The Washington herald., 1917-03-15
Railway Company Entrenched
For a Long, Bitter Struggle

biles distributed at all car barns and
other points whose only duty Is to carry
detectives Of the Washington Detective
Bureau to police precinct stations to
bail out any of their man who may be
arrested.
These detectives have their pockets 1T
orally bulging with money which they
spend as freely as rain falls from the
skies. 1t was evident, from the many
things the newspapermen saw. that
money means nothing to the transit COM
pany in its fight against the union car
men.
Mr. Lyon is one Of the men who did
not walk out. He has been in the en-
ploy of the company for eighteen years.
After telling his story he brushed up
his clothes, asked for a cap, and looking
at his watch, said: Gee, I'd better get
home, or my wife will be worried about
me-"
Continue Tour.
The ccmpany's guests continued their
tour and nearly fell over a pile Of junk in
the middle of the large office. On this
pile were wlckets, spikes, hammer heads.
and iron and steel of every imaginable
description.
The next point of interest was the
school OF instruction, where carmen are
taught their trade This Is not a new de-
company for years
In this room sat scores of strike break
ers playing cards and otherwise anus
ing themselves, awaiting to be called on
duty.
Mr.. o'Brien sat down at Q sman table
and read names from q large book which
he had been carrying all evening. A. the
men answered they walked UP to him to
receive their days pay.
T'ha marty 61ad fhroY,Ch . lon~ 49,
which was crowded with hundreds Of cot
beds. This was the dormitory of the
strangers brought here to break UP the
strike.
Could Feed 1000 Men,
The next scene was not unlike the
10l Ranch Wild West show. It was the
commissary department Of the company,
which had sprung up in six hours. It
took just that time to outfit a complete
kitchen and stock 1t with provisions 10
feed 1000 men a day, II necessary.
NJ. Simmons. steward, q roly-poly
sort of person. is in charge OF the de-
partment. He started to tell his life's
history when introduced to the news
paper men. He declared that he had been
a chef in some of the largest hotels of
the country, and had travelled all over
the world in the interests Of his culinary
art.
By this time the three original escorts
of the newspaper men had all disappear
ed. They were later found in an office,
answering one telephone call after the
other.
Not few of these calls were 20 o S.
signals from precinct police stations.
Other calls gave directions from officials
of the company. while still others came
from men along the lines telling of this
and that trouble.
Complete Organization.
There was one thing which impressed
the observer. This was the complete
organization which these three men had
among their strikebreakers Still another
thing In evidence was the discipline.
There Is very little polite language used
in the handling Of the men, who obey on
the instant. even though 1t may mean 4
brick on their head as they step into a
crowd Of strikers.
Among the army OF private detectives
who rushed in and out of the ONCE all
night was Jean Hill, of whom a great
deal has been heard in connection with
the trouble on the Mexican border. He
will be remembered as the detective who
first discovered the Mexicans smuggling
into their country.
From the east car barns the party
visited all of the other barns of the COM
pany. At each barn q gauntlet Of jeer-
ing strikers was run and the automobiles
were dented by several missiles which
were thrown.
But the escort of the newspapermen
smiled, Mr.. Reed exclaiming: Some
times we must have the patience Of Job"
At five barns commissary departments
have been installed. and summing I'D the
appearances of each barn, the company
has entrenched itself for months OF war
fare
Officials declared that they can hold
out indefinitely, and surely much longer
than the strikers ever hope to-"