The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-10-01
'PONE GIRLS QUIT WORK
YOUNG WOMEN SAY THEY WERE
 RUDELY TREATED.
Disaffection in Montgomery Long Distance Exchange May Cause Designations of Several
 OpratorS.

AS a result of trouble with Wire Chief c. H. Sphar, two young women oper- ators in the Montgomery exchange of the American Telephone and Telegraph Com pany, have resigned and 1t is said that other young women employed there will resign today.
 E. E. Bawsel, Division Superintendent of the company, with headquarters in At lanta Ga, is in Montgomery. It Is said that he is here to adjust the differences between MT. Sphar and the young woman employees of the company but this state ment is denied by Mir Sphar.
 The young women who have rendered their resignations are Miss Elizabeth Powell of S31 Adams Street. and Miss Mary F. Thomas. who boards on South Court Street. They aliege that they were rudely treated by Mr. Sphar. Miss Thom- as has been night chief operator at the exchange.
 The American Telephone and Telegraph Company operates the long distance ser vice in cooperation with the lines of the Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company. The disaffection among the young women employees Is in the long distance exchange and does not extend to the local exchange.
 Miss Powell, who was day operator, rendered her resignation Saturday and the resignation of Miss Thomas. night chief operator, followed yesterday. The long distance exchange was in charge of Miss Mohl last night.
 When a representative of The Adver- tiser called at the home of Miss Powell last night the young woman was absent but her mother. Mrs. James w. Powell said her daughters resignation was caused by discourtesy-on the part of MT. Sphar She said that Saturday Miss Powell received a telephone message from a young man and asked MT Sphar to all low her to talk over the telephone to him. Mir. Sphar refused and Miss Powell said his language was peremptory and discourteous. Mrs. Powell said her daughter did not object to the refusal on the part of MT. Sphar but to the tone and manner in which the refusal was given
 Eleven young women are employed in the long distance exchange. Those who were seen were very reticent in refer ence to the trouble One of them admitted that Miss Powell had resigned and that Miss Thomas had followed with her res ignation. She also said she had heard rumors of trouble in the long distance exchange and had heard that the resig- nations of several other operators would follow that of Misses Powell and Thom- as
 One of the young women who is still at work in the long distance exchange said the incident had been magnified and de- clared there was no trouble
 MT. Sphar, when asked about the mat ter, smiled affably. He declared that the matter amounted to no more than the resignation of one young woman opera tor and said that in his opinion there was no trouble. The cause of the resig nation, he said he did not know.
 sometimes the young ladies get mar ried," said he and sometimes they get tired of working and resign. Rcsigna- tions are not uncommon things and the slperintendent is not always taken into the operators confidence and sometimes doesn't know exactly why ske resigns
 MT. Sphar said he was the local super intendent.
 He said that Superintendent Bawsel was fin Montgomery but denied that he came here in reference to the resigna- tions Mir Sphar admitted that he talk ed the matter over with the superinten- dent but says he did so merely in busi- ness way as he does about every thing in the office. He seemed to regard the in- cident as of little if any concern.
 It was rumored last night that resigna- tilons of several operators sympathizing with Miss Powell and Miss Thomas would come today and it was said that several had already resigned. Mir. Sphar declared he had received only the resignation of Miss Powell. Miss Thomas said she had resigned but de- clined to further discuss the matter.