Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-07-25
rnk TKlECRAPn sTRlKE At SAN
TRANCIsCo.

-
iTnk THlEGRAPa STRIKE At SAN
FRANClsCo.
/ SAY Francisco, July eo.-rhe order
promulgated from the headquarters of
the Brotherhood OF Teleeraphers IN New
/ York for a general strike of operators
/ throughout the country Yesterday was
I received in San Francisco at els a. m.
Immediately thereafter Is oot of tbs 81
operators filed out upon the sidevalk,
three only remaining at their posts.
The strike, which il general. extending
! throughout the country will. il ID sup
posed. have the effect Of temporarily
curtsilinR the teleRraphic news from
points east of Ogden, where only four
/ operators remain on duty. Snperin-
I tendent Frank Jaynes of the Western
/ Union was interviewed by reporter IN
| the afternoon. Mr.. Jaynes expressed
/ himself as confident of the success of
/ the company in its contest with the
men, and declared that the company
was able to hold out for IN indefinite
time. as all their EMPLOYEES were opcr-
ators, and the wires would not cease
working unless they we're eut. He also
added that there we're lots of men
around town who could run an insfru
meut, many of whom would be only too
glad of a chance to put in extra time
when not employed at their d ally occu-
pations. He, however, acknowledged
that there might be some lack of news
from the East in the morning papers.
In answer to a question he stated taat
the men had expressed themselves salts
fed with the wages paid by the COM
pany, and had only gone out under
compulsion. All of them would be
taken back when the strike was over,
except those who we're loud-mouthed in
advising the cut ting of wires, etc.
The Brotherhood has its headQuar-
tsrs at Huddy's Hall, on Market street,
where several of the men prominent in
the order were found discussing the
situation. They secuted the idea of a
failure of the strike. None of the night
men would report tor work; OF the day
force, six out of seven were of, and the
talk about men who were formerly in
the employ of the company coming to
hole was simply bosb. Men otherwise
employed could not leave their duties
for a sufficient time to attend to the
work of the office, which required con-
slant attention, and the few who were
idle could not begin to fill the places of
the 10000 men who we're out. Regard
ing female operators, they claim that
they are with the order, as they have
set up the claim that women must be
paid the same wages that men receive
for the same work. The men were in
good spirits, confident yet conservative,
and did not advise yiolenea
As side issue OF the strike the mes
senger boys also marched out of the
Western Union office at 10 o'clock, de-
pioyina on Montgomery street and
marching to Clay, where they gave three
cheers for the strike and then disbanded.
Their demand was for an increase Of
one cent on every message delivered.
The company filed their places by
other boys. All messages at the re-
ceiver's window we're taken subject to
delay" but their number was not di-
minished, and all went through subject,
of course, to delay. The trouble is not
in the centers but in the interior, where
men cannot be had to work the instru-
ments. Notably is this the case at Og-
den, where all overland messages are
repeated, and at Yreka, where all the
northern dispatches are handled. The
former Office is embarrassed and the
latter closed.
The strike was a surprise to the man
ayers. as the news of a compromise was
wired from the East on Wednesday
night. That was manifestly blind.
At the request of Superintendent Jaynes,
Chief Crowley detailed Officer Osgsod
to look out for the Office of the Western
Union, but he had no trouble to contend
with, as all was as quiet as on any other
day of the year. Probably the most Sc
rious feature of the strike is the posi-
bility of fugitives from justice getting
away on account Of the lack of tele-
graphic communication between the
great centers of population.
When the reporter visited the build
ing of the telegraph company last night,
he met Manager Jaynes, who said in re-
latiOn to the strike, that so far rs this
city was concerned the company had
been put to no inconvenience and that
the places of the strikers had been filled
sufficiently to allow the newspaper re-
ports to go through to ell points East.
From the manner in which the reports
were coming from the East it was his
opinion that the several offices were
we'll supplied with hands. The only
| oosOooh toc oOAhRouy CApCIiOhCoo yOo-
terday on this coast WAS at Yreka, where
the Oregon report is received and re-
peated to the north. This station is
attended to by three men, whose duty
it is to keep the repeating instruments
in working order. The company were
expecting the strike of two of these
men and depended on the third to see
that the Oregon report went through.
Yesterday this operator quit work and
consequently left the company in the
lurch. His place will be filled, however,
by this evening and then the Oregon
} news will be sent as before. In relation
to the statement made that the company
had employed q number of students
from the telegraph schools in the city
Mr.. Jaynes said that it was not the case
as he filed the strikers places with old
: employees from the interior.
At Huddy's hall last night number
of operators were present at meeting
of the Brotherhood. John Leach, the
President, stated that there were TWEEN
ty two of the Brotherhood present, al
: on a strike, and that eighteen of them
q belonged TO this city, the other four hav
> ing como from Sacramento. He ther
read to the assemblaRe the memorial o.
7 the Brotherhood to the Western Union
. asking for raise in wages and othe
concessions. Following this he rea(
! the principles of the Brotherhood. Mr.
Rose said the wages Of the opera tor
, were less today than in 1865. Th'
: Brotherhood merely asked for Living
q rates of wages, which amounted to abou
: Is per cent. increase on their presen
. pay. He regretted the causes which lex
> TO the strike. 1t had caused no littl
. confusion and great Inconvenience Il
{ the telegraph company. II was his sin
Q cere wish that the strikers would hol,
9 together, a. that was the only means b.
Q which they might get what they de
{ manded. Messrs. Gebhardt and Leacl
. also spoke, the latter paying . oompli
= ment 20 Manager Jaynes by saying tina
he had treated the strikers With grea
;. consideration, bat was acting under Oh
Z orders Of his superiors. At late hou
d last night the work at the TELEGRAPH
!. building Wa going pretty. smoothly III
d der the circumstances, No dem0nstrl