The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-10-15

PANY having discharged the chief operator and
his assistant operators at the Washington office,
we wish to address the public-with whom In the
discharge Of our duties we have had considerable
intercourse-a few words TO show that dismis
sal is in no manner attributable TO any want OF
fidelity 10 our duty, nor to any affecting our
character or conduct as honorable men and citi-
zens. We feel that our summary discharge from
positions which we have occupied for years, il left
TO pass unnoticed, would subject US to an implied
charge ofhaving given some cause for ii which
impeached our integrity or capacity.
We propose briefly to state the facts which have
resulted in our discharge:
The line of the Washington and New Orleans
Telegraph Company extends from Washington to
New Orleans, distance of ,706 mes, and has of
fees in the principal intermediate cities and towns
The published rules and regulations of the Com
pany require that the Office in this city shall be
kept open from seven o'clock a. till ten O'Clock
p. The amount of business done in the office
here can be imagined when state that il aver
ages weekly between two and three thousand dol
lars; and that the number Of messages entered
have been often as high seven hundred per day
During the last winter this Company leased one of
the wires of the Magnetic Company from New
York to this city, and the business OF the office in
this city was thereby increased three times as
much as il was before; allowed one opera
tor additional, making the force in this office five
operators, for while, but early in the summer he
was Withdrawn, and number was again re-
duced to four To perform this vast amount of
business, we were occupied, all of US during last
winter, during the whole day, never quitting the
office till twelve at night being engaged till three
or four o'clock, a. M. average of five nights
in the week, and often breakfast time found US at
our posts, never having quilted them from the day
preceding The printed rules Of the Company re-
quire the Office TO be open on Sundays from seven
TO ten a IN , and from seven to ten p IN. We have
often worked the whole day, and requested leave
to close for meals, but the President has forbid
den it.
In consideration of the incessant application and
attendance required by the business of the line,
Mr.. William Linton, the chief operator at this
office, concluded some time in the early part of
the year to accept another situation where the
labors would be lighter, and informed the Presi-
dent of the line, Elan Alexander, esq., who was
then in Baltimore, of the fact. He induced 10
remain, Mr.. Alexander promising to increase the
number of operators III this city to an extent
equal TO the increased business. The custom on
other lines is to have force sufficiently numerous
to afford set OF operators duty alternate
nights, not to require the same men to work
during each successive night, task sufficient to
wear out the existence Of any man, and wholly in
consistent with the enlightened spirit of the age,
which forbids that any man should be worked
daily for a number of hours, often including in our
case the whole twenty -four. II is also on other
lines rule that, whenever the office shall be kept
open at night later than the tabsbed hours, that
the operators be allowed extra compensation. This
we never demanded; what we wanted was relax
alton, not extra compensation; we wanted a force
sufficiently numerous to allow our being relieved
from constant attendance every night.
The increased force promised by the President
not being furnished. after application for it, MIR.
William Linton represented the state of our bust
ness to Mr. c. s. Buckley, the superintendent of the
line, and he agreed that request lcds just and
proper. In consequence OF this conversation with
Mr.. Bukley, and of his approval, MIR. w Linton
addressed letter to MIR. Alexander, who was then
at Petersburg, Virginia, in which was the follow
| ing:
'.In conclusion, think it proper TO add, that as
the business of this office has lately very much in
creased, and will continue TO do so for como weeks
to come-as also in consideration of the much night
work we have, well as the many urgent requests
! of the operators to write you on this subject
think the force of this office should be increased at
! least two operators more-in which event the bu-
siness go on both night and day, if necessary,
] which doubtless, in many instances, would be re-
qured OF US; otherwise 1t cannot be pectcd that
the four operators in this office work all day
and until very late hour at night, if not all night
| as has frequently been the case, and be fitted for
duty the day following Hoping you will give an
answer at your earliest convenience, remain
very respectfully, VIM. LINTON"
In reply to this the President answered. under
date OF September III, 1851, In which, addressing
| Mr. L., he says:
al congratulate you on the recovery of your
health, and am rejoiced to you again at your
post, for the Company have suffered great loss on
account Of your absence from the duties and super
vision thereof" SC.
In answer to the request for increased force
| he says:
al cannot see the necessity of two more operators
in your office; cannot employ double set o
operators for all the Offices and yours must share
others do; and you will find, when your operation
are all present, you will have sufficient force fol
all business purposes, and that must suffice" &c.
II was quite true that, if all the operators in th
Office present, they would constitute ga sufh
cien force for all business purposes; but the ques
| ton with US was that nature demanded some time
for relaxation-eome relief from constant toilsomt
| hour within the twenty four in which to breathe
fresh air or to strength by rest We never
pretended that four men, presenin the office were
insufficient to do the duty; but we knew and fell
that the came four men could not continue at the
| labor forever. We were not machines capable o.
being worked necessarily; not men who
never required sleep, rest, free air, or exer
else; we felt that these were as necessary to our
existence they were to that of other men; anc
asked that our force be increased as, by dvid
ing it for night duty onehalf might rest while the
| other labored.
In consequence of this refusal, we closed the of
fee the following night at the regular stated hour
established by the Company, (ten oclock,) and
on the next day received despatch from Raleigh
North Carolina, from Mr.. Buckley, asking who was
in the Washington office the night preceding
after ten o'clock; to whom the following reply was
sent:
"The operators were all here; and with the pres
ent force in this Office object to work after the hours
(Signed) "WM LINTON.n
And, at the same time, the following sent tc
| the President of the Company.
"Your letter received. ! am cory you are un-
willing TO allow the addltlonal 1orCe as the opera
tors in this office object to working after ten O'Clock
at night with the present force. Offices south Of
stop work to go to dinner, and supper also; this
Office never has done it, except in one or two in
stances, and that Sundays.
| Respectfully, VIM. LINTON.
| "ELAM ALEXANDER, Eco. :"
The same day the following despatch from MIR
Buckley received:
"Mr. LINTON Will write you by mail to- night
! All right. G. S. B."
And the following s what Mr.. Buckley wrote by
mail:
"RALEIGH, September II, 1851.
"DEAR LINTON: Am very sorry account OIL
late occurrences-you know what mean. Will
see you in few days, and talk over the whole
matter. Don't you make any rash promises, or
any attempts to quit until you see me; let Mr.:
Alexander say what he pleases, you stay until
come. Things be made right, far you
are concerned. Keep still, this episte is for you
| alone.
"Yours, truly, CHAs. S. BULKLEY."
| From Mr.. Alexander the following was received
dated Macon, Georgia, September 18th: