National Republican., 1883-08-15
The Lines Of the Gold and Stock Company Sew
cred by a Skillful Hand.
The Companies Threaten to Sue the
City If They Are Not Protected,
An EI-Lineman Arrested-He Claims That He Was
Simply Removing His Own Property.
Continuation OF the Senate Committees
Investigation.

pany, said to-day that 1875 wires of tho Gold
and Stock Telegraph company, which supply
most of the circuits to the brokers' offices
down town, and which are carried through
Church street in seven cables suspended un-
der the elevated railroad girders, were all
cut last night, and in such way that tho
wires cannot be connected again at the point
where they were severed. Temporary con-
nections were made with other lines
A dispatch was received by the company
to-day which stated that the New Orleans
telegraphers were weakening, and that two
strikers had returned to their keys in Merid-
ian, Miss.
Mutual Union wires were cut in Harlem
and Manhattanville last night to the number
of a dozen or more. A few wires were cut
near Newark and others near Fleetwood.
A rgger for the Western Union company
was assaulted by two of the striking linemen
to-day when he was leaving the company's
building. The offenders were arrested by tho
police and takon to court, where the y were
held for examination.
SO far as could bo learned, up to noon to-
day none of the wire cutters had been ar
rested.
PITTsBURa, PA, Aug. 14.-Another striker
returned to work in the Western Union Of
flee here this morning.
CINCINNATI, Aug. 1.-two striking OPP
Union office here, and one first class operator
was obtained to-day from st. Louis.
The Western Union Telegraph company to-
day sent a letter to Mayor Edison setting forth
the losses sustained by them by the cutting
of their wires, and notifying him that they
will bring suit against the city for the re-
covery of damages. The mayor sent for Super
intendent of Police Walling and consulted
with him as to the measures to be adopted to
prevent the further cutting of wires. The
superintendent informed him that he had al
ready given special instructions to the cap
tains of the several precincts throughout the
city, and that no effort would be spared to de-
tect and arrest all persons guilty of tamper-
ing with the wires.
George Baldwin, a striking Western Union
lineman, was arrested this afternoon and
taken to the Tombs police court charged
with cutting telegraph wires.
Lineman Ferris, of the Western Union
company, testified that Baldwin was cutting
wires on the roof of the building at the
corner of Liberty and William streets. The
wires there are attached to an upright fast
ened to chimney. The accused stated that
this fixture is his property, and that he was
merely removing it. He claimed that he
bought that and a number of similar fixtures
in 1882 from Charles Irwin, who was then
superintendent of the Western Union COM
pany. His examination was adjourned till to-
morrow.
New YORK, Aug. 4.-Tho United States
senatorial subcommittee on labor and educa-
tlon resumed its session here to-day. John
F. McClelland, a member of the Brotherhood
OF Telegraphers, resumed his testimony. He
said that the estimated cost of telegraph
line L5oO miles long would be $725,965. The
estimate was made upon the cost of construo-
ttpn of the Mutual Union line, which was now
amalgamated with the Western Union. Tele-
graph operators were generally young men
and lived in boarding houses. They usually
came from the better classes Of society. The
morale of the operators as a class had greatly
improved within the last ten years, and
this was one result of the organization which
had been effected. Most of them were SINGLE
but some were married men. Tho witness
Thought $50 month was reasonable esti-
mate for EOd and lodging for month for u
single man. Only one in hundred ever
saved any money The highest paid operators
did not receive enough to enable them to lay
by anything for their support in old age. In
1870 the Western Union company required
every man coming into its employ to take an
oath that he would never connect himself
with a trade or labor organization. This was
called the iron clad OATH" and was admin
istersd TO every person who took part in the
strike of 1870
After the existence of the telegraph brother
mood was made known recently railway
superintendent issued a circular which was
sent to every employe Of the company for
bidding him TO connect himself with the
organization under penalty of dismissal. The
day operators worked from in tho morning
to at night and had but two or three hours
to devote to amusements. The night oper-
ator had more time at his disposal. No such
thing as vacation was known in the tele-
| graph business
Thomas OReilly, a telegraph operator of
Twelve years experience was the noXt wit
ness. He had charge Of tho Wheatstone in
struments in the Western Union office. He
had been an operator in that system for ten
| years in Scotland He came here about q
year ago. The Western Union company gave
them $50 a month as Il retaining fee until the
| Mheatstone instruments should arrive The
instruments did not arrive until October, and
the company kept putting the men of until
they were on the point of seeking other occu-
pations. Sir. O'Reilly characterized the ac-
tion of the Western Union as base trickery.
Promises were repeatedly made that the
Wheatstone men should receive rs much as
first class Morse operators On the twenty
eighth of last February it was announced
| that tho Wheatstone system would begin
operation, and the Wheatstone operators were
| told that their salaries would be $50 month
This was received with extreme dissatisfac-
tion, but nevertheless was decided to give il
months trial At the end of the first month
| l5,OOO messages had been sent to and from
chicago over ono wire under the duplex sys-
TEN. Promises of increase of salary were
constantly made but never fulfilled, and the
Wheatstone operators were thus induced to
remain until the strike was ordered, when
they all went out with the Morse operators
as they were all members of tho brother
hood. 1t required five years experience
to become proficient at the Wheatstone sys-
tenn The WheatstOne patent is owned by the
western Union company in this country, but
belonged to the British government origin
ally. IL is the system used all over Great
Britain and Ireland. 1t was more expensive
system than tho Morse system but it was
available Tor moro purposes that the Morse,
particularly in the department of press dis.
patches. 1t was not probable that the Wheat
stone would supersedo the Morse system in
this country from the different character of
the work here. The principal reason for the
strike of these operators was the do
ceit and trickery of the company
toward the English operators. Operators
on the other side were better paid. They
had three weeks vacation each year with sal
airy aud during sickness received half pay.
After being certain number of years in the
service, his record being good he receives a
pension for life, sometimes at full pay when
he becomes superannuated. All the wires in
Great Britain and Ireland belong to the
government, and the tariff was uniform, be-
ing shilling for twenty words and three
pence for each additional FIVE words.
John b. Taltasall, an operator employed
by the New York associated press confirmed
the testimony of the previous witnesses in re-
gard to the strike.