New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-23
LULL IN THE CONTEST.
PROGRESS OF THE rELEaRApHERy STRIKE.

there were no new developments yesterday In the
telegraphers' strike 1t was literally day of rest
for telegraph officials and strikers and largely
so for operators who ara still at work.
1t was stated at the Western Union
Office that of the officials Of that company hal
| been there during tho day and that no meeting QH
| the Sub Committee on Grievances had been hel4s
1t was said that in the handling Of business theS.
| had caught up with all work on hand and wcrSs
| ready to begin the week in excellent COM,
ditlou. 1t was acknowledged at the samd'
| time that smaller number of meg
| sages had been sent and received than
is usual on Sunday. Some of the wires Of the Bal.
timore and Ohio were cut yesterday, and also sons
of the wires of the American Rapid. The former
were repaired, but the breaks in the communication
of the Rapid had not been closed when night
| set In.
There were rumors last night that there would be
| new and important Developments to-day. Some OF
the rumors asserted that the wires of all the COM
panies doing business in this city would bo
seriously tampered with by striking linemen before
noon to-day Notwithstanding that men authorized
to speak for the Brotherhood strongly deprecated
any such action. Other rumors were that men
who have remained at work thus far would leave
their instruments to-day; that the employees In
downtown offices and on all private wires would
be forced to resign their POSITIONS; that, az In
Chicago, all the tckers" would suddenly become
mute and that many other and similar direful
steps would be taken to force an immediate ISSUE
| between the operators and the telegraph COM
| panies
AoUIET DAY AT THE WESTERN UNION OFFICE.
| At the nam office of the Western Union every
thing was remarkably quiet during the day and last
| evening. The cables reported as working all
right, but all domestic messages were taken Sub
| ject to delaysD policeman was on duty down
| stairs with no more arduous duty than the COM
| Portable reading of o paper-covered novel, and
another guardian Of the peace, which no
one showed the slightest desire to dis
turb, successfully held down a chair at tho
entrance to the operating-room 1--WE have had
more men to-day than we really needed" said
Superintendent James Merrihew last night. We
had sixty operators during the day and fortyeight
at o'clock this evening. We have fully caught up
with all our work and the hooks are clear.
Four more good operators came to us to-day
not strikers Do l anticipate any important
| changes in the situation Tomorrow No, do not
| Some of our operators may leave, and new ones
may come to take their places; but have no rea-
| son to anticipate anything beyond that. One class
| of our men think justice has not been done u
| BY the newspapers The men are those who work
| the printing-machines. Come over here and SEQ
what they are like. Mr. Merrihew took the reporter
| to an instrument with keyboard like miniature
pIano-forte, which was being manipulated with re-
markable rapdity by middle-aged man IN his
| shirt sleeves "Now on this instrument" con-
| tinued Mr. Merrihew, 1--WE can send ninety or
binary messages an hour, whereas on others
We can only send thirty or forty.
1t is the Phelps printing machine.
We have two on the Boston line and the same num-
| ber each on the Philadelphia and Washington lines.
| Seven men, who operate the instruments, remained
with u.s. A good deal has been said about the Morse.
and cable and Wheatstone operators, but nothing
| about them, and they certainly deserve .
| good deal of credit"
When asked about the announcement printed
Yesterday that Superintendent Cowry, of the Chi
cago Office, had been ordered to New-York by Jay
Gould, superintendent Merrhew laughed
1--WE know nothing about it here" no said,
"but there was a good deal of fun
over that statement on the third noor
TODAY. In such time as this 10
is,certan that Superintendent Clowry's place is
in Chicago"
BUSINESS AT OTHER OFFICES.
"Hov are your lines working to-day ~ a TRrr-
UNE reporter asked at the receiving window OF the
| main Office of the Baltimore and Ohio Company,
| No go Broadway.
{" don't know, " was the answer.
"Are you sendiog messages to all points on your
"No. sirD
What places are you sending top
al don't know"
What are the cities or stations for which you
| are receiving messagesP u -
a don't know but I'll ask" Then. whlstilng
| through a tube to the operating room, the clerk
| said: " There is a gentleman down here who wants
| 10 know how our lines are working, and wnas
places are not dong business with" and the an.
| swer came back as it was reported. We don't
| know anything about it,"
At the nam office of the American Rapid Com,
II. E.QA 4
that only four or i've operators nad
| been employed during the day. so far as our
| own lines are concerned there Is notning .. new:
have been brought here to-day by people VINO said
their messages 10 Troy and Long Branch hal been
refused by the Western To nSn ass saa
but I'll they " told me Td better send :
INST as soon That wasn't very encouraging aud SO
came over here TO see If could have better iuck.
two wires not reported heretofore of the Baltimore
and Ohio Company aud two OF tne AMERICAN hapu
Company were cut on Saturday night. Ihe cus
wires of the former were promptly ppt IN WORKING
order The cut wires Of the Rapid. which were
those extending through New-Yerk State, had nos
been repaired up to last night The building on tne
top of which the four wires were cut was poinseo
out to The TRIBUNE reporter.
THREATS or LAwLEssNEss AND COERCION.
On the subject of cutting wires. astrking iine-
man said You'll see plenty vt the same sort OF
fun before noon tomorrow"
What do you mean by thatr was asked.
THAT there will be plenty of wires cut to-mors
row. Idont believe in that sort of Il fight myself
but that's the programme tonight" -, 81
lis this course ordered advised by the Brothers
hood Z"
mo: the liuemen are go ug to do 1t on their own
hook"
The managers of the offices were not ordered
70 90 ont with the strikers" said striker.
"because they are better paid than
the Operators and if they were strike they would
have TO take subordinate positions when they wens
back As last resort they will DO ordered ~
stuka aud Than many Offices in which no one Dut