Show DENVER RIO GRANDE STRIKE the denver and rio bio grande rall bail way company have issued from the office of the president ernt and general manager a circular containing their version verrlon of the circumstances leading up to the strike of conductors firemen and brakemen ou the second division of their road Jo inaugurated augur on the morning of the lost and now on on august auguet division superintendent R M ridgway ordered that tram and engin engi eroen nemen on trains traina 61 and 64 must not dot detain their trains traina to get meals at malta or Ul enwood that on leaving terminals term ioala they must prepare themselves to go through as aa it was very desirable deel rable that the trains should make fast fact time the company SAYS that on august two days daya after the issuance of the b bulletin order engineer william gordon was listed to take tabe west bound calibo california ruta fast freight train no 61 irom minturn to grand junction As the train was ready raidy to leave minturn engineer gordon called the trainmaster who was wag in minturn upon his als engine and informed him that list unless bulletin order no 23 relating to de d of trains traina 61 and 64 at malts malta and Gi glenwood enwood by train and taking meals meale was waa recalled he would not dot leave minturn with the train me he used violent language and stated elated he be did not care a damn if he never works i another minute 1 be would not go out until the order was waa recalled and told the trainmaster to go to the office and repeat this to division bead headquarters this the did at once in order to avoid contention and dis dig arrangement of the train mer service vice the division superintendent on being ad by telegraph of the situation directed the train trainmaster waster to remove the order flom the bulletin board and train no 61 was waa then taken out by bt engineer william gordon an investigation into the action of mr gordon was ordered by the general superintendent and was held at salida calida at 1080 am october ard 3rd the following to a verbatim transcript of the proceedings of the investigating ti board which consisted of B R M ridgway Kid gway division i chairman A W jones division master mechanic J E barnea traveling engineer 0 H barnes barnea trainmaster 1 I 0 baker locomotive engi ner selected by mr gordon Bidgway Ridgway Mr gentlemen this meeting is ie called for the of investigating the case of engineer willam wi liana gordon refusing to leave manturi i until bulletin no 28 was waa recalled the following loiter from trainman ter barnes barnee was read as well as a bulletin no 28 23 copy of which will be found above SALIDA colo september ath 1892 mr R M ridgway way supt bupt salida calida colo dear sir on august 24 as t rain min 61 was getting ready to leave the yard at min turn Engineer william gordon called me up on his hia engine and informed me that the bulletin in heaard to eating on trains traine 61 and 64 at glenwood glen wood and malta malia must be recalled before he would leave the yard he said that no fireman could fire a hog bog from grand junction to minturn for him without having something to eat on the road as aa they stand it he also said that he care a d n if he never worked another minute he be would not go until it was recalled and for me to go in office and tell them so which I 1 immedi immediately Athly done engineer george gordon was present and expressed his displeasure but not in such a positive and violent manner as william gordon I 1 only said to them that if they had used a reasonable length of time at chese points to eat in the bulletin would never have appeared afterwards in conversation with george gordon I 1 said that en linemen gi nemen in fact the whole train crew were eating too long and that these trains were important and all should take an interest in making good time with them and on account of our inability to do so we were losing freight P H trainmaster mr ridgway please give giro us u the dead time of these trains traine answer sixty one oce has hai twenty min utes at malta and fifteen minutes at glenwood sixty four has seventeen minutes minute at glenwood and eighteen minutes minute at malta G H barnes this letter la Is correct to Is it not dot mr gordon mr gordon it to is correct mr ridgway then mr barney barnes report of the case to is correct to is it mr gordon mr gordon As aa near As aa I 1 can remember mr ridgway bidgway 1 I think you should remember whether or not you said laid you did not care a damn whether you worked for the company or not you would not go out until the bulletin was waa recalled mr gordon I 1 was pretty warm under the collar and thought the bulletin was unjust and probably I 1 ea an d it mr ridgway I 1 do not think it we do not want to deprive the men of a chance to get something to eat but we want to get our trains through on time mr gordor gordon I 1 would like to ask for a little information I 1 would like to know it if when I 1 come out of grand junction late and get to glenwood I 1 am allowed the 17 minutes if I 1 am behind time mr ridgway certainly mr gordon gordoni I 1 have got to oil around the engine myself and take water and that takes considerable time mr ridgway bidgway your fireman can oil one side aide mr gordon I 1 have been in the habit of carrying a lunch with me I 1 have a family in minturn sometimes I 1 do not carry one out of grand junction as aa I 1 have to have to put up at a restaurant L will tell you my reasons if we come out of grand junction with a lunch when we can got get to there is no restaurant open where we can get anything to eat and aad the fire mau man is in no condition to fire are an on en gins gine on an empty stomach as be is compelled to do when we come out of grand junction and catch the run to aspea and he be cannot get anything to eat without losing a lot of sleep mr ridgway you will admit that it Is ij not very hard work to fire from minturn to glenwood mr gordon yes sir but the hard work is from glenwood glee wood to aspen on train 65 mr ridgway I 1 do not know why our employee should not carry a lunch mr baker of course a man has time enough to eat on the dead time shown on card I 1 do not think that mr gordon took the right means to have his bis bulletin cancelled if iche he thought it was obnoxious he should have had bad one of the men come over abid see mr ridgway bidgway I 1 think mr gordon gordan used rather unbecoming language in regard to having the bulletin recalled mr gordon 1 I would like to say further that I 1 did not think that the bulletin was just I 1 wanted to live up to instructions but I 1 did not see how we could with this bulletin I 1 do not like to have a fireman fire an engine for me on an empty stomach I 1 told the trainmen that we did not want to run this thi thing into the ground I 1 know that there has been lots of unnecessary necessary delays at glenwood but I 1 claim thit that I 1 have not caused them mr baker you say that you were not making a personal complaint but that it was made for the fireman I 1 think that the fireman should be able to fight his own battles mr gordon if the fireman cleans his him ash pan and takes coal at glenwood it takes about all the time allowed there I 1 hays have often cleaned the ash pan myself for the fireman I 1 think the bulletin was an imposition on the fireman more than on me it if the fireman cleaned the ash pan and took his own toa oal he would not have time to eat at it if we could eat at minturn it would be a whole lot different and they can not got get sleep mr 3 Jone ones sEven even it if it was so it does not justify you in disobeying orders J E barnes barnea 1 I think mr gordon did exceedingly exceeding Jy wrong in refusing refu sinK to go out until the bulletin was recalled ezen even it if it was obnoxious to him I 1 was in minturn but did not hear the conversation the trainmaster told me that gordon refused to go out until I 1 the bulletin was recalled mr jones jo nos th this Is appears to be a olea biear r case of insubordination mr gordon supposing I 1 took booi a lunch with me do you suppose I 1 would be attending to my business white while I 1 eat it I 1 know that the fireman could not noli do it mr ridgway bidgway 1 I think a man can eat on an engine as well as he can take out a cigar aulgar and light it and smoke emoke mr baker could not the head brakeman relieve the fireman for a few minutes while he ate him big lunch mr gordon I 1 would not like to eat while going through glenwood canyon I 1 usually hang out of the win dow while going through there I 1 have hare never truck struck any rooks there perhaps it is la is because I 1 am lucky mr ridgway bidgway well mr Gor gordon dozi acknowledges he refused to go out and that he be said what the trainmaster states la in his letter Q G H barnes there were no mes ages in regard to the matter I 1 was wa at the key myself talking with the dispatcher and told him that gordon refused to go out until the bulletin wao wa recalled 1 1 mr baker I 1 think you should have had some representative man come to see mr ridgway about the matter mr ridgway is a pretty reasonable man about letting mon men eat mr gordon 1 I scar scarcely eely ever go ovet ove the road but what there is from and a hall ball to four hours delayed dimov 1 I 1 never got get any letters in regard to jl mr baker perhaps the engine does a little last running and covers ome of it up 0 o mr mi ridgway 1 I presume that them delays ate are doing local work and meet ing trains and are so reported by the conductors mr gordon well so far as I 1 aw am concerned I 1 do not want to answer for the shortcomings of other men oft elk the road tut lut I 1 am willing to suffer fox for my own I 1 have always tried to work f for the interests of the company ant and do bot think that anybody can say my that thai I 1 have not nol of course I 1 did wrong itt is acting as I 1 did about this bu business I 1 b ata at the time I 1 thought I 1 uld did r right t as f did not think a man capable of doing his work on an empty stomach mr ridgway bidgway I 1 believe this is all gentlemen unless you have something more to on the subject findings engineer gordon ao I 1 having used the langpap in his bis conversation with mr barnes at 1 minturn as reported and that he be re re fused to obey the bulletin ardt e t or aft out until it was recalled 1 A copy of the proceedings of tint ft board or 01 investigation was forwarded to the general superintendent on october aub with the following letter of transmission signed by mr B R IL ridgway bidgway superintendent of division and mr A W jones master me chadic SAUDA SALIDA colo october fth 1892 mr N W sample general superintendent denver dear sir herewith we return all papers in case ot of william gordon engineer with report of the investigation attached you will note that engineer gordon gordo acknowledges having used the as aa reported by trainmaster barnes a alafa that he refused to obey the bulletin orda ord or go out oat on train 61 of august U it was recalled thia is a case that merits cism v from the service and we would becom mend that it be done truly yours signed IEL M RIDGWAY superintendent signed A W JONES master Mec mechanic hanlo I 1 1 i T the be gen general oral superintendent due weight in con to aldering the matter j rave gave she pravio previous duo record of engineer goring b bo tion thereof overruled mind and in considers consideration jed the recommendation dation of the and matter master superintendent mechanic echanis and directed that engineer be suspended ended for thirty days day 9 gordon conformity with the order 0 of f the general 81 in jeral superintendent noti noticed fled engineer of the awilliam gordon we was s taking effect decision his hie suspension october and 2nd the day tie he was taken from from his hie run pending investigation and decision the caw case was taken up by the em am of the second division and ap secret meetings meeting were held brently orent vently ly of the morning aad d at on the following october day saturday was received by general superintendent maedge sample at his residence in denver colo oct 1892 mr N X W sample general superintendent D A B R 0 denver by action of employee emp loyes taken at a union meeting at minturn october ath we as a the reinstatement hereby request committee gordon and william of engineer time from the date of his suspension tau fall this thin matter to be made dialon c e down t salida calida by leadville a bulletin minturn being and posted grand at junction the bulletin to be conspicuously ly posted at 7 a in october oia jtb tb and unless such bulletin is posted bosted 9 such time we as the engineers con motors firemen and brakemen positive refuse to handle trains on second vision islon after 7 a m october ib i by order of 08 S signed COMMITTEE ju in accordance with the threat ex presed d in the telegram the engineers octo inductors ucto I 1 firemen and brakemen of use second e 0 division which extends S balada 1 I 1 a to grand junction abandoned and refused to take out ont their ans at 7 in the mord morning ing of tb same earne day the of october nd no trains have moved over the divi dl since that time So believing lieving that friendly conferences behrn bawn employer mind and employee emp loyes for tho tb par purpose a of ad adjusting asting usting differences are di rabie le land and that t to avert a strike alike to the company and the loop and nd in effects greatly injurious to ake til public arbitration in this case can be resorted to the following tel telegram was sent at p m to the division superintendent colo october 1892 TB JL M W ridgway bidgway salida calida 1 I shall be glad to confer with any committee of our employee emp loyes for the he adjustment of any grievances and if we cannot arbitrate me matters titers of free as 9 am willing to dufer rence enoe in the meantime the men doald return to and remain at work pending pang the adjustment either by conference or arbitration the company has alraya treated its employed emp loyes liberally liberal lr and just j 7 and the present I 1 resent strike almost rit boat notice will not be sustained by tsway employed emp loyes loves generally or the pub me give a copy of this message to the tee signed N W SAMPLE to this the following reply was received by the division superintend deok denu SALIDA october 15 1892 I 1 JEL 39 bidgway salida calida we the employee emp loyes ot second and third divisions instruct our committee to inform you that we will not accept mr samples Sample 8 terms and that we will re main out until a settlement is made amicable to ourselves signed TRAIN AND MOTIVE POWER departments SECOND AND THIRD DIVISIONS |