The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-11
MESSENGER BOYS WALK OUT.
ANNUAL AUTUMN STRIKE IN
TEE FINANCIAL DISTRICT.

hhAA - " ~ tNnUtNtVtAA AhAhh
a Each Telegram Observation-Disclosures 10
All We Git. one OF the Leaders Declares
strike Expected 20 N This Morning.
II annual autumn strike Of the mes
senger boys employed in the branch tele-
graph oh1oes Of the financiel district was
pulled Oh yesterday morning just about the
time HI Wall Streets wheels we're begin
ming to revolve. The Western Union boys
struck last year and remained on strike
til a rainstorm came up later In the day.
Consequently the Postal boys felt that t
was up to them this year, IA a. the day
was bright and sunny some OF the DOWN
trod remained on strike almost till the
middle Of the afternoon. They wan an
increase OF one-half q cent for each message
delivered.
Stirring scenes Of violence marked the
beginning Of the strike. About noon things
looked bad for the Postal property at 20
Broad street, where the strike originated
when Skinny Fisher. aged going on four
teen,' yrasped the big iron railing in 'front.'
Of the basement entrance to the Office and
said that for two pins he'd break the railing
into scrap iron and throw il up on the roof
Of the building. Walking Delegate Blackie
Nolan advised Skinny not to be rash. Vio-
~lence, argued Blackie Nolan, would result
in the strikers losing the sympathy OF the
pee-pul and might cause the Governor to
call out the militia.
Whop Peresi. who keeps the asphalt
clean for the curb brokers. probably saved
the railing from destruction because just
az Skinny, unheeding the advice Of the
walking delegate. was about to pull the iron
out OF its stone foundation and break 1t
over his knee the striker was chased by
Whop. Skinny was caught byIWhop after a
! sprint. Whop spanked Skinny severely in
the rear Of the building.
The strike began at 10 o'olock with a soul
stirring parade OF the oppressed. For
several days Labor Leaders Blackie Nolan
and Moe Stern have been working quietly
for the cause. Blackie Nolan among the
messengers whose ancestors we're kings
and Moe Stern among those who we're
brought up in the clothing business. When
Yesterday dawned bright and sunny the
labor leaders handed out the magic words
~To-day's the day
As the hands of the o flee clock neared
10 o'clock there was a hitching of diminu-
tive blue trousers and a growing expression
of gleeful excitement among the oppressed
in the basement office at 20 Broad street.
Then somebody whistled shrily above
the banging Of the telegraph saunders
and through the revolving doors and up
to the pavement bounced seventy-five
bows firmly resolved to put the Postal
Telegraph Company out OF business for
good and all.
When the last Of the strikers had worked
through the tangled mass of blue that was.
mixed up in the revolving doors Blackie
and Moe formed them in line on Broad
street. Yelling. singing and whistling the
parade started oil TO raid the other offices
OF the neighborhood for recruits. each boy
with his hands on the shoulders Of the one
in front Of him.
The parade tumbled around to the Postal
Office in the Cotton Exchange first and
called TO the boys within to come out n
be oppressed.
We want a half cent increase fer mes
sagesl' yelled the strikers. Join de strike
or we'll kick yer block off,
Ginger Tomlinson came out Of the Cotton
Exchange Office about this time to deliver
a message for two cents, and the strikers,
grouped under IN elevated tracks at Han
over Square, sought TO reason with Ginger.
They pulled on Ginger's oelluloid collar
and q neat bow tie with forget-me-nots
worked on the edges. Owing to Gingeris
we'll known reputation a. a neat and tasty
dresser, he has always been accused Of
having leanings toward the classes. Con-
s%eQuently no one was surprised when Ginger
refused to Join the cause.
There was nothing doing at the Cotton
Exchange office, so the parade again formed
and marched down past the Office at 10
Beaver street. Here fourteen boys left
the office and joined the parade. More
recruits were gained at the Offices at 81
William street, 8 Wall street and at 81 Broad
way. Then everybody went over to the
messenger boys cloakroom at 10 Old Slip
and shed the hated uniform for citizens
clothes.
Blackie Nolan made a speech about this
time.
Were gittin' lemons, ~fellers, we're
gittin' lemonsl" shouted Blackie, balancing
himself on a garbage can: We ask fer two
Mackay do about it2 He hands us a emon.
l choose dis time, ~fellers, fer de strike be-
cause lection il comm and nobody dast
toin us down while runnin' fer office. Let's
show dis Mr.. Mackay If he kin run de Postal
as he damn pleases. Eoller ne now bac
TO Broad street and bust de block OF any son
| Of a gun dat"
Up from the Old Slip police station came
Policemen Farley, O'Donnell and Schmuch,
reserves who had been sent out to break
the strike. SThe strikers led the reserves by
a few feet when Broad street was reached,
and for the rest Of the day those that hadn't
decided to go back to work kept the three
cops and Whop Peresi busy scattering the
workers for the Cause.
At ? o'clock Knocke Curran was locked
up for melting to riot. Knocker comes
from Brooklyn, Five Cent Birds borough.
He vas locked up in the Gld slip station.
in the Tombs police court. Zinc FaceMcCann
was caught delivering a message at rs
Broad street shortly after this and Zinc
Face came down the steps OF the building
without touching a step. Until business
began to lag, about 3 O'Clock. the three re-
serves had their hands full scattering knots
Of strikers who hung around trying to in
duce the plain clothes" boys who had
taken their places to quit.
They'll all be back Tomorrow" said
Manager Ostrom at the Office at 20 Broad
street. There is no use denying that the
strikers gave us a lot Of trouble for a while,
but the new boys are now ling their places
acceptably. The trips these boys make
are so short that l don't think the CON-
pany would he justified in paying them
more than two cents a delivery. But as to
raising the payment, ] Of course nave
absolutely nothing 10 do with that. This
was a bri ght, sunny day for mischief makers,