The sun., 1892-01-04
a STRIKE OF LAMp1IeHzxRs,


On Saturday night twenty-six lampliGhters
employed by the Equitable Gas Light Com
pany went on strike IA they tell the story.
tho company made contract with Brooklyn
man named Friese to light oil their lamps, and
this man wanted them to work for about half
OF what they had been getting before.
They used to receive one cent night for
every lamp they lit, and they ofton made a.
much as $55 month. With the new arrange.
ment they say they would not have made more
than $35 month. so. rather than submit to
1t, they went back on their ancient and honor.
able vocation.
The Equitable Gas Light Company has
about 4.3O0 lamps in Avenue A. First Second.
Third. Lexington. Ninth. Tenth. and Eleventh
avenues. extending. roughly speaking. from
Houston to Sixty-lfth street, or about the
middle OF the city. By employing Italians and
men who were out Of work they succeeded In
lighting most Of them on Saturday night
But It Is also the duty Of the lamplighter to
extinGuish the lights at dawn. and the Italians,
in doing this. skipped several blocks ut o
time The result was that many Of the lamps
wero burning brightly at 8 o'clock yesterday
morning.
The police Captains In all these precincts
issued orders to their men not to allow any
had been assaulted the night before. and the
81 .SGR soAHq
Dor Of men started out on all the streets to
On the west side Of town. in the tough neigh
4, lSms ana corner 0uSseFs Eh2 lS hsd heard
lighter or two II the occasion offered.
,bs aS not get
Nineteenth street. about s o'clock. q dozen
young toushs stood around . lamp post. when
moved The italian looked at them 10!
eo tRs Next .mp poCeman happsned
which ths ismpiighter returned and it tIe
vest side was III. put every two Or three blocks
on the east side the pey lamp plightsrs vent
@s sPiy psS ssd ssS shD fn
ess .as duty Street m sHsf' D0hHsmpa LIZ shs
IS as afth ths Int spad
Eis iSS ts i Is S
At o O'clock Lexington avenue from Thrift.
SUN reporter raw two officers standing at the
corner Si Thirty. nrst street. and said g them:
lamp sp op s pUs sss. sn9 to Light every
;;s5; ;";x5Sss q, X think tic DOlcs force sreS Lamp
Who is going to light tho lamps?"
port that they're out Woul ldnt it be nice Il .
ike esys noSHey s S%e Rsss his
station house and told Sergeant Chapman that
The Sergeant Serge called an oil,cer and said: -
Go down. Lexington avenue and tell tho
on post to Sns syery t1ia tha, s.or out
heard him give the order to the two men who
were still supporting the corner. The officer.
who had moment before expressed %, his con.
amazement
h. Say; asE:d, you're giving us 'to'r' amt your
Nary q steer, It's dead straight"
iPs sbssvs IT, anS H.1 wsX? They'll be wanting US to
THE newly appointed lamplighter stopped
at a lamp post drew or his gloves and took
out six matches. Then. with a reproachful
81 H poss
He lit match. and another and another
group Of pedestrians gathered around to watch |
=. What the dickens are you all looking ats
Hs ts Yss sS ssttps 1 ssrc.stia Fipslly the lamp
was lit and the officer scrambled down. In |
spite Of the c2Id he was IN "a STATE Of great
After the third lamp, he had to 60 into y cigar |
aor %Grs bim bs ae hour to light the
on his post. and when it was all finished there |
wasn't madder man In New York than !
In, other parts OF the precinct there were
police got small boys to climb up and light