Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-04-07
When Reporters Try To Talk
 About Strike Situation.
SAYS THERE IS NO STRIKE.

Statement. Say There Is-They Tell
 About the Efforts Being Made to
 Induce Local Men to Go On the Cars
 --Also Have a Few Words to Say
 About the Philadelphia Directors
 and the $1o0,0oo They Set Out to
 Lose.
 At noon to-day there was nothing new expected either in the strike or ill the way of other developments in the cases that arose out of it. Colonel Burpee was in town for the first time since Saturday and he had nothing to give out, nothing to surmise, nothing to expect in the way of new features. According to Colonel Burpee there is no strike. There had been a strike some time ago, but that is all over and done with" Anything in the strike to-day?' is the manner in which he has become accustomed to be hailed by the press representatives, and with a smile in the corners of his Inustache he asks: What strike?" just as ap- parently calm and satisfied as though the company was making the same old barrel of money 1t used to make every day last summer, or before the strike was inaugurated; just as though the people were fighting to get on the cars as they used to at noon and evening to get to their homes, in the days or old.
 Still, in spite of his smiles and calm demeanor, the colonel is better ac- duainted than anyone else in the cit. that a strike is on against the trolley company, and that 1t is costing the company and has cost 1t many bitter dollar and will cost it the full $100,000 that Manager Sewell claimed to have been allowed to break it be- tore 1t is aoyer. Most of that $1OO,000 must have been ex- pended by this time, and as the mil lionaires are not famous for their tran guilty of mind while they are losing money at the rate of $600 a day, 1t is taken for granted that their barrel will eventually feel the drain made upon it by this strike, and they will squeal against 1t. This is not case where the public can be made to pay, as is the case in cost of coal, and as the issue in the strike Is simply one of principle with the question of money as a mere accompaniment, the stronger side will win. That puts 1t between the company and the labor organiza- tions of the state.
 Meanwhile the cost of retaining q staff of deputy sheriffs is going on. As the ordinary officer of the law is all lowed $3 day for his services, it is taken for granted that these deputies are allowed s day. Their bill will amount to something considerable in the end. And these deputies have got a snap. A reporter passed half an hour with one of them and his charge the other evening and he thought half an hour was sufficient. One cannot go without the other, no matter where. of course the officer while guarding tho non-union man is under his orders. still the non-union man must ineyita- f1y 20 to many places he otherwise would not go to, and do number ot things that he has no taste for. Dur ing the half hour referred to the deputy and his charge had quite squabble. The non-union man desired to go down West Main street, and the sheriff de- sired to visit some one on South Main street. Neither would go his way without being accompanied by the other. Tn fact. though there was no evidence of a string on either, each was tied to the other as tightly and secure W as though a two-inch hawser was around them.
 "Oh. break away" said one of the non-union trolleymen. a crowd or whom was standing near bv. It looked dark down West A4ain below the Clty hall because the lamp on the green was not shining as brightly as formerly and the non union lamp trimmer would not leave the deputy. The latter knew he had good job, the softest he ever had in his life. and he dared not let the non-union man go out of his sight for moment. for fear something might happen to him and necessarily he would be pulled over the coals and perlaps lose his soft snap. Yet it seemed 1t was necessary for him to see his friend on South Main street that minute, ana the non-union man, his master. would not have him. but would nave his own needs attended to first It certainly did jar the sheriff. Such Q figurative shaking up he never got be fore in all his life and it was apparent that his job. soft as it was. was dis tasteful to him for the time being.
 With an oath he told the non-union man to go ahead and he would follow him and away they went down West Main street. the non-union man telling the sheriff that he would take no "guff" from him. he would report him to Manager sewelI Mir Farley, Sheriff Durham and Colonel Rurpee The re- porter went then. It makes no mat ter where thev went or what they did. hut the sheriff was as mad as ten March hares But thollghts of losing his soft job closed his lins. which oth- erwise would be very elonuent. All ffe unfortrnatn sheriff dared say was fo swear by Moses that his charge made him very tired
 Riding on the cars seems to have hcen given a shock. It has unqlIes- tiopal'dv fallen off during the past few days both in the busy hours and dur ing the day. Last evening it seemed that no one at all patronIzed the cars. If Is not denied, even bv the most viz orons champions of the strikers and