Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1915-07-01
Beginning Today 1900 Shop
men Will Put in Addition
al Hour Each Day.
ROCK ISLAND ALSO
ENLARGES FORCES
Railroads Making Preparations for
Handling Big Fruit Crop of Arkan.
Sas and East TexaS-COttOn Belt
Expected to Follow.

Effective tomorrow. the working
hours for 800 boilermakers, machin-
! lists and helpers and other employees
at the Iron Mountain shops in Ar
genta will be increased from eight to
| nine hours, says the Little Rock
Democrat of Yesterday According to
Supt G. L. Mayne of the Arkansas
lines Of the Iron Mountain, the in
crease in hours is due to the amount
of work now on hand at the shops.
Equipment now is being repaired and
put in shape for the fruit and vege-
table rush which is expected to begin
next week.
The car builders at the shops are
repairing refrigerator cars and box
cars to handle fruit and grain. AL
ready more than 1000 refrigerator
cars have been sent to points in
Texas and on the branch lines of the
Iron Mountain in Arkansas for the
protection of the peach crop, which
will begin to move about July 6. The
peach crop this year is estimated as
the heaviest in several years. Before
the cars are loaded they are iced at
the re-icing stations. The large re-
icing station in Argenta has been re-
paired and put in condition for the
coming season. All cars are re-iced
in Argenta, which requires the SER
vices Of about 200 men. The working
forces in all departments will be in
creased when 1 the fE}pi ~ begins to
The ice for the icing Of the fruit
cars is manufactured by the Mountain
Ice company in Argenta, which is said
to be the largest ice plant in the state
and one of the largest inthe South
west. The plant has. been in opera
ton since April I, 1912, and employs
big force of men during the sum-
mer months. Their monthly pay roll
during the summer months is one OF
the largest Of any manufacturing
plant in Argenta.. ~
Rock Island Increases.
At the Rock Island shops, Fourth
and Olive streets, Argenta, the force
has been increased during the past
two months because of the equipment
sent into Argenta for repairs. Dur
ing the month of June 500 cars have
been turned out ofthe Rock Island
| shops. Most Of the cars are company
| velTISGIdlOI hoIy WA Netl . "
paired for the wheat movement from
Kansas, Nebraska and other wheat
growing states have been rebuilt and
equipped with grain doors, which pre-
vents waste of grain while in transit.
Rock Island officials in Little Rock
! also predict heavy movement OF
fruit on that line Cars have been
1 stored at stations where fruit is load
ed. According to orders for cars re-
1 ceived in the local Rock Island Of
flee. the business will be the heaviest
4 OF recent years. At the engine shops
i many of the Rock Island engines are
! being repaired for the protection OF
| the fruit and grain movement.
/ The reports received by local Cot
ton Belt officials from the fruit AND
vegetable sections traversed by thai
line in Texas are encouraging. Most
of the fruit handled by the Cottor
Belt in Texas is delivered to the Iron
Mountain at Texarkana, and is hand
led through Little Rock and Argenta
G. B. May Resume Full Time.
No announcement has been made b.
Cotton Belt officials of any chang
iii the organization or working tim
at the local shops, although .rumor
remain insistent that full crew is t.
be employed shortly after, the open
ing sot ,tb, new fiscal year, whicl
starts today.
4 For some time past the shops hav
been operated with about half crew
Business has been improving alon
the line, according to President Brit
ton and Vice President and Genera
Manager John w. Everman, who hav
been over the entire system within
the past fortnight. The big Texa
fruit crop is now moving, and tn
Cotton Belt will handle several hun
bred cars from points along its owl
: lines.
Superintendent Elmer Richards ha
: heard nothing from ST. Louis las
; night about any change in the man
) ner OF operating the shops. He LET
i after midI .ght last night for lllmC
i on business trip, but will be bacl
j tomorrow night or Saturday morning