The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-07-21

But knowing, as We did, that this matter
had been thoEoughly discussed long before
we wuited on you, It was not unreason-
able to expect an early reply. 1t
is due to the interests you rep
resent, to our organization and particularly
to the general public, that these matters be
speedily a0 iusted and that the responsibility
of any future action may rest where it prop
eriy belongs 1t is with an earnest desire for
harmonious settlement of these difficulties,
and regard for social and business interests Of
| the people, that we send this last appeal for
recognition of the rights and redress of the
| grievances of your employees.
No reply was received to this address. The
committee which met at i 80 o'clock took no
action upon it. 1t was decided only to hold
| preliminary meeting and after a short ses-
sion-ft adjourned Nothing was done except
to issue directions to all heads of departments
| and chiefs in the employ of the company to
notify operators under their charge to present
their grievances if they had any to the com
mttee, and that such action would be taken
as might be thought proper.
EFFECT ON BUSINESS.
Tie operators strike, though it has not ex-
actly paIalyzed business on the board Of
trade, has very seriously interfered with it,
Two operators were at work in the Western
| Union Office on the regular board but neither
of them seemed to be very busy, the members
appearing to rather hang fire from telegraph
ing under the condition Subject to delayn
There was no perceptible diminution in the
volume of yelling by the crowd of excitable
brokers in both pits, but member who was
appealed to shook his head on emerging from
the doorway and remarked that there was
next to nothing doing, the quotations coming
i ia very taFtlily.
| On the open board t hey were worse, the
quotations being chalked up at about the
rate of one to the half-hour Scarcely any
| trading was done, and suggestion made by
a facetious speculator that an adjournment
be taken to the lake front for a game Of
base ball met with some approval, although
it was not acted on.
! Merchants accounts vary. Some say their
telegraph business is getting along all right,
others that they are having more or less
| trouble All the hotel offices are yet closed
The railways have had no trouble, all their
operators remaining at their desks.
ELSEWHERE.
NEW YORK, July 29--At 10 O'Clock a. IN
there were singularly few evidences of the
strike about the Western Union building.
There was the usual activity about the re-
ceiving windows, but nothing more None
of the strikers appeared either in the bases
ment or operating rooms. The executive de-
basement was early on the ground and full
of business Not a small part of their occu-
patton was the reading of congratulatory
and encouraging kilograms from various
offices and the superintendent of the com
pany.
CTNCTSNATI, July 28-The Western Union
office hasTeeeived number more operators
and business is. being forwarded as
fast as received to all points not crippled
Two of the strikers have made application
| rar reinstatement. No action has vet been
| taken IN their cases The strikers maintain
excellent department They continue active
intTying to persuade the working operators
to join them.
ST. LOUIS, July 30.-The telegraphic stu
alton. here is better. and is constantly i'm
proving. In addition to having sixty opera
tors at work in the main office, Manager
| Brown has reopened a dozen branch offices
| in the city and has as large a force on change
as can be used to advantage. Superintend-
| ent Baker is receiving favorable adviceS
| from all parts of the district, and business at
all repeating and important points is be
ing more than fairly wells done Applica-
lions for positions from old operators now en-
tagged mother kinds Of business are flowing
in by the dozen. These are generally re
ceived with favor, and there seems to be no
doubt but that within two or three days the
company will have operators enough to fully
man all sections of the country.
INCIDENTS OF THE STRIKE AT WASHING
s TON. - ...r
WASHINGTON, D. c., July 20-''Gen. Grant
dropped dead at 1885 was dispatch which
startled the city as nothing has moved it
since the word was passed from one man to
another the morning of July 2, 1881, THE
| President is dead There was one class Of
men in Washington who did not seem dis
.urbed. The night force of telegraph opera
:ors, gathered shout the central office, heard
:he report, but were not stunned as the thous-
1nds were in the departments, some of whom
came rushing headlong to the newspaper of
ices TO ascertain if the report was true. The
telegraph men knew what it meant 1t
vas the cypher signal that if nothing more
| should Fbe heard they wgr5 to leave
heir keys at 70 O'Clock This they did
leceutly and in order, and with one single ex.
eeption Washington was instantly cut of
rom communication with the world That
exception was the city of New York
Between that place and Washington the
W estern. Uniolraept up communication, hut
It evidently was not a communication to be
relied on, for all dispatches wers taken sub
iect to the sendeF's risk
There probably is no city in the country
where there is so. large a percentage of OPP
arators not engaged in Geographic pursuits
1t is said that 10y actual count fifty such per
sons were found to be employed in the de
partments and in business houses. Up to
nightfall, however, there was but one of the
ffty so far as could be learned who had con-
sentei to operate. That one was Mr.. May
nard, the electrician, and as the announce
ment was made to group of the strikers
that Maynard has volunteered to work, "
the jeer went up. YES, and Maynard helped
Guiteeu to get his pistol The reference
was to an incident in the Guitedu trial, am
to the testimony of Mr.. Maynard
The market reports from Chicago just be
fore noon came in these words: ''Oats-Ta,
tai" The Chicago operator thus took hin
leave of his Washington comrades and hi
woi (. .-
Tae operators are determined. bIt they do
not appear % Is extremely hopeful
/ WIMBLEDON.