The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-15

couio tezl Wnen the papers Wou-C De Is
sued, and il began TO look as though the
people OF Chicago would never hear from
the front again.
The public generally could not under
stand the situati ton at all. and cursed the
publishers roUndly. The public knew
nothing and cared nothing about the
stereotypers and their demands, but
clarmored for the news.
All day and far into the night crowds
surrounded the vacant bulletin boards.
discussing the anomalous situation and
getting little satisfaction on, OF il.
Bits of news gathered here and there
were spread from lip to lip. and occasion
al kilograms posted In the windows OF
hop uficed TO draw crowds that stopped
the cable cars. A copy Of the New York
Herald in the window of a tobacconisI's
shop drew such a multitude that the Of
icers of the police were called upon to
for pedestrians and enable The tarffic IN
the street to proceed.
The fortunate possessor Of an outside
newspaper was at once an object OF
attention. and as he read passers by
craned their necks 70 look at the head
lines. One or two enterprising fellows
bought outside newspapers and then,
mounting & box or barrel. read the teie-
grams 70 the eager crowds. afterwards
taking up a collection. Responses were
always generous. and the happy thought
| Of becoming reader-ingnersl to the pub
lie netted one bright young man SIS in
one day
Most extravagant prices were oered for
newspapers. and boys sold the Cincinnati
and St Louis papers for from 25 cents 10
81. AS high az SO was offered for a copy
OF the New York Sundak Herald. but
the owner of the copy would not part
with 1t oven that price. No paper was
sold on the streets for less than cents.
and prices ranged from that figure up
ward
Reading clubs were formed an over the
city in the social and political clubs. sa-
looms, grocery and drug stores and
other places where men were apt 10 con-
gregate. and one newspaper was there
fore able TO supply several hundred rea-
ders. It was a slow and exasperatinS
way of getting the news. but 1t certainly
was better than no news at all.
Thus matter continued from Friday IN
n Tuesday. The publishers manifested
no eage~ness 70 resume. for II was feared
The printers would take up the cause Of
the strikers If the places of the latter
were filed with non-union men. Then
President Prescott. of the International
TypOgra phical Union. came here from
Indianapolis and after a short survey
of the s1tua ton became convinced that
the trske of the stereOtypers was an IL
legal one. inasmuch as the International
Typogra phical Union had not been noti-
fed of the intention to begin strike.
According to the conditions under which
the stereotypers were given a charter for
their union they could not quit work with
out the consent of the Typographical
Union.
It was also found tht the publishers
were at fault, too. and could have saved
themselves much worry and expense by
appealing to the officers of the Interna-
tional Typogra phical Union or rather
notifying them that the stereotypers had
formulated demands and proposed going
This mode Of action the publishers had
not thought of. evidently although in
times gone by the good offices Of the
heads OF the great printers organization
had been sought and obtained.
Presiden Prescott wa not at all back
ward in telling the publishers what he
thought Of their action in suspending
publication for four days when prompt
measures would possibly have obviated
the necessity Of shutting down at all.
The action of the printers broke the
backbone OF the strike and left the stereo
typers nothing 70 stand upon. At a meet
ing Of the Chicago Typographical Union
0 nTuseday evening. the members voted
TO stand by the publishers and agreed to
work with any stereotypers the publis-
hers might be able 70 obtain. These new
stereotypers are paid the old scale, and
are therefore not rafting"