The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1900-09-28
THE EDITOR STRUCK.
he JOINED FORCES WITH THE PRINT
ERS WHEN THEY QUIT.


labor strikes. The unions have used
the sympathetic strike" plan. at times
securing settlement by calling out
the forces of allied trades. With the
bosses" the lockout frequently has
done the business. But there are meth
DDS of erasing differences between en-
ployers and employees which even Chi
cago has overlooked. Strikes have
been settled by the bosses joining the
ranks Of the strikers, voluntarily as
Stunning the posts Of walking delegates,
directing the movements of the strik-
Ing army and debating the time when
difficulties were declared off.
Proof Of the power of this method
was furnished during the days of the
Old Dallas Times. That Texas city
was but struggling town then, with a
population that was getting close up to
the 1000 mark. The editorial helm of
The Times had just been seized by
William Steritt, better known In Wash
ington's and Texas newspaper world
today as plain "Bill' Steritt, the title
colonel frequently being prefixed in
recognition Of his birthplace, Ken
lucky.
The Times under the Steritt regime
employed five men and one woman In
Its manufacture. The latter was the
wife Of the foreman Of the printing
room and worked at the "cases," while
the printers deviP' performed double
duty by acting as the motive power Of
the hand press. The foreman during
his younger days had had an argument
with mule, and the scars Of that bat
tie which decorated his face had aided
In securing his reputation of being "a
bad man In a mixup." Shortly after
the new hand press had begun the
molding Of editorials and the sharing
Of subscription donations ranging from
garden truck to overworked farm stock
uneasiness lodged In The Times office.
Rumors of labor troubles and Of union
organization were heard.
We've concluded to quit" said the
foreman as he stalked into the editors
sanctum one morning backed up by the
entire mechanical force. "We don't
get union pay, and we've organized a
chapel. If you don't show up more
money, your paper don't get out, that's
ALL"
Going to strike, are you" queried
Steritt, who had not found promises Of
direct road to wealth and Wall street
through The Times. "Unionized, are
you? Well, sir, I'm glad to hear it. I've
hnnn thin lyino for Ho VIC Of
on a strike myself The circulation Of
this concern isn't extremely feverish,
and none Of the subscribers will ever
miss us, and if they do 1t will be to our
benefit. The few blocks of white paper
out there will keep, and guess the
hand press won't object to a day of.
Yes, sir, We'll strike right here and
now. Wen just walk around the cor
ner and celebrate the Inauguration Of
this 'walkout' with drink"
The foreman's wife here transferred
her share of arbitration power on the
masculine contingent and departed.
The quintet expressed some surprise
at the turn of affairs, but followed Ster-
lit to the corner saloon, where three
rounds of drinks were put away under
his direction.
"You see," began the foreman, we're
ready to go right back to work now II
you'll pay
"No, sir-ee," broke In the editor.
"Why, we've just struck, and couldn't
call things off now Hold on, l tell
you, and Wen win out"
The Times Office was closed up, the
windows nailed down and the Office cat
turned loose to forage. On the fourth
day the foreman approached Steritt
and sounded him as to the ACCESSIBILITY
Of declaring the strike at an end.
Cant do It," was the answer. "Why,
I'm having the best time of my life.
Hang out, and We'll win, tell you. II
could find another union around here,
we would have one Of those sympa-
thetic affairs. Mop; the strikes not of,
and hereby issue another pronuncia-
mento to that end. Besides that, the
people are beginning to find out they
need a paper. I'm In this strike for
lnen tuey lipuOTtu SeVerdI tluleS, anu
The foreman left.
On the ninth day the striking army
If five conferred with the self appoint
I'd walking delegate. They contended
hat they were ready to resume their
md of the work of shaping public opin-
on at the old schedule Of weekly pay.
Steritt was obdurate and advised fur
her hostilities for several days. On
he fourteenth day he was called on to
lccept most sweeping capitulation.
The next day the hand press began it's
Grind, the foreman. who had not lived
Up to his reputation as a bad man."
ook his wife and his followers back to
he cases" ana Steritt continued the
work of gathering "items" and build
ng editorials. At the close of the days
work the force was summoned to the
'fice.
Next time" advised the editor, you
lon't want to stop when you've organ
zed a chapel. You want to go ahead
nd organize and build whole cathe-
ral. That's all."-Chicago Tribune.
4 Cincinnati policeman was recently
Injured by the accidental discharge Of.
is duty.
Some people have no use for their
iicnds unless they are In a position to
se tlrm.
An old bachelor says that maids
marry when they can and widows