The New York herald., 1870-01-13
THE TELEGRAPHERS STRIKE.
Status and Prospects Of tho Movement in
This City-"No Surrender
Strike in the South.


The telegraph operators ON strike are making
every preparation for o long siege II necessary
Every day they may be found IN full force. ladies
and ALL at 27o Grand street. which has become kind
OF headquarters for their faithful band. At their
meeting Yesterday they received their usual number
os despatches from all quarters. After listening 10
several very good speeches by two or three Of the
strikers
Mr. Nelson w. Young, President OF the WORKING
mems Union, was introduced. and alter lew re-
marks presented the operators, on oeha1 OF typo
graphical Union No. the sum Of $500 TO aid them IN
their cause.
Tho following was received by the Executive COM
mittee during the meeting 1t Is taken Tom tne
Baltimore sun OF yesterday morning. and gives
South tnan we have before Scent
Tho strike of the operators Of the Western Union Teles
y Il the SOUTH though Che statements
dacut to decide anything regard matter II were
n ..
the assertion contrary As remarked
BY ss sns ns1' %
Of most other small wars there seems 70 Ss ~ ths strife
ton As the strike now that the Richmond
asp TsIs
agent the the NORTH and have been induced
.a g sSsaaSa sos
nearly all Ricnmond ana New Orleans
In Baltimore. we are assured, none of the
strikers have returned 70 work ana, WIN lew e1
tor day or two at the SOUTH as stated. Wnat pus-
ness the company have transacted since the stfiko
mas been mainly performed by operators VINO 40
not belong the protective League" Tne tele.
graphers and the company seem equally obstinate
and determined, but as the loss must be heavy on
both sides we should suppose as has been sug-
gested by some OF the newspapers, tnat some ialr,
clear headed arbitrator could speedily arrange set
temeut OF dlInCultic5
Statement or the Cause of the Strike in San
Francisco-AttenipG to Reduce Salaries
Petition Of the Operators Against the Meas
sure-N0tice thnr They Would BE Disc
Characterization Aband onment Of Work.
Spread Of the Strike.
1880. /. ,-,. SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 8, 1870
Somewhere about tho goth Of last month several
OF the employees Of the western Union Telegraph
Company received notice from the superintendent
OF the intention Of the company to reduce their
salaries ten per cent the reduction to commence from
the 1st OF December. one Of the operators 80 not'
fed called on Mr.. Gamble and pointed out to him
the injustice or reducing their salaries for that
month, Of which they had already worked the best
part Shortly after notice was given that the reduce
ton would not be put ID force until the 1st OF JanI.
airy. On the 2sth or December petition, signed BY
nearly oil the operators employed In the san
| Francisco Office was presented to Mr. Mum<
| ford the managing agent asking him TO-
permit the salaries to remain at the old
| figures. This Mr.. Mumford seemed to consent
| to, but 1t was only IN seeming for on the
1st Of January notice was given to all the operators
but two that their salaries would be reduced to $1l6
per month, the previous average OF all the salaries
| being 1920. On this another petition was drawn
up. signed by all the operators. including the two
whose salaries had not been reduced, and presented
afioAs
Mr.. Mumford gave orders to have the salaries Of the
| two who had been exec pied cut down to level
with the rest. This made them indignant. and they
refused to work on such terms; whereupon they
were ut once discharged, the other operators took
| sides with them and refused TO work..
| The news Of the San Francisco strike was flashed
cipal oilces throughout the State. In Sacramento
| the operators were addressed by Mr.. Gamble, the
ssSea to pedgs she Words Of Ss honor nO
| to endorse what he termed the absurd demands Of
OF days TO see the striking operators ana hear their
side OF the story This was peremptorlly refused by
All Samo Dud ne agreed s 20 allow nsm 70
| tton that he was allowed TO stand By and listen to-
| what was said. This proposition was declined BY
| the sacramento operators, upon which Mr.. Gamble
gave them fifteen minutes to make up their minds
whether they would do rs he desired or be at once
dismissed They did not take half that time to come
| to q conclusion. but unanimously decided 1t tnelr'
fixed determination to stand by their brethren in San
fed that their services were no longer needed This
left only the chief operator and manager to do air
| the work OF the Ofilcc-a work that requires the
services Of nine first class operators to per-
| form. News was soon after received from Virginia
City, Reno and other points giving accounts Of q
! somewhat similar state OF affairs and noti-
! flying the superintendent that those Offices would
be closed until the matter was satisfactorily settled
] THE NEWS GOES EAST.
The operators at the Omaha Office soon heard the
news and ere the day was past every member OF the
Operators Union tnrOughOut the United States was
| Informed OF the movement The Operators Pro.
tective League Is most powerful one and very
stringent in Its rules; IL comprises all nearly all
the first class operators In che United States and is
therefore, very formidable body to oppose, as the
Western Union Company Is likely to find out to its
cost.
| THE AGENT BECOMES ALARMED.
To the surprise and amusement OF all outsiders
| Mr.. Mumford, the agent. had special policeman
detailed for the protection or himself and the Office,
which located California street, drcadng, 1t Is
presumed, an attack from the enraged strKers this,
| however Is looked upon by the operators more as
an insult to them than an evidence OF apprehen-
sion and has the effect OF making them even more
indignant. Cipher messages have since been re<
celved from some OF the Eastern Offices indicating
that similar movement might be expected tnr0ughS
out the East Tne present indications are that q
general strike will be inaugurated throughout the
United states.
The state OF affairs here Is more easily imagned,
than described. Nearly all the olces are left with
none but boys to work the wires No mining reports
from Nevada; no Associated Press dispatches from
the East; no gold quotations from New YORK 70
guide the bankers and brokers; In fact all tele-
graphic business brought to standstil, and all for
| patry few hundred q mOnth-and at time, too,
| when the company u without opposition and Is
| daily increasing its business. 80
| have given you the true statement OF the whole
trouble having received 1t from the operators them
| seives-not merely from one but from all; for
| called on them at their assembly rooms, and was
there shown the notices In writing received by them
severaily OF the REDUCTION in their wages; also the
petitions signed by them and presented 10 Mr.. Num-