The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1902-02-28
The Telephone Strike.

The Ball Telephone hands won't on a
strike Friday afternoon, all the outside
forces throwing up their jobs. Upon in.
voetigstion we learn that the trouhls
arose from the fact that Mr.. Ed Dawson.
tho general foreman In charge of the on. :
side construction here, had discharged
Mr.. Hamilton, his limo keeper. IN.
outside men learning of tile matter
either through Mr.. Hamilton or other
wise Aud being In 'ormsd that Mr.. D,w-
son had 'refused TO say why he had dr.
charged Mr.. Hamilton, waited upo> Nj
Dawson At dinner hour aud demanded an
explanation as to his action. 1t seem,
that they all belong tc Union. After
tho consultation between Mr.. Dawson
and the foreman Of the gang the meu all
struck and the work stopped. We learn
from Mr.. Dawson that he discharged
Mr.. Hamilton on account of his habitual
tntoxication and failure to mako some of
his mon dssst in the use of bad language
upon the streets, after repeated requests
to have 1t stopped, that when the strike
occurred Mr.. Dawson went to Spartan
burg and had a telephone conversation
with the superintendent Of CONSTRUCTION.
explaining the situation, that the .uper-
intendent told him he had done exactly
right and no would uphold him in his
action.
The strikers claim that this was not
Mr. Dawson's true motive in dischary-
ing the time keeper but that 1t was a
matter OF personal feeling in a private
matter. They DO not state the nature
OF Inc personal matter. They say they
quit because they are union men and 10
Is Hamilton, and that they considered
Hamilton had been ill-treated and fired
without just cause.
This is about the status of the affair
as near as we have been able to gather
IL. We do not care to comment upon
tho matter further than to say that il
Mr.. Dawson's s explanation to us of his lea.
sons Tor discharIing the time keeper are
true he has sufficient grounds for his
action. We will also say that tho work
that has been done in the construction
line under Mr.. Dawson's supervision
seems TO have boen executed in an ex-
ceilent manner. Mr.. Dawson has been
with the company, We understand. some
nlteen years and is up to the business.
Ar. E. j. Foster has been appointed
time keeper, and quite number of the
men have returned to work, while other
new mon have been put on. The force
resumed work Tuesday morning and
mr.. Dawson says he has sufficient force
TO complete the wsrk. He saws he ia
determined to give us one of the best
equipped plants here that the company
has anywhere.
The cutting in of the phones began
Thursday evening Of Last week. The
testing out Of the first cable began We'd
nesdaJ evening, the 10Th, and the FIRST
call on the first wire connected was re-
ceived by the man in central at 4 IS D.
m. The lines leading up Main street
were first connected, after which tho
phones were put in. Mayor Young's
phone, No. 100, Was the first phone con-
nected. The second cable was run out
70 Tie pole in front of central FRIDAY
from which the wires leading esst on
Main street wers taken up, and the
phones cut in along the street. The
third cable was also run out to the cen.
trail pole on Friday. This cable con-
tains 60 pairs of wires az do the other
two. This cable is rugged up preparatory
to the extension Of the system. This
gives q cabel capacity for l80 phones.
The drop In central Is of the capacity
OF 100 phones. The work in the central
office was done principally by Mr.. d. P.
Murphy, the courteous and gentlemanly
foreman in charge Of inside construction,
and shows the skill of master hand.
Mr.. Murphy Is thoroughly up on the
most minute detail Of the telephone
business. He started from the bottom
rung OF the ladder and has steadily ad-
vanced from an expert climber to his
present important position. He will re-
main In Union some days to instruct the
central operator in her duties.
The strike and the severe weather of
course retarded the work to some ex-
tent but in a few days all the phones will
be in working order. We have talked
over some Of the phones and the service
Is as fino az we have ever seen anywhere.
It is q pleasure to talk over the Bell
Telephone.