreds of
This was enough to arouse the idle
curiosity of the phlegmatic fireman
ana turning around facing his en-
sineer he listened with attentive ear
Commence at Home.
Let's commence right at home,
Jimmy continued the engineer. 1.-The
people of Topeka would feel the eff
feet of this strike immediately-it
would come upon this city like a mid
storm. The food supply
brought into the city daily by the four
would diminish and it would
be but a short time until the NAM
moth mills now in operation would
close down for lack of men, materials
and fields for sale. The present food
supply in the grocery stores would be
exhausted-then what would the
people do.
1.-THE housewife who had been used
70 ordering fresh fruits would find
hat there were none-the railroads
had brought none into town-the
railway brotherhoods were not work
ing and no trains can run without
hem. The milkmen would disorgan-
re their routes and sell only where
hey could get the highest prices
IND the prices would be much higher
han the poor man could afford.
Crying hungry babies would be found
almost every city block attended +
by mothers distracted by fear and
worry.
About the third day the conditions
would approach a reign of terror.
Fresh meat could not be procured.
Smoked meats and canned goods
would be demanded. Death would
be here. There would be white
nearses in the streets soon after tell
ing the sad tale of starved and I'M
1ourished babes. Every neighborhood
would have its mourning mothers
and listen. Jimmy-some of them
would be the wives of union men.
Would Be No Newspapers.
There would be no newspapers to
give the news during this terrible sit
lation-as the newspapers are run
by union men. The tele-
graph wires are controlled by union
would be no news from the
outside world-when a community or a
city can receive no news from other
cities it is reason enough to start a
panic and a terror among the inhabi-
tants, 1t is just like locking a little
boy up in big house all by himself.
The beginning of the second week
would bring more hardships and more
deaths. The toilers of the city would