The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-07-28
DULL MONOTONY.
A Rarren Day IN the Telegraph
Str Usual Confidence on
20 Il E-des.
We neg AZ Eapid Makes Hay
L.r q the sun Shines--tsen-
erai Situation.

tbs t " iltendent of the Western
Union, 4, 10 rel he same ole story ovei
again. there is absolutely nothing 10 say
/ canro5 say who cut the wires but
my balief is that 1t was done by
sympatIL zers of the strikers | do moi
think any Of our old operators, linemen, OF
the telephone man would do such thing
An operator drops in now and then from an
outside point, and is given employment pro
vided he can work. Two new men came in
in the morning Business is as well cleared up
as though no strike was in progress, and
everything is moving along in tiptop shape
No strikers have asked to be taken back yet
This condition Of things cannot 90 on for
ever, of course. 1t is simply question Of
how long the men can live without working
or earning something. Railroads and the
outside country are contributing so many
men that the strikers places will soon all be
filed. The new men are doing better worR
every day.
In the gold and stock department every.
thing was reported as being very lovely,
New and highly skilled transmitters had beeU
imported from st. Louis and were gettine
more and better work out of the printing in
struments than the old men did 80, you
see, there is no great loss without some small
gain" remarked one of the managers. "The
strike lost us some men, but their places are
supplied with better ones than we supposed ii
was possible to get here The tape comes oui
of the instrument now as clear as corrected
and revised proof.
There has been some little improvement
in the speed with which our teIegrams are
transmitted since the commencement of the
strike, said an oil commission man, but il
we were to rely solely on the Western Union
for telegraphic communication with eastern
points we should be pretty badly at sea.
sent dispatch 10 Bradford, Pa, concerning
an oil transaction 1t was handed in to the
clerk at the Western Union desk at 9:30 H.
m, and received the answer at 4:02 D. IN
Prior to che trouble | used to get an answer
from eight to fifteen minutes after sensing
the dispatch"
Il want to say this much positively" re-
marked Western Union official, that if any
one expects, and don't think, there is any
one who can be SO blind as to expect, an un-
conditional surrender of the Western Union
to the demands of the men, they will find
themselves very much in the wrong Why,
there is just as much probability of that
courthouse jumping up and flying over on
the west side as there is of a wholesale CON
cession being made Look at the case in this
light: We have now an immense number Of
operators of all grades don't want to say
they are all expert hands, because they are
not, but all who come here individually can
have permanent work and good pay at such
work as they are able to fill the bill of, and
no striker will drive them ont, either
That is the way this question is going to be
solved. If all the strikers We're to come back
in body and apply for work We couldn't
give half Of them positions because we have
not got the vacancies.
Business on the open board is completely
demoralzed, said member, as he speared a
slice of liver off n neigEboring free lunch
counter with a pucketkui The quota.
tions from New York and st. Louis come in
very slowly and no business arrives from the
country. The country men are eager to
trade, but are afraid to. If the Western
Union are as comfortable as they say they
are, every one here thinks they might show ii
d little more in the manner of their service >
AT THE STRIKERS HEADQUARTERS.
The press committee Of the telegraphers
brotherhood reported that the Cincinnati
board of trade had contributed money to aid
the strikers, and several members had told
the operators to stick it out, and victory i;
yoursn Fifty new members were initiated
since the strike began
From Toronto Canada, word came thai
only Tx operators remained in the office, foul
Of whom are chiefs, one expelled telegrapher
and one W no had been black-balled by the as
sociation as too poor an operator to be q
brother
R. W Crampton en old operator Of Chi
cago, who had been q pioneer in the business
in 1859, was offered double wages and bonu
Of SO to take charge OF key by tue Western
Union, but indignantly refused.
T. E Winney, another oparator of the com
panv. who recently Went on the Wabash rail
road, was offered $50 month to work fol
them, but Gec,ucd 10 10 50.
THE WESTERN UNION BULLETIN.
New YORK, July 4--'Tbe Western UnoL
reports at 9 IA IN. several wires short between
New York and Pittsburg Buffalo all right
and business clear or well up in all other iii
rections. The Mutual Union wires are o X
THE AMERICAN RAPID.
NEW YORK, July 27.-The manager of tht
American Rapid company claims that since ht
made terms with the strikers the business oi
the company has increased so pet cent
Among business men there is considerable
criticism Of the company for having ralset
the rates 20 soon as business was
good. and it is the common remark that If th'
demands of the strikers are acceded to tht
pablic may have to pay for it after all, Tht
rates, which were Is cents for thirty word
OF city business, are now Is cents for tel
words The charge is IS cents for ten word!
for out-of- town business, against 20 cents TO
twenty words,
THE PRODUCE EXCHANGE.
At a large meeting of the produccexchange
the proposition to appoint committee to en-
force better telegraphic service and to inquir
| into some mode by which the existing differ
ences between the telegraph companies an,
their employees could be adjusted, was lost
| A proposition looking to arbitration was ais
| tabled, and motion of sympathy with th
| strikers ruled cut of order.
NO YIELDNG.
-Four additional Western Union city Office
were opened, making forty eight in all uo'
Ill OD6fdIIOli. 10 lO tthtiSdltbh Ou III
part of the company to yield in the slightes
| degree.
NEW COMPANY.
Plans are rapidly being pushed forward 70
| the organization of the new Co-operativ
Telegraph company contemplated by tn
| brotherhood.
AID FOR THE STRIKERS.
KANSAS CITY, Mo, July 27.-The cigal
makers of this city have unanimously vote
an individual assessment of 25 cents in aid c
the striking telegraph operators.
TELEPHONE LINEMEN TO QUIT WORK.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa, July 27.-The Be
telephone company's linemen and inspector
have notified Manager Norton Of their il
taEtion TO strike at nooa.
rlrH General LOn.street. -. -
| WOODSTOCK, H., July H.-Gen. Jane