Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1914-12-23
RAILROAD men N
CONFERENCE

CHICAGO. Dec. 23.-The man with
the scoop shovel, and his hardships
and poverty was under the spotlight
at the arbitration hearing, in which
$1,000 employees OF western roads fig
ure, in Chicago last week. The man
in the Locomotive cab, who shovels
coal in t6Iaksts - lnawsoE sAiski
pet engine hour after hour and day Il
after day, sometimes as many as thir-
ty tons a day, told his story for the
benefit of the arbitrators.
And beside him at the hearing was
the inconspicuous fellow who grooms
and oils and cares for the locomotive
while it rests in the roundhouse. 1t
is said that few people ever hear of
or see the railroad hostler but, accord
ing to testimony at the inquiry, If the
hostler is incompetent or ignorant and
turns the locomotive over to the en-
gineer in an unsatisfactory condition
at any time, a serious disaster may
follow.
1t was the scoop shovel artisan, how
ever, who perhaps attracted the most
attention. There was Henry Rose, a
fireman on the Chicago and North
western road running out of Esca-
naba, Mich, who told the story of fire.
quent lay-offs, loss of seniority, long
and tedious trips requiring vast
amount of shoveling. and low pay. 1t
was Rose who said he had not been
able to get work for a month or six
weeks and if it had not been for aid
given him by relatives he and his
family would have been in a starv
ing condition.
A typical hostler was p. ]. McClory
who works for the Chicago Junction
Railway. He told of laboring twelve
hours a day and getting 16 2-3 cents
an hour. or $500 for a days work.
He wanted more money and needed it'll
but was forced to work twelve hours
each day to obtain his meager $500.
Another hostler, Frank Hallowoy, of
Chicago. working for the Burlington
road, testified that he receives $500 a
day but is forced to work twelve
hours to acquire that sum. Mr.. Hal
loway said that in 1913 he had work
ed every Sunday but three and had
kept on the job all holidays including
Christmas day that he might support |
his family. This witness said he had
tried to keep up the pace this year,
that the strain had been too great of
late, however. and had caused him dur
ing 1914 to lay off total of thirteen
days.
An epitome of the points made by
the fireman and hostler witnesses fol-
lows:
Their occupation is exceedingly pre-
carious insofar as steadiness of en-
ployment is concerned.
They are under-paid even during the
periods when they do work
The installation of heavier locomo-
tives has reduced the earnings Of in
dividual firemen and likewise has cut
down the fireman's working force by
from so to 60 per cent
During the last two or three years
the cost OF living has materially in
creased not only at home but away |
from home where firemen must be
when their work keeps them out on
the road.
Three instances of enginemen en-
countering surprise tests were men,
toned during the weeks testimony. I
B. P. Young, half-breed Indian and
an engineer on the Union Pacific road /
in Kansas told the story of running I
into the unexpected red switch light
on two occasions about a year ago.
One he was running his train near
New Cambria, Kans., and the other
time 1t was near Salina, the same
state, where the test was sprung. Both
times his engine was going at good
rate of speed when the quick flash OF
red startled the engineer and caused
him to put on the emergency brake.
The first time ne was within fifty feet
of the switch, he said, when the red
light was turned on him. Both these
tests were fakes and given to see IL
Mr.. Young had his eyes OPEN. The
witness said that he was under the
impression that the Kansas law
against surprise tests was in force at
the time.
II remained for o. +. Modenbach,
a fireman on the Oklahoma division
OF the Rock Island Railroad, to re-
late an even more impressive story.
On the stand Saturday Mr.. Modem