Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-07-20

"A
from General Manager Eckert.
NEW YORK, July 19.-At precisely u
O'Clock, Washington reckoning. several
hundred operators in the Western Union
Telegraph room stopped work and started
Tor the halls. superintendent Humstone.
who was present, said that the number to
leave was about what had been expected
from the reports made to the company. In
the operating room were stationed sew
eral policemen, and these, together with
the officials who were present, asked the
| strikers to move out as rapidly as possi-
bic and to leave the building. The opera
tors who were faithful to the companv
| and remained at their keys did very little
work at first, and were interested specta-
tors. Long lines of operators were soon
ming down stairs with various emotions
depicted on their faces. The majority
were hilarious, but there were not want
ing those whose features bore the traces
OF uncertainty and fear for the future
Many were thoughtful and evidently an
preclated that the strike might cause long
weeks OF ldleness with a scanty income.
The general feeling was one of confidence
| however, and a determination to win was
the WatchWOrd. As soon as the advance
guard of the strikers reached the base
ment hundreds of curious people who
were there and in the street about the
building sent up brief shout, thus
spreading the news. In a few minutes
more bulletin boards posted the facts. and
the long contemplated and much talked
OF strike had begun and it was fully
known at all news centres. The fact that
1t had been largely discounted
In the gossip of the past
week did not prevent its being received
as a sensation.
At the general offices of the company
| there was an unusual activity and hustle
but no excitement, the officials being
fully prepared for the strike and informed
OF It's extent. 1t was said by the officers
that the reports, so far as received. indi-
Gated strike only in Chicago, where it
| was expected to be more general than
elsewhere, and in some Of the Canadian
| offices. No doubt was expressed. how
ever, that il would extend to all the prin-
cipal points. There was no disturbance
on the Associated Press wires which tap
Washington, Baltimore and PHILADELPHIA.
! with their tributaries, the territory of
! those wires being manned bV Asso-
ciated Press telegraphers, who have
made no demand and have
no grievance. The general sentiment of
the operators and officials was thai the
news of the country would be taken care
OF, the operators having only the kindest
feeling toward the press.
Inc Executive Committee of the Tele-
graphic Brotherhood Yesterday sent q
letter to General Eckert. 1t said; "On
Monday, the 10th instant, a committee of
| the telegraph operators submitted TO vour
consideration petition entrusted to them
Tor presentation to you by the Brother
hood of Telegraphers. You expressed
your doubts as to the authority of that
committee to speak for the employees of
your company and have failed to respond
to that petition. Your letter to r. c.
CIOWry, General Superintendent. dis
closes TO the public the fact that
you were informed of the nature of
your employees grievance before they
were presented. Under ordinary circum-
stances, 1t would require but a short time
| TO arrive at conclusion as to what stems
you would take, but knowing, as we did.
that this matter had been thoroughly dis
/ cuSSed long before we waited on VOu if
was not unreasonable to expect an early
reply. 1t is due to the interests YOU rep
/ resent, TO our organization and Darticu-
larly to the general public, that these
matters be speedily adjusted, and that the
responsibility of any future action nav
rest where 1t properly belongs. 1t is with
an earnest desire for harmonious set
tlement of these difficulties, and regard
for the social and business interests of
the people that we send this last appeal
| for recognition of the rights and a redress
Of the grievances of your employees"
No reply was received to this address.
and the committee, which met this morn
ing at IL: 80 O'Clock, took no action upon
It. There We're present at the meeting eX-
Governor Cornell, John +. Terry and j.
W. Clendennin. Jay Gould was also
present, though not member of the COM
mittee. 1t was decided only to hold a
preliminary meeting this morning.
and after short session an ad-
jOurnment was had. Nothing was
done except to issue directions TO
all heads of departments and other
chiefs in the employ of the company to
notify the operators under their charge to
/ present their grievances, If they had any,
to the committee, and that such action
would be taken as might be thought
proper.
The committee expected to meet again
tomorrow, but the summary action on
| the part of the employees of the company
may possibly lead them to make some
change in their plans.
The operators in the employ Of the
American Rapid Company left work at
the same hour that those in the Western
Union building struck 1t is said that
only half dozen men remained in the
office.
lJ6 at work in the main office at 80
O'Clock this afternoon. OF these quite a
number were girls, and some were en-
plOyeS who had not for some time served
at the wires. A few inquiries addressed
to these men who remained elected the
fact that many of them had been in the
last strike, and did not care to hazard
their chances in another one. They were
for the most part the older grade of Ope-
ratoTs.
The messengers and girls remained and
were fitting about as usual, none having
left. \ large majority of the WheatstOne
operators remained. Out of 40 ladies
employed Manager Deal estimated that
only about twenty had left their places.
One of the officers of the company who
has most feared the results of the strike
said: I'VE shall have hard time, but we
shall get through. So far it is much bet
ter than / anticipated"
The following general order was issued
from the executive office of the Western
Union this afternoon:
"R. G. CIOlrFy, q. w. Trdbue and c. 4.
Tinker, General SuperiRteRdeRts Please
instruct all offices by telegraph as follows:
Until otherwise instructed all offices will
be careful in receiving messages for
transmission, and to notify senderS that
the same can be taken only subject to
delay. and to mailing en- route if neces-
Sdry 10 complete the TRANSMISSION TO
the point of address. All such messages
taken for transmission shall have written
or stamped on the face of the same over
the signature of the sender the words,
accepted subject to mailing or other de-
Law" Superintendents will cause to be
printed and posted in the principal offices
of their respective districts placards bear
ing the following inscription: ''NOTICE!
Messages taken to-day subject to delay
and to mailing en- route if necessary"
rSignedl THos. T. ECKERT,
Acting President.
The striking operators were in session
this afternoon. but the meeting was a Sc
cret one. This afternoon there were about
l75 operators employed in the Western
Union building. and il was learned that
only about twO-thirds of the regular force
had struck AS fast as operators applied
for positions they were put at work, and
the empty desks are slowly filling up.
All the members Qf the Executive Com
mittee of the Brotherhood except John
Campbell, have left for their homes He
will remain to answer any cOmmunica-
tiOns. He said this afternoon, that in
stractiOns were sent out by the commit
tee to men all over the country and Can
ada. that unless d cOUptermanding order
was given in the meanwhile, there
should be general suspension
of business at noon to-day,
Washington time. At $3.50 O'Clock last
appeal was sent to Gen. Eckert in the
hope that at the last moment he might ac-
cede to the demands of the operators, but
as no reply was received IT was decided
fo lot mo ttarc taln thair pOurSe The in