Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-07-27
LEADERS OF THE STRIKE.
who the Men Are Who Organized and
Direct 1t.


"W,h are the spirits who have arranged
and control the telegraph striker" is a
question frequently asked and which few
peOpFe outside of the telegraph offices can
answer. The men who originated the
brotherhood and who first made it a chap
ter of the knights of Labor are John
Campbell and Thomas II. Hughes, both
of Pfttsburg. Late in the fall of 1880 Mr..
Cam pbell talked the matter over with Mr..
Hugles, and when the first of the year
cam,4 round their plans had been dis
cuss ed over the wire with every operator
in the United States and Canada.
JOHN Campbell was born in Steuben-
vile. SOhiO, and is thirty-fve years old.
He is five feet eight inches tall, usually
dresser in dark clothing, and wears eye
classes His complexion is dark; his
hair an&l moustache are black. He has a
promine mt nose and black eyes. He is
well edi.. Gated, and the tribute paid him
at the c. licagO Convention of the Knights
of Labor of "HOnesU John Campbell'' is
a sufficicflt description of him, if his ca
reer as at3elegrapher is excepted. He has
been an operator for fourteen years, and
for six yeafrs sent press stuff from Pitts
burg. He has the reputation of being one
of the most Arapid and accurate senders in
the United Ptates, and never was known
to have ''blreak," except on a ''plug,"
as a poor operator is termed.
Thomas HUI ghes, CampbelTs cOadjutOr,
was born neSlr Pittsburg in 1858. He is
tall, dark cpmpleXiOned and youthful
looking. He wears a small, dark nous
tache. He Isl called the thinker Of the
Brotherhood and recently was entitled
by his adIRlirers the ''Second Napo-
leon" 1t was lie who, seven months ago,
sent the word lover the wires that if the
companies did nG)t accede to the demands
of the operators a strike would be inau-
gurated, ana he also personally cOmmu-
nicated with every telegrapher in the
country. 1t is | 0 him that the operators
to-day are accOul liable. He is not in New
York and will NOT be, but he controls the
movements of alf, interested. He is finely
educated and a capital speaker. He, to-
gether with Mr.. Campbell, signed the first
call for the BrOt herhOOd to meet at the
Chicago Convent 3)n of the Knights of La
Dor held in 1881.
John 5. McClelr an is the next most ac-
tive man in the, organization. He was
born at st. Catheri, nes, Ont, and is 81 years
old. He is light in complexion, five feet
ten inches tall, & nd, like Brother Camp
bell, wears Eyeglasses, which give him an
austere appear3 nee. He is endowed
with singular Will power, and his per-
sOnal appearance at mass meetings is
always the signal for an Outburst of ap-
plause. He has stI'Idied medicine, and now
holds diploma as an NJ. D., though
he has never prSlcticed. He has been
an operator for twelve years. His resi-.
dence is HOboken,( at which place he has
been the State pres operator. He is very
rapid at both sending and receiving, and
was never known Ito "break." He is an
excellent speaker. and his addresses at
the meetings at FCaledOnia and Irving
Halls have been liSstened to with marked
attention and greeted with applause. He
is also the ChairSman of the Executive
Board of the KnigbsCtS of Labor.
John Mitchell, TINE master workman OF
New York, was boI('n in st. John, n. B..
and is 33 years old". He Is little man,
but one of the best 6 eperatC IS in the world
He was at the New York end of the cable
for many years. JtJp to the 26th of las
May he was in the esamplOy of the Western
Union, but when TIL e word came he went
out and started a paper called the
TeleqFdpheFs' Adte Ocdte. Since ther
he has been a a@ZealOus advocate o
their interests, and Elm May last was made
the head of the NOV ement in New York
He has presided ONf er all their meetings
and is considered 40 be the best man fol
the position. He iC a well educated man
and wields great iTs ttluence over the sUrik
ers, one of whom !nIsaid last night: ''Wt
love him as a brol Ither, respect him as
man and revere 70 him as a leader" II,
was the man who2,) caused all the NAL,
telegraphers in 1.-The country to pledg,
themselves to ref, rain from Intoxicating
drink, and to him. is due the fact that 81
far not one case h. ;as been reported.
Frank r. PhilliS1ps, the man who CAV,
the signal for the,a strike on Thursday, is
stout, sturdy youth of twenty-five, and il
called ''Pud' for e, short. He was born il
Canada. and is well-educated. He ha
no hair on his fac3 =, and might easily b
mistaken for a We ,9ll-fed doctor of divinity