The Rock Island Argus., 1883-07-20
THE TUG OF War
Is on Bowen the Operators and
Western Union.
A General Walk-Out Takes Place all
Over the Country.
Scenes and Incidents in Chicago
The New York Stpike---The
General Situation.

Chicago at Les a. m The majority of the
operators at the Western Union, Mutual
Union, and Baltimore & Ohio companies left
their desks in very orderly manner and
were received by crowds of spectators in the
streets with cheers as they marched along
A good many of the lady operators Joined
the strike The strikers repaired to Uhlich's
hall, where they went into secret session. The
chief operators and few of the men stald
in the operating-roo and managed to keH
business going A large number OF the =
ficials' clerks are telegraphers and were "a,
once assigned to the operating rooms, and a
score or more of men from country of
fees were taken in to fill the places of the
strikers
Promptly at II: :05 George NJ. Reynolds, one
of the brotherhood men, mounted the steps
leading to the fifth floor of the office, stood a
moment at the door and withdrew His pres
cnce was noticed by all within range OF the
door. The men inside neart st him immedi-
ately stood up and walked to the middle
aisle, and took a position to march. The
ranks grew larger with each succeeding sec
ond, and in one minute by the clock the first
column headed by f. W. Crowell, started to
the door and marched down stairs, followed
in close file of two by two by about one hun
dred and fifty others. The last of the pro-
cession was composed of twelve Nheatstone
operators, who had come from their quarters
ON the third floor to the ladies' dressing room
on the fifth floor, at promptly II O'Clock. The
walk-out was a surprise in some respects to
the chiefs and managers As the line passed
along now and then chief would exclaim:
There goes So-and-So! By iingo, did not
expect that!n As operators who had for
years been personal and intimate friends of
the management passed in review hands We're
thrust out from the line, and shaken heartily
by the chiefs Both sides expressed deep re-
gret that the trouble had eliminated in Il
strike, aud wished each other well.
There are more left than | expected there
would be-" exclaimed the superintendent
we have about sixty left that we can depend
on" Most Of the operators who remained III
the room were boys or very young men. A
striker crowded into the room walked over
to lady operator, and attempted to excite
her to strike, but she would not The striker
was invited To leave the room, which he did
quietly. There was no cheering or disorder
Of any kind while the men were going down
stairs Gen. Supt Clowry viewed the entire
scene complacently. As the operators reached
the street cheer went up from hundreds of
throats, plainly audible for blocks around.
A few seconds later they were followed by
the lady operators, who tripped lightly out
on the sidewalk with smiling faces, and
swinging their still unopened lunch-boxes on
their arms. They were created with such
remarks as Good girlsn You're the
daisieS!' THE girls are no slouehes after allr
and similar expressions of approval on the
part of the spectators at the course they had
pursued.
The crowd showed no signs of diminishing
and surged around the Western Union doors
In a few minutes, however, the latter were
closed and policeman stationed at each
with instructions to admit no one but thost
who had messages to transmit The inquiry
made at the receiving windows as to whether
| messages could be sent brought forth the reply
that messages would be received subject t.
delays" IL about an hour the crowd begaI
to move away from the doors, causing then
to be opened once more and free access giver
to all who wished to enter.
Subject to delay chr calculated an ex
! empioye of the Western Union; 81 know
| what that means. 1t means that whatevel
]
| urgent will I've sent by wire if it is possible t,
do so. The others-the insignificant ones
| will simply be sent over to the postoffice an.
mailed to their destination in care of TIN
| Western Union Telegraph company. Whel
they are received they will be put into ordi
Ifary telegraphic envelopes and delivered a
dispatches. That's the way was done whel
| | was there"
THE STRIKE AT OTHER OFFICES.
Simultaneously with the marching out o
the Western Union men the operators on tn
board of trade floor quit their instrument
and went out on the Street to greet their fel
low strikers. The Baltimore & Ohio TELEGRAPH
office was also deserted at the same moment
| and Manager McCulloch wandered about il
| an uncertain way or spoke in whispers t
| two of his lady clerks who had left their seats
but were apparently in no hurry to leave tn
office The manager explained that the la
dies had not struck, but as there were n
messages coming over the wires there wa
| nothing for them to do. A few of the opera
tors stood around in the halls and discusse
the situation for awhile, and then disaI
peared.
Down stairs at the receiving desk the cler
!
to delay" and many who came to make il
quiries as to the possibility of getting off
dispatch turned away when they heard that
as though they thought 'It's too indefinit
for me to trust my message with you"
AFTER THE EXODUS.
By 12 o'clock things in the operating -roo1
had assumed far better phase for the con
pany than was anticipated by the most sal
guine. The operators remaining had settle
down to q condition of comparative quiet
Communication was re-established with Bo
ton, New York Philadelphia, Toronto, Bait
more, Minneapolis, st. Paul, Milwauket
indianapolis, Cincinnati, Omaha and s
Louis, which points are the most importar
telegraphic centres. 1t is understood mol
men are left i'll Chicago than in offices east {
, here Almost none remained in New Yorl
Pittsburg had ten at noon, Philadelphi
seventeen, Cincinnati twelve and Omaha sil
teen. The Chicago &c. N. DIS" (commercil
news department reports were being Sol
hence on four wires which will acquaint ou
side boards of trade with the condition
, Chicago markets in fair shape.
{ Not chief operator went out of the Oh
cago office. Shortly after IL O'Clock the woI
ing force had increased to sixty or sevent
five, dozen new men having come in fro
outside points, and being put to work irnm
diatly.
I've have got the strikers whipped q
ready" said the general superintendent
!, little after noon. 1--WE have at this time fit
two men working besides six chiefs. I'll
= Omaha district is intact. We are going
:, fill the office up at once"
Appearances bore out bis statement. q
orators entirely new to Chicago dropped
st irregular intervals and were put down
l. he desks so recently vacated by the striker
Soon after II o'clock the Western Unio
: officials began TO receive applications for pt
iitions from outside operators, and in les
n ha-. an hour about twenty new men had bee
/ Engaged They consisted mainly of men VII
n lad come to the city from outside towns wit
e 4 view to improving their positions, none c
S them belonging to the brotherhood.
II SYMPATHY FOR THE OPERATORS.
u "Ihe sympathy of the board is so largel
Il with the operators in this fight, y said men
e ber of large commission house, ''tha: | b
; Eeve if any operator undertakes TO renal
l-lwith the company and work in their board
ia t,x