Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1919-06-13
Don't Knock
By C. F. Alfordson

A number of B. & O. employees
asked me Monday if l had seen the
article published in one of the Newark
dailies of June 7th, and receiving an
answer in the negative one Of them
produced the said paper and pointed
to the article which read after this
fashion: "The B. & O.'s chief diff
Guilty is to obtain skilled labor x x
Every time they want a foreman or
an excellent piece Of work done they
have to go outside the city to get
men for the job. The B. & O. has
been compelled to establish schools
for apprentice work in the shops here,
and there are no tool workers." etc.
After reading this article and glanc
ing at the vast number of mechanics
about me it took on the form of
comedy drama. But in order to get
this before the public right we will
have to go back few years.
l see by the date above the foundry
door, and several other shop doors,
these shops were built in 1872. Yes,
At years ago, and they are still work
ing. In all of these At years there
has been but one building entirely re-
newed and that was the round house.
Newark has furnished the skilled la
Dor, not only has it done that but it
has helped other roads in the official
line. The first record | could obtain
was Frank Deims, who left here dur
ing the strike of 1878, he had served
his time as a machinist undeI ma
chine shop foreman Hudson, and is
now superintendent Of motive power
Of the Vanderbilt lines; Joe Kane, a
blacksmith, learned his trade at New
ark, now foreman of Glenwood shops;
VIM. Gilmore, machinist, learned
trade at Newark, now general fore
man at Dayton; Tim German, gen
eral foreman at Cleveland; J. Kelley,
boiler maker, now foreman at the
Baldwin Locomotive works, Philadel
phia; Geo. Moriarity, master mechan-
ic at Boston, for the New York, New
Haven and Hartford; Chas. Weber,
foreman in foundry at Mt. Glare
shops; j. A. Jones, of the Mark Mfg.
Co., Chicago; VIM. Sheridan, now
holding a prominent position with a
southern railroad, ard his brother
James Sheridan, chief of police, also
a Newark boilermaker; Frank Phelan,
pipe filter, holding a prominent place
at Denver; Edward Eberly, pipe shop
foreman at Benwood, is also a made
in Newark mechanic.
If Newark cannot produce the goods
where did she get all of these men
that have made good at other points?
For Al years other roads and shops
have been drawing on our Newark sup
ply Of finished mechanics, yet "when
they want an excellent piece of work
done they must send out of town."
and if they need a foreman its send
out of town. Still if you look around
you will find from the general fore
man (who is a Newark man) down
to the common labor foremen but
three men who have been brought
from elsewhere to act as foreman.
Does the writer of that article under
stand what it takes to make a sue
cessful foreman, or does he realize
the small ratio among mechanics and
laboring people who could hold the
job other than in name only? Until
the past 18 months the salary has
not been very tempting bait for
man who did have brains enough to
offciate (and it takes brains); but
they have raised wages to the point
where a man can almost buy three
meals day and can afford to stand
little hell from someone else, so