Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-07-20

OaY-tOndfsiOn Ot AExnarS Ia the Sew.
eral Offices-rhc COmpauies Claim to
Strikers' Statement OF Their Griev-
anceS.
This morning there had been very little change
in the situation caused by the teleeraphers
strike. Business looked dull about the
THE BALTIMORE AND OHIO TELEGRAPH OFFICE.
STAR reporter made his way to the little pas
sage up stairs. where there Is a window looking
down into the operators room. The manager, Mai.
w. H. Clarke, was there working key. In re-
sponse to call from the reporter, he came out.
I'VE are only taking such business as we are able
to handle. he said to the reporter "Of course IL
any person comes In With dispatch, and Is will
70 1ne rsE pa oi w we bsa sake nne
tors we could not hanlie much business, as the
offices in other cities are closed. SO far we have
"Have you had any news from headquarters"
asked the reporter.
..Not 2 word" said Maj: Clarke. .'There is a
The brotherhood"
in your offlce?"
"NODe," said the manager. ''There is no one at
work except myself and the chief operators Miss
by permission OF the brotherhood under assurance
from the U. p A. that she shall receive the stand
ard salaries: Business men seem to sympathize
with the strikers, and their influence may help In
bringing about compromise Some of the
brokers here yesterday, when the order came to
strike, told their operators to 60 and strike and
they would shut up shop"
YOUTHFUL STRIKER
San amusing incident occurred last evening" ,
continued Major Clarke. 1--WE have a number OF
boys whom have encouraged to learn telegraph
ing. They are ranked as messengers, and not as
operators When, at 12 O'Clock, one Of the opera.
tors In branch Office left instructed him to turn
over his Office to his messenger, O boy who can
send and receive very well He worked along
5nsSs until i1o about eqk When this
pect to follow Ielegraphing for 9 livelihood, and
decline e, to take charge Of this office longer Good
Major Clarke said the striko did not affect the
railroad telegraph business The operators on the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad line are classed AS
employees of the railroad and are not In the broth.
erhood. Major Clarke remained on duty at his
office after midnight last night Major Clarke has
only Two assistants In the operators rooms They
are MesSrS- Herbert and Kelser. the chief opera
tors
FOURTEEN OPERATORS AT WORK IN THE WESTERN
UNION OFFICE.
Upi the top story of the Corcoran building,
where the Western Union operating room is
located, there was clatter and dash of keys this
have detected that there were not so many keys
joining In the din as usual. 1--WE have handled
all the business we have had SO far" said Mr.. Mo-
STAR reporter. II think we have sent as much
m litter as usual We have fourteen operators at
work, and that Is about two-thirds OF our usual
patches that were filed. OF course there may be
some delay in our business, as some OF the other
onlces @ are not manned, but we have gotten along
"Are the operators that remain members OF the
orotherhood?" asked the reporter.
mo, think not.' said Mr.. MOreen. ''They had
their option whether to go or stay, and chose to
ST. think the committee OF strikers saw nearly
every one OF them last night, but they all came
with us. Nearly all OF the boys and younger oper-
ators struck, and also some OF the best operators
HAS there been any indication yet as to what
will be the outcome7" asked the reporter.
mot that l am aware OF" said Mr.. MOreen.
'The contest will be. think, a very bitter one"
1.-THE ONLY ONES NOT on STRIKE"
On the avenue in front OF the Bankers and
ing sign saying: "This company's operators the
only ones not on strike" When a STAR reporter
stepped into the Office the keys were ticking away
very merrily. Mr. F. P. Cox, the manager, said
garded the company with a very friendly feeling
Gen. Dunn, the local manager at Baltimore, he
said, informed his men yesterday that II any OF
them felt bound by their oath to the brotherhood
to go, they were at liberty to go and he would in
sure them their positions when they came back.
Gen. Dunn also sent word to the strikers in Balti-
more that they could cah upon him for his check
for 500.
mo demands have been made by the brother
hood upon this company at ALL" said MIR. Cox.
good. After receiving ird from General Dunn
last night that he would contribute 500 tie
striking operators In Baltimore passed a resOlu-
needed any operators to help him out they would
Send men to help him without extra pay"
THE CONDITION OF AFFAIRS TODAY GREAT IMPROVE
MENT OVER YESTERDAY.
awe got of all our business last night" said
Mr.. Whitney, the manager of the western Union
Office in this city. to a STAR reporter to-day. "We
have fourteen operators On duty, and can handle
our business in about the usual time. The number
OF offices reporting is continually increasing The
company Is growing stronger every hour"
Then the company will not give in7' said the
''NO, the company Will not give in. 1t is able to
transact the business OF the community. OF
course when this strike occurred without q warn
now it is getting stronger and the force is con-
Stantly increasing. The condition OF affairs to
day IS a great Improvement over yesterday"
THE MUTUAL UNION WORKING SATISFACTORILY WITH
THE MANAGER AND ONE OPERATOR.
Mr. Colum, ,localmanager Of the Mutual. told STAR
reporter that he was working his Office with one
operator to assist him. II have been surprised
that we have done SO WELL" hs said. "Our busl-
ness is principally press matter and we got OF
everything last night and this morning. Things
are In decidedly better condition to-day than yes
s o 5 have
ing stations. think that In o few days these men
will be at work again and don't believe the CON-
pany will compromise with them"
The only branch OF the Mutual Union In the
city Is that at the Arlington and the operator
there, lady, was at work to-day.
THE AMERICAN RAPID COMPANY.
Seven OF the operators Of the American Rapid
company struck yesterday, and to-day all of the
branch offices were closed. At the main ONCE the
manager stated that the line was working all
right and transacttng business g usual He had
one gentlema an aud two ladies' in the Office to Op-
crate the automatic telegraph instrument, with
which the business was being transacted.
THE OPERATORS STATEMENT OF THEIR GRIEVANCES.
The striking telegraph operators con-
tend that they and their cause have been
misrepresented by the oh1cers of the
Western Union company. The members OF
the brotherhood claim that their Organiza-
ton Is the result Of tyranntcaf and unjust treat
ment meted out to them during the past ten years,
and that their demands are not unreasonable, in
forced upon them at different times by the West
ern Union Telegraph company, which fixes the
standard OF wages for the United states and
Canada They say in support OF their claims:
"Between the years 1870 aud 1874 two general re-
auctions took place Throughout the country,
amounting to about g Der cent From 1874 to
1877 local SuperintendentS and managers, in order
to curry favor with the company, vled with each
other In economic suggestions In 1873 the eXecu-
tive officers. seeing the men submit 80 tameiy to
this process, became bOder. ana announced the
famous (or In amous) sliding scale, or general re-
duction OF from to Is per cent on all employees.
fncf had