The New York herald., 1870-01-06
NEWSPAPER ACCOUNTS OF THE STRIKE.
The Strike in ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS th
COnteatunts.

From the Cincinnati Enquirer Jan. Al
Few more pOwerlu corporations tnan the estern
Union Telegraph Company have ever existed IN TINS
country. DIVIDED inlo three great div siuns, the
Eastern. Central and southern and taking within It's
purvlew almost the entire extent Oh Nortn America
with :, 700 Stations Co. 263 miles OF line and l2l 595
OF wire, added TO 4 thoroughly disciplined star
ana showing net earnings within the last three years
vi Ss l6l 6io 80, the company which began in 1851
capital OF S36J, 900 and paid Its dividend
ana half per cent $40 0Oo 900 might wei bid de-
nance 10 amy ordinary effort Of organized labor
but the strike wnlch caused so much lncOnvcni-
eacc 10 our citizens yesterday IL not an ordinary
one, aud We propose giving brief account OF ITS
organization and progress:-
lesterday morllI., at ten O'Clock, the thirty I'VE
operators engaged aG the Ihrd street ONCE OF The
western Union Telegraph Company Lit the build
ing wi;nout any forewarning u tue management
and held meeting at tue rooms Of Mr. A. q. Lewis,
on Sycamore street. with that gentleman tho
cnair resulting In tue sending OF committee TO G.
I. Williams superintendent or the Seventh district
which comprises ONO, pare OF Indiana and part of
Illinois, wlth copy OF the following
Resolved, That cordially endorse action Of the oper
reduction OF salaries and that ira.
Resolved, That copy these be prcsenteI 20
Mr.. Villains, ana answer requested carry possible
Mr.. Williams replied IN the following letter, and
verOay TO the same eIect:--
TnE wrsTEnS USIoS TEL Co, CENTRAL DIvrs,osJ
sUrEarSrrspEsr'e orrIor, sKvxsTH Disrn,orI
R. +. wErrpnrc, D. W. BUSH, B. b. GLASS; Con,matee :
se @ u h "a Se matters a
In San francisco or elsewhere outside my district
believe none IL contemplated in this division.
e b ' ,s 10 y district aay: any
tnat shall be done ~ equity to both employer and
GEOKuE I. WILLIAMS, Superintendent,
At three p. M. the operators again assembled in
open meeting, A. g. Lewis In the chair and william
SplnK secretary.
Is. Is. Glass was appointed committee OF one to
wait on Mr.. Williams ana inform HIM they were
ready to have an interview with him
Mr.. WEnBREC offered the following resolution,
which was unanimously Adopted
Resolved Ths. any propo.ton to work which
engaged in the present movement be rejected
INTERVIEWS.
We called at about Blk O'Clock at the Office OF the
western Union Telegraph and round Mr. Williams
absent ana Mr.. +. A. Armstrong city manager uf
the company, In his Office.
REPUR1ER-l want TO .1DterviewD you, Mr.. Arm
strong.
Mr.. ARMsrRoso-An right. Take chair. what
REpoKTER-Glve me in brief the history OF this
movement so FAR as known by the con- pany. and
your pOSition on the issue.
Mr.. ARMSTRONG, after Ureny giving an account Of
the transactions of the morning, SAID They lett
without moments previous notice, and unable
to allege any local grievance. Tney cannot even
state what was the proposed reduction oI salaries
In California, nor how many operators were dis
charRed.n
REP0RrRR-Has the movement been long brewing
and was the organization perfected over the wrcss
Mr.. ARMSTRONG; hardly tnink they could have
managad matters over our wires. Too many OF the
officers have once been operators anu would prooa
bly, overnear dispatches slnicient 10 give a clue.
Inc WnOle tnlflK mas cvlueAety DeeH cooked and
primed ior two montns, though we Kaow 1t to have
been talked 0f openly on the streets OF chicago last
week.
RRpoRTER--What do they demand2
Mr.. ARMSTRONG Here they demand what We can
not grant, having no c0nr0 IN the matter, that the
employees discharged IN San Francisco ne reinstated.
REPORTER What would De your postonr
Mr. ARMsTRoNG-l think we had better fight II out
now, though the company should lose 800 600 or
more. look upon this movement as sort OF strike
In advances sort OF showing OF their strength.
Wages have not been reduced here Ia fact, though
forty per oil the gross receipts OF this ONCE
paid out In Salaries the salaries o1 SIX operators
Increased IN December and these six are In the
strike. If the company yields now they nave no
guarantee that the thing Will not be repeated next
weeK-perhaps u demand made for nifty per cent
increase IN salaries. No company could stand this.
REPoKrEE-What are you doingr
Mir. ARMsTEONI-Ihe pest we cam We have lost
business to-day put have taken most thai offered.
We viii probably be able to get the press report over
tonight. We have eleven operators, including chef
and men called IN from the branches
REPoRTKR--lf they mean To protect their labor by
organization their true and only policy is TO make
the OF tneir California brethren their own.
DO you not think SOY
Mr.. ARMsTRuNG-Yes; but there Is a right and a
wrong way OF doing Things Tney have local
grievance, they say, now; put II their strength ~
once submitted TO they'll demand wnat tncy please.
Recently we discharged an operator IN All ONO
town for criminal practice aud substituted a lady.
THIS was cause or complaint. The fact ~, the
organization mean to oppose female operators. We
cannot nave this thing hanging over our heads; VIC
must Zee our way through 1t.
REroKrEK-Wny is not something definite done 1T
Oncef
Mr.. ARMsTRoNG--Anson Stager, general superin.
tendent Central division, would probably not have
authority In the case. The president, Wlllam 0rton
OF New York, Is abroad, ana the management fails
on an executive committee. These are scattered.
ID. M. Greeu, the vice president, being president OF
the Louisville Short Line Road while the secretary
q. ii. Palmer, Ia In New York We have had ad-
vices from the committee yet The idea On which