The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-07-20
Thu STRIKE BEGUN.
Members OF the Telegraph Brother
hood Vacate Their Places.
at a Given Signal Ten or Twelve Thousand
Operators Leave Their Tables and
March Into the Streets.
The Large Offices in the Principal
Cities Temporarily Crippled.
The Company Making Strenuous Efforts to
Forward Business, and Claiming To
Be Fairly Successful.
Quite a Number of Operators Refuse
to Join the Strikers.
But Little Trouble in the Small ofices-The
Company Gathering Recruits
Rapidly as Possible.
But Little Trouble in the Small Ofices-The
Company Gathering Recruits as
Rapidly Possible.
Both Sides Apparently Decided to
Make Determined Struggle.
How the Strike Was Made in Indianapolis
Condition of the Local Office Last
Night-Latest from All Points.
THE LOCAL OFFICE.
The Strike in This City-Talks with Tele-
graph Officials and Strikers.

The Strike in This City-Talks with Tele-
graph Officials and Strikers.
The strike of the Telegraph Brotherhood
Washington time. At 11:30, on Wednesday
night the following dispatch was received
from Pittsburg. 1t was in cipher and was
the order upon which the strike began:
PITTsBURG. July IS, 1888, IL PM
Unless otherwise instructed, all members of
the Brotherhood of Telegraphers employed by
the Western Union, Mutual Union, Baltimore Il
Ohio, American Rapid of the United States,
and the Great Northern of Canada, will strike
at noon, on Thursday, July 10, Washington time.
We cannot treat with them. Commit no unlaw-
tul act. BY order of GRAND MASTER WORKMAN.
Nohint of this seems to have got beyond
the circle of the Brotherhood and business
started in at the Western Union office in
this city as smoothly and seemingly unevent-
full as usual. At about 11:20 telegram was
received reading General Grant dropped
dead" and the news went over the city like
wildfire but the imputation that the news
lacked confirmation kept pace with it, and
the sensation was exceedingly short-lived
The strikers came ont about the time this re-
port was engrossing public attention, and
were unnoticed for a full half hour, The
signal to strike was given by E. A. Hawkins
on the strength OF the telegram received the
night before, and as the hour arrived he rose
to his feet and called out: Attention,
Brotherhood. Strike;;" whereupon twenty
eight or thirty of the operators ceased work
and, rising from their desks, marched ont.
DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT wALLIcK.
Yesterday afternoon, about half past 2,
Journal reporter climbed to the top story in
Blackford's block to the operators room of
the Western Union Telegraph Company.
The division Superintendent John f. Wal
lick, was in charge and the instruments
were clicking away as loudly and as indus
triously as usual. "You see we're not in &
very bad fix" said Mr.. Wallick, turning to
the reporter, and with a wave of the hand in
dicating the operators at work: "Here we
have eighteen operators-sxteen men and
two ladies. Fifteen of them are first-class,
and the Others young men we have brought
up in the Office. These are good, but not
first class There's NJ. D. Butler, the man
ager; H. c. Slckles +. A. Moore j. NJ Tay-
lor, S. L. Douglass, J. A. Fuller, night man
ager, and his assistant, George W. Weakly;
w. L. Wasson, Edward Swift, and others of
our old force. and all first class This force
will be increased tonight by the addition of
will be here"
"How many operators does it take to run
the Office day and night?"
about forty-fve, but we car run the Of
flee nicely with thirty, and can, when
pushed, as now, take care of the business
with twenty. Former operators, now in
other business, are dropping in with offers
of assistance, and there need be no fear but
we will come out all right. This strike
doesn't reach all the outside offices by any
means At Layfayette Logansport and
Richmond none struck; at Terre Haute all
went out but the manager and chief op-
orator, but the Office is filling up again; at
Charlottesville, Ind, Shelbyville, Ill.,, Piqua,
O., Greenvile O., and most offices where
there is only one operator, our man stayed,
and we are all right At Evansville all went
out but the manager and chief operator
There" continued Mr.. Wallck, 'is a dis
patch have just received from R. c. Clowry,
of Chicago, general superintendent:
With recruits we have fully half force on duty
in Eastern divisions and more coming in rapidly.
They exhibit an enthusiasm that is wonderful
have no fears of the result with such EN-
ployes. Extend to those in yOur division, both
men and women, my best thanks, and leave
nothing undone to provide for their wants and
protect them from indignities on the part Of the
strikers. Spare no expense in his resnect Pro-
vide carriages for such as have to go home and
back.
After leaving Mr.. Wallick the reporter