Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-07-20
THE TELEGRAPH STRIKE.
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THE TELEGRAPH STRIKE.
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The orders Of the brotherhood to the
telegraph operators to strike Thursday
were pretty generally obeyed. especially in
tho large cities. Wherever the signal was
given most of the operators at once loft
the operating rooms. In many cities pre-
psrations had been made for tho strike
and according to dispatches received the
plan generally followed was to close up the
sub-ofices and call in to the main Offices
oil tho managers of the branches, thus
securing small forces to transact pressing
business. By these methods few instru-
ments are kept going almost every
where.
The news comes from Boston that when
t9e signal was given in the Western
Union Office all but two male and four
women operators went out. Yesterday
afternoon the working force comprised
about thirty operators, including officials,
clerks, Office boys who had been impressed
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mained at their desks. Four wires are
working between New York and Boston,
and Boston is doing some business with
New England wires. At Portland,
Maine, the wires are left with tho super
intendent and managers. There is no
strike In Providence, R. l., among West
ern Union operators. but the American
Rapid are out. At New Haven, Conn.,,
tho main Office is running, but the branchs
are closed. At Springfield, Mass, the
Western Union manager and his brother
are the only operators working. No strike
among telegrapaers on the railroads run
ming out of Boston il reported.
At II 80 O'Clock in Cincinnati the local
chief of the Western Union gave the sig
nal of three raps on his desk. The signal
was obeyed by all the members of the
brotherhood rising and going out. At the
main Office Of the Baltimore & Ohio com
pany every operator went out and business
was wholly suspended. The same thing
happened at the main Office of the Mutual
Union company. On 'change no messages
were received or sent by either of the
three companies having Offices there. At
the Western Union Office a guard was i'm
mediately placed to prevent outsiders from
entering the operating room. All the
operators about the Office were sent to duty
up stairs. Notice had previously been
given to all operators not members of the
brotherhood to come in in case Uf a strike.
A number of responses have been made
already, and force Of over thirty opera
tors is now on hand. Superintendent
Miller says this is the only Office in his
district seriously crippled that but one
operator struck at Columbus, while Day.
ton, Springfield and other points have q
full working force.
The strike at Pittsburgh was inaugu-
rated at II. AT. At that hour at given
signal every member of the brotherhood
quit work, and coming out of the several
Offices formed a procession and marched to
headquarters, where a meeting was held.
A canvass of the Offices lew minutes
later found fifteen men at work in the
Western Union, three in the Baltimore s.
Ohio, one in the American Rapid and none
in the Mutual Union. The number of men
who came out is as follows: Western
Union, 67 American Rapid, 16 IT,; Balti-
more s. Ohio, z; Mutual Union, 4. The
Western Union and Baltimore s. Ohio are
receiving messages, but the Mutual Union
and American Rapid refuse everything.
Nine of the day force of the Western
Union main Office at Washington worked
through the day, and It is understood that
i've of these have promised to return to
work. Nearly all, If not all, of the city
branch Offices were closed. Three MEM
bers of the regular night force, besides
Night Manager Young, reported for duty
at night, and the manager has other as
sistance, but what it is cannot he ascer
tanned. At the American Rapid Office the
manager and one operator remain on duty
aud six men have struck.
In Baltimore the strike was pretty gen.
eral. In the Western Union main Office
only the officials were left after the signal
had been given, but couple of hours later
twelve operators had been secured and the
manager thought he could call in others.
Eight operators only remained at the Bal
timore s. Ohio Office. 1t was announced
that the offices along the line of the road
would be kept open. Commercial busi-
ness was refused. The strike extended to
| the corn and flour exchange. Business
was Immediately suspended and as the
men walked from the instruments of tie
there was open manifestiOn of sympathy
| few women OperetOrs are left in tho Amer
lean Rapid Offices.
Fifty four of the seventy five of the day
operators in tho Western Union Office in
St. Louis quit work at noon, quietly left
the building and marched in procession to
their headquarters. There was no mani
festation of feeling on their part as they
fled out, but several of the older employees
evidently left with much regret. Ofthose
who left about one half were women and
girls. Those who did not strike sat quietly
at their instruments and in ten minutes
the furry was over and the Office was
again ready for business. The force now
numbers so and business moves with
reasonable celebrity to all the chief cities
except New Orleans.
In Chicago promptly at II O'Clock the
keys were closed and half sent messages
were left uncompleted. When the opera.
ting room had been cleared it was found
that forty operators were still at their
desks, including twenty one chief opera
tors and officials. The working force at 5
o'clock had enlarged to 90 men. The
superintendent was confident that the
company had already carried it's point and
that the strikers would be discomfitted.
He had received advises from St. Louis,
Omaha, Cincinnati, Indianapolis. Cleve.
land, Minneapolis and San Francisco
which intimated similar condition of
affairs, stating that the main distribution
points can handle the business without
material delay The additions to the
working force come mainly from outlaying
country towns. The Baltimore and Ohio
company was badly crippled by desertlons