The Georgia Railroad Strike
A strike affecting the service of the Georgia Railroad Company was ended May 29, largely owing to the influence of federal authorities. Out of a total of 100 firemen, the company had about forty negroes. The negroes were not eligible for engineers, but were promoted for the best places that firemen could hold, if they gave good service. They were paid less than the white men. Of course as the white men rose in the way of promotion toward engineers, the colored men held positions in their way. The strike was precipitated when ten men employed at terminals were discharged and their places supplied by negro firemen. As a result the railroad was tied up for more than a week. People living in towns along the line attacked and beat negro firemen. The governor refused to protect the company with troops. On the 28th a riot and brutal assault upon one of the negro firemen who was to be employed presented new difficulties. Owing to the prospect that federal troops would be called out, the strike was ended by concessions on both sides, but the whites have gained the greatest victories. The discharged white men were reinstated, and there are to be no more colored firemen employed at the terminals. It is expected that the negro firemen will gradually be excluded, as nothing but this will now satisfy the people living along the line of the railroad.