New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-10
CHICAGO'S NEWS FAMINE.
VICTORY OF PUBLISHERS
OVER THE STEREOTYPERS.
IRY TELEGRAPH To TIE rRIpuNE.l


Chicago July Q-The news famine in Chicago
is ended. What was in many respects the mos,
novel Strike in the history OF labor controversies
| has signally failed. 1t was unique in It's conse
| quences as affecting the public and in the appar
emily trifling nature of the issues which precipi-
tated 1t. 1t was striking demonstration Of the
fact that life In a city without newspapers is
| dull dreary and monotonous. and that people
shut of from the news Of the world suddenly
realizes that newspapers are necessities Of we'll
| ordered existence. even IN Chicago.
The morning OF July found the city OF Chi
| cago without single English newspaper 1t
| was the day following the battle % Santiago,
and the people looked az the empty news stands
and swore. The explanations of the dazed
| newsdealers we're received increduously That
a demand for more wages on The part of few
stereotypers could stop all the papers OF Chicago
in one night was too much to believe. They had
never stopped for anything before The people
would not believe It: neither would the stereo
typers. II they had believed it they would not
have struck. 1t not their plan to
suspension Of publication on the part OF the
newspapers. They had been led to believe BY
previous experiences that the publishers would
accede to their demands. rather than stop any
of the great morning dailies.
such perIshab!e commodity as news cannot
stand Idle. 1t was believed that the papers must
come out on time at any cost. But the publish
gave the stereotypers lesson in combina-
ton that set trades unonism to thinking AT
time when news was Of more value to the public
than at any time since the Civil War and when
thousands were anxious to scan the lists OF killed
and wounded In the fight at Santiago the pub
fishers made a combination so effective and COM
plexe to shut off all news channels and de-
clared they would stand together and prevent
the publication OF a newspaper FOR thirty days
IL necessary.
The spectacle OF the Chicago newspaper pub
fishers. who had often bitterly lampooned each
other In their editorial columns, meeting to-
gcther In fraternal concert every morning in
the editorial rooms of The Times Herald" was
picturesque and inspiring. The combination in
cluded the eight English newspapers OF Chicago
In the mean time the publishers advertised for
non union stereotypers in all the large cities
and soon had number OF applicants on the
ground
The serious phase Of the situation was the
uncertainty regarding the attitude Of the typo
graphical union. II II had declared q sympa-
thetic strike II would have proved costly az
fair for the publishing interests OF the city
The union was under a five-year contract with
the publishers and It kept faith with its employ
ers. IL declined to interfere with the non-union
stereotypers
The new stereotypcrs were divided among the
newspapers and. after three days Of entire sus-
pension each office was enabled to get out q
four-page paper. After three days on four
page basis. the old stercotypers began applying
for their former places and enough were finally
taken on to get out eight-page papers on Satur-
day. with prospect Of soon reaching twelve
page basis.
Durr /, all this time the Milwaukee, st. Louis,
Kansas City and Cincinnati newspapers were