Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-07-21
THE STRIKE CONTINUES.
THE SITUATION REMAINS IN
CHANGED.

I
CHANGED.
| slight DELAYS in the Savannah Office
The Movement Throughout the state
The Operators Ready for Long Fight
Looking for the End-The Western
Unions Side of the story.
messages taken to-day subject to delay
/ and mailing en- route, if necessary"
/ was the notice posted at the en-
france 10 the Western Union tele-
/ graph office yesterday. There were
no new developments up to late
/ hour last night, and the work of the office
/ was being performed as expeditiOusly as
possible with the limited force of opera
| tors. Two additional men were secured
Yesterday morning and the operators
force now consists of four men, including
| Messrs. Dillon and Griffith.
The strikers are still out, but are con-
fident that a compromise will be reached,
and that the end is not far of.
I'VE have heard nothing at all from the
company" said Mr.. Dillon, in reply to
the inquiry of the NEWS reporter last
night.
s.Then, there is nothing to indicate
what the outcome 81 the movement will
be-"
Nothing at all as yet. 1t is certain,
however. that the company will not make
the concessions demanded of them"
..HOw long will the company hold Out:'
AS long as they please; six months II
necessary. There will be no difficulty in
securing operators after few days, and
already the principal cities are supplied
with full working forces"
"What offices are most seriously al
fected:''
The offices that suffer the most are
/ the smaller offices in cities where COM
pent operators are not easily secured.
/ Even there the difficulty is in the delay,
I and that will be Of short duration"
The strikers were on the streets yester-
/ day afternoon and were in cipher cOmmu-
nicatIOn with the committee of the Broth
| erhOOd. receiving their dispatches over
| the railroad wires.
Nothing. however, could be learned in
/ reference to the matter. eve are wait
/ inc for the Company to yield and for
I orders to resume work" said one Of their
number last night. at cannot last long,
| and either there will be a full concession
I or a compromise of some kind will be
/ made"
| In some places the messenger boys have
\ caught the infection, and are organizing
/ to make a demand for additional pay.
I This movement, however, seems not to
| have extended beyond the large cities.
/ The excitement atpreyaIled on Thurs
/ day had last night subsidized. Business
men and merchants suffered very little,
/ if any, Inconvenience yesterday, and dis
| patches We're forwarded and received with
I very little delay.
In Macon the four operators employed
| there quietly walked out when the signal
was received. They remained on the
I streets. but were quiet and orderly. There
was no demonstration. To illustrate the
I feeling. one Of the strikers said to a Iele-
| qrGph reporter Thursday afternoon: Il
I am sorry for the manager 1t he were to
I tell me to 20 out i'm the street and dig dirt
for him / would do it cheerfully, but
cannot touch a telegraph instrument for
him." The strikers are confident OF
an ultimate yielding on the part
of the company, and one
/ was so sanguine of success that he said it
was highly probable that they would 20 to
/ work yesterday morning with all demands
! satisfied. The business community SUI
I fered but little Inconvenience, but
I should the strike continue, the incOn-
/ venience will be considerable. Only such
dispatches as are absolutely necessary
I were sent off, and even in those cases it
/ was difficult to get anyone to receive
\ them."
In Atlanta six of the thirteen men went
/ out, and the Constitution says there was
| a general hush in the office. The remain
/ ing men were put on double duty and
/ business proceeded.
At Augusta the full force of fourteen
struck except one.
In Charleston there was complete
shut out, and the office was virtually
! closed.
The railroad operators on the Augusta
| and Charleston road were reported to
have struck az five O'Clock yesterday af-
ternOOn. One of the operators in Charles
ton. member of the Brotherhood, was
discharged for refusing to take Western
/ Union messages. The operators on the
road petitiOned the company for his re-
/ turn, which was refused, and a general
strike took place. This adds further
I TO the embarrassment of the Charleston
7 and Augusta offices.
The local Brotherhood held a meeting
/ last night, but whatever action was taken
was kept secret.
.Our orders are to hold out three months
I if necessary. Our funds are ample for
/ that time" said one of the operators to a
/ NEWS reporter.
1--WE can do nothing without orders
/ from the committee of the Brotherhood.
| We will now have to wait until Wednes-
/ day. when the Executive Board of the
/ Western Union Company will hold its
next meeting, and the matter will prob
/ ably be determined
I'VE received word from New York to-
! night that the Brotherhood was rapidly
| gaining there"
You see. when part of an office goes
out and several men remain we gObble up
| those who remain and initiate them into
/ the Brotherhood. In this way our order is
strengthened, and we keep the movement
in our control"
GENERAL ECKERT'S STATEMENT