The Irish standard., 1900-07-07

Times. That Texas city was but a
struggling town then, boasting less than
one twentieth Of the 10000 names now
helm of the Times had just been seized
by William Steritt, better known in
Washington and Texas newspaper world
to-day as plain "Bill" Steritt, the title
"Colone" frequently being preflxed in
| recognition Of his birthplace-Kentucky.
The Times under the steritt regime en-
ployed five men and one woman in it's
manufacture. The latter was the wife of
the foreman Of the printingroom and
worked at the Ceases, while the print
er's devil" performed double duty by act
Ing as the motive power of the hand press.
The foreman during his younger days had
scars Of that battle, which decorated his
face had aided in securing his reputation
as being "a bad man In a mixup." Short
ly after the new hand had begun the
moulding Of editorials and the sharing of
subscription donations, ranging from gar
easiness lodged in the Times office.
Rumors of labor troubles and of union or
ganization were heard.
We've concluded to quit" said the
foreman, as he stalked into the editors
sanctum one morning, backed up by the
union pay. md We've organized chapel.
II you don show up more money your
paper don't get out-thats ALL
Going to strike. are you?" queried
Steritt who had not found promises of a
direct road to wealth and Wall street
you? Well, sir I'm glad to hear it. I've
been thinking for some days of going 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 it will be to our benefit. The
fr,, 1Dpl,r, ,t>;t r,ytl1
keep. and l guess the hand press won't
object to a day off. Yes, sir, we'll strike
| right here and now. Well just walk
around the corner and celebrate the in
auguration of this 'walkout' with a drink"
| The forcman's wife here transferred her
share of arbitration power on the mascu-
| line contingent and departed. The Quin-
tct expressed some surprise at the turn
OF affairs, but followed Steritt to the cor
| ner saloon, where three rounds OF drinks
| were put away under his direction.
You see." began the foreman, we're
ready to 80 right back to work now II
you'll pay"
No, Stree" broke in the editor. "Why.
we've just struck, and 1 couldn't cali
things Off now. Hold on, tell you, and
We'll 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 Stcritt and
sounded him rs to the ACCESSIBILITY Of de-
claring 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. If could
find another union around here we would
nave one of those sympathetic affairs
Mop, the strikes not Off, and l hereby
issue another pronunciamento to that end.
Besides that, the people are beginning to
lind out they need n paper. I'm in this
strike for subscribers"
Then they liquored several times and
the foreman left
On the ninth day the striking army of
five conferred with the lf-appointed
walking delegate. They commended that
they were ready to resume their end OF
the work of shaping public opinion at the
oid schedule of weekly pay. Steritt was
obdurate, and advised further hostilities
Tor several days. On the fourteenth day
ne was called on to accept most sweep
Ing capitulation. The next day the hand
press began it's grind. the foreman, who
mad not lived up to his reputation rs n
bad man. took his wife and his followers
back to the "cases,' and Stcritt continued
the work of gathering "items" and build
ing editorials. At the close OF the days
work the force was summoned to the
office.
Next time advised the editor. "you
don't want to stop when you've organized
chapel; you want to go ahcnd and or
game and build whole cathedral. That's
ALL"