The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1907-09-13
TELEGRAPH STRIKE.
IinciIients Of the Struggle Teem-
Inu With Human interest.
ALL DUE TO PETTY QUARREL


lard, Psaos Might Have Rsisnsd.
astslksrs' Touching Devotion.
Probably in no other tine Of human
CsnJeavor Is there a NE picturesque
and varied assortment 81 men than 10
the ranks OF the telegraph operators
m IN not surprising then. that q gen
rrhi strike Of the guild throughout the
United States should be productive Of
accidents teemlng with human interest,
amayH a Chicago special dispatch to the
New York Herald.
Men who had grown old In the serv.
ice Of the Western Union or had grad
uAted from the office boy or check boy
star 10 the key ia the Postal reluc
family Obeyed the signal and walked
out with the younger "boys"-reluc-
tantiy for when man has worked
shirty-uve years for one concern and IL
IN fair way 10 be pensIoned or IN his
old age II takes something Of a tug to
break the tie.
80 II was with David Duey, chief
operator Of the Chicago office OF the
Associated Press and for twenty-five
years an employe Of the Office. When
the Good night, RS" signal had been
given Monday evening. Aug ~, at
7.a0 o'clock BY the operators Ia reply 10
General Manager Stones request that
ae be allowed to put up their plea TO
the directors In September. Duey con
tinned 70 ST Idly AZ bis desk, Two
hours later, Is business was resumlng
Duey approached bis chief
ssThee are my boys" Duey said, 'and
ahay'ye quit don't belong to the
nlnion I am not an advocate Of most
~ their theories. but-the boys have
gone cut. aud I suppose ia better
omit" And. despite the entreaties OF
his comrades and the officials OF the
once, the aged wire chief announced
mis- resignation.
syn couldn't the fellows tell Duey
ne wasn't expected 20 quItf" exclaimed
one employee. almost brokenly why,
Dury taught them telegraphy and made
aham what they are
Aars. Mary Hansen. the hrst woman
oparatnr IN the country and now sew
@nty.fCe years old. according Ia those
veil posted refused g desert her Key
m the main once % the Western
Union. For two generations with her
nlmhle fingers she has transmitted
messages. aud strike seems 10 her
che utmost folly With Mrs Hansen
remained Iere Meremess, Tom nabb,
Sam ingram and q. N. Reynolds, all
OF whom turned deaf ears 10 the wills
ale which summoned their colleagues
no rebellion All are over sixty.
Tenn nabh. who has been IN the
wame once Cor thirty seven years, was
oaa Of those who stuck by the com
nmny In the famous strike OF 1889,
and with him ingram. sixty nve years
cid, and Reynolds. seventy-two, stuck
alaa Bahb long, long ago was re-
mAFfed ns the speediest aud most &C
~urate telegrapher IN the country, and
a. the helght % his career he occupied
ahe post 81 chief operator, lie has al
Enasa lost the use Of his arms through
~'upasmtOra' cramp." q form Of paraly'
els ceHam0n among the men Of the
May.
WEanh cFsstendan. old and bent and
@oR aoFty years an operator. went out
with The strikers. TwoacOre Of his
years have been spent IN the service
- ne Western Union. lie stuck by
g. company when others deserted
mA@ keys IN 1910, Again In tesa ho
m4AysA BY the company az manager OF
ia nunVeF once. and Il WAS the only
saAra hat aid not 30 out. This time,
mNah8umh be has q large family 10 sup
muRN altheush be 10 old and bent his
saYm din ana bis hand must grasp the
10y very ARMY 10 transmit the dots
~ sHMahaa, 10 went cot with the
saayM@
ezaatsnasA was once receiving stSo
q monfA but when he went out he
was Hwcolyin. $50. although . division
xhAaR ne wanted more money and
rhuuaht he should have Il. 10 he went
with M other "bOys." u they win be
wAn Frceive 9oTTo = month; II they
mnma he probably cannot work any
wAaro, and there 10 nothing save tcleg.
gaDAy 10 which he can turn hts hand.
I'm CTittendan has company, for ] ].
Nawkirk. sixty -six yeara old and an
@peratoF foFty.slx years. also struck.
namthcatioun OF tue strike have
As0n far reaching. There h scarcely
a branch Of commerce that has not
Aean affected and apparently ell be-
'waase % q quarrel over the wire be-
sweea the union operator In the los
Angeles once with tho woman op'
smEmtoF In the oakland (Call once. II
eat petty wire quarrel bad not devel'
pped. the chances are theFV would have
osan no refusal IN Chicago TO handle
@onunlon business from Los Angelica
meR would there have been any Occa
@Aon for the resolution passed by thu
ChAeago uaioa's efacers which per
imaaded the union men they were doinG
wrong 30 epeFata their circuits And
70 this had not happened the Postal op
Sratora would not have EODe cut, aud
- ON.
when the Associated Press OPERATOR
@Nnt out Monday evening. Aug Il
thy left the stories they were tax
HHaa.