Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-09
WIRE STRIKE MAY
HIT EVERY STATE
Chicago Is the Geographic
News Center.
LINES RADIATE FROM THERE
Men Refuse to Work With Strike
Breakers Elsewhere.
WESTERN UNION INVOLVED
But the Postal employees Have
Grievance and Threaten to Join
in the Fight.
Men Refuse to Work With Strike
Breakers Elsewhere.
STERN UNION INVOLVED

Ic lSlSSIdpIl Slilkc tlidl Sldi INu
over the discharge of few opera
tors in Los Angeles now threatens
to affect the whole country. Chi
cago is the center of the trouble.
Most wire business passes through
there, and the men have refused to
work with the strikebreakers.
Operators in number OF smaller
towns have also gone out. The
Western Union is the only COM
pany now involved, but the Postal
operators have a grievance and
may take this opportunity to strike
when it would paralyze business.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
CHICAGO Ill. August 9-Chicago opera
tors OF the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany went out on strike at midnight. This
Is believed to be the beginning of general
strike Of the operators throughout the coun-
try. and reports from Cleveland. Ohio. De-
troit Mich. and other eastern cities in
dictate that strikes might be called there.
The strike was spreading into other cities
| at O'Clock.
In Denver the operators declared against
handling messages from non-union men in
Chicago. Los Angeles or anywhere else. A
meeting of the Denver unions executive
board was called for am.
In st. Louis some operators were dis
| charged for refusing to work with Chicago,
! and the unions grievance committee met
| later to decide how much time should be
| given the Western Union to reinstate men.
The Chicago operators affected BY the
| SfYik nrf1op foto ahn1rt
| were In the main office Of the Western
| Union, more than 100 in the various news
paper offices Of the city and the remainder
are day men who were ordered not to re-
port for work today. They have obeyed
| this order without a break, thus completely
| tying up the company's business in Chicago.
| Chicago Is the center of the telegraph
| business Of the country. and it has long
| been understood that when a strike was
called here 1t meant complete paralysis Of
the wires Of the country.
May Involve Both Companies.
The strike so far has affected only the
Western Union Company. The union lead
ers declare however that the Postal oper-
| ators also have grievances which have not
been completely settled.
AS a result, it Is reported that a strike
of the Postal men may be brought with lit
| tie warning.
| The Western Unions Chicago office prac-
| ness. and all the men In the newspaper Of
| fees walked out, putting an end to that
portion of the night service.
One hundred and seventy-fve men walked
out from the main Office at midnight. and
! 100 more, who work in that Office. have been
| ordered not to report for duty today. The
main Office of the Western Union Telegraph
Company was completely tied up when the
| striking operators filed past the timekeepers
! and reported out.
Quit on Signal.
The sharp blast from whistles in the
| hands of Frank Likes in the east end Of
| the room; George s. Gates, in the west end
of the room. and P. ]. Hogan. on the tenth
| floor. was the signal that ordered the men
| from the keys.
| In response to the whistle the operators
left their keys and cheered loudly as they
| started for the elevator door. Mrs. Cora
Talmadge the only woman operator ;a, on ,n,n ane
| the strikers and took her place on the
| street.
Four operators remained in as the strik-
| ers walked out. They are Thomas Babb q.
| NJ Reynolds A. ]. Mareness and s. E. in
| gram.
walkout had completely closed down the
| business Of the company. and the four men
| remaining were powerless to do any con-
| siderable amount of work. twenty-five
check boys loitered around the room after
the men had left.
| for duty.
| SALT LAKE CITY. Utah. August "a
meeting of the Salt Lake local of the Com
mercial Teegraphers of America WIN DC
| held at pm. today to decide whether or
not the men in the local offices of the west.
ern Union Telegraph Company shall go out
| in sympathy with Los Angeles.
DENVER, August 9.-The Western Union
| operators IN this city are reauy 10 20 on n, a
| thnV
| wire to Chicago or Los Angeles:
| It Is said that seventy out OF the seventy.
| Ave day operators will walk out in case OF
| a strike.
| HELENA, Mont. August all Western
| Union operators here are on strike.
| Situation in New York.
| Special Dispatch to The Star.
| NEW YORK. August 9.-General Super
intendent Brooks of the eastern division
| of the Western Union Telegraph Company
| said he could not say definitely this morn
| ing whether the telegraph operators strike
| in Chicago will affect New York He Is
| inclined to think. however. that a general
| strike is impending, but he said that even
| should strike be declared he feels that
| the Western Union could meet the situa-
| ton within three or four days He said:
Not more than 80 per cent of our oper-
ators are union men. and II this 30 per
cent should strike think We could ADJUST
matters In snort Oruer. FROM "ldt uii
derstanf the union has not a dollar in its
| treasury. The complaints OF the operators Ihs
about il-treatment are entirely without
| Foundation. The recent 10 per cent increase
| In wages went to everybody.
| "a large part of our business IS or such
| a character that it must be handled with
Confidence and secrecy. and II the union
gets the upper nanu II nie"' e' !"
our precautions ~
Mr. Brooks was asked II In the event OF
| q General strike he expected that the Pres
| ident's aid would be invited toward arbi-
tration.
Rrooks land If this should come about the
Western Union might well go out Of
business
Statement by Clowry.
Col Clowry. president and general man
ager of the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany today gave out the following state
ment in relation to the strikes at Los
Angeles and Chicago:
"On July % operator at Los Angeles
was charged with maliciously delaying
traffic. AS careful investigation, which