Hattiesburg daily progress. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 18??-1909, 1902-12-11
In Sympathy of Their
FeIIOW.WOrkerS.
NEW ORLEANS has A STRIKE
Which is Likely to Create Con
siderable Interest
THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES
The Biggest Woman Strike Ever
lnaugurated in This Country.


now 700 girl employees of the Hern-
shiem branch Of the American To-
bacco Company on a strike. The en-
tire number employed under Joseph
McDerby have joined the ranks Of
the strikers. The last group numbers
about 500. 1t is stated on authorl' y
that by noon tomorrow every girl IN
the factory will have walked out.
Early this morning at the opening
hour, the girls returned to the fac
tory for the purpose of turning in
their accounts.
For several hours the vicinity OF
Julia, Camp and Magazine streets
was crowded with the girl strikers.
The latest recruits are as earnest and
animated as those who walked ont last
week.
Having no union the girls agita-
tion is slow to spread. No opportu-
nifty to converse is given the employees
during work hours, and the entire
force is never permitted to go to
lunch at the same time.
Their only plan for striking is to
abandon the machine or table at
which the work is carried on. Con-
fusion follows. Once the word is
given the leaders have many fol-
lowers.
To prevent an immediate spread all
IL lich hn c1111
tendent and manager hustles the dis
contented ones out as quickly as pos
,sible. Some are persuaded quietly to
leave, while others are ordered to be
gone in real dramatic avaunts.
The department under the control
of Misses Elsie, Jennie and Kate Hen
messy is not deserted. With Nc
Derby's department without workers,
the entire third floor is idle and that
condition puts the factory in bad
shape, making the outlook hopeful
for the girls The cigar makers,
who quit work yesterday, evening,
are Just as determined as the en-
ployes who walked out last week.
Yesterday when George Watson,
the manager. announced that the
girls in McDerby's department would
be called upon to make each twenty
five punches day extra to supply the
deficiency Occasioned by the recent
strike, Miss Mary Ryan arose in her
might and declared she would not
labor to assist the factory to defeat
her fellow workers. She was sur
rounded by other girls. The declara-
tion that a strike was on was made
in a hound tone, it being the only way
TO communicate with the other en-
ployes. The employers heard the
strike declared at the same time, and
Watson arose amid the hurly- burly,
and in a laconic speech of about ten
words told the girls the third floor
would not be operated yesterday. But
that was after the strike was on.
Miss Kate Hennessey, one of the
oyerseers. succeeded in checking some
of the small girls for a while by or
dering them to sit down. They
obeyed, but when Watson announced
that the third floor would close down,
il was no longer necessary to hold
them.
The latest move is purely a sym
pathetic strike. Had the girls of Nc
Derby's department agreed to make
TWENTY-FIVE punches of cigars more a
day, they would have been paid foI
the extra work; at least that was the
understanding for with about 20(
employees short the factory found it
impossible to fill the orders.
The Havana department is still
working, but the strikers expect it,
workers to walk out in day or two
It was said this morning that the en-
ployes of tho Havana department ha6
promised to strike ont of sympathy
Saturday or Monday.
A meeting Of all the strikers wa.
called this morning for O'Clock this
afternoon, when James Leonard i.
expected TO address the girls. Mr.
LeOQaEQ IidS DScn duN 1cAnS thCbu
TO return to work as they were so few
in number compared with the girl.
working, but now union may b.
organized. The group that came ou
Yesterday seems to be in favor of al
organization. while the former stri
kers are opposed to the movement
There was talk this morning of or
ganizing union independent of tn
American Federation of Labor,
uuion more on the order of socia
organization SO that they could wor
in harmony.
The 500 who Joined the forme
strikers this morning are what
known as the right-hand bunchers
They consist of girls and women vary