The sun., 1907-08-13
wHISTLE BLEW: or THEY WENT
The way the STRIKE started and the In
cidents Of the Day.

HISfLE BLFW' w shEf VIEW
The way the strike started and the In
c,dents of the Day.
At o'clock yesterday afternoon a man
stood on the landing outside Of the operating
room on the seventh floor Of the Western
Union Telegraph Company's building at 1906
Broadway and blew a police whistle Inn
mediately three other whistles sounded
one from the gallery Of the operating room
On the seventh floor and two on The floor Of
the operating room above
This was the signal agreed upon by the
union telegraphers employed at the Western
Union central Offices earlier in the morning
and Immediately all Of the affected operators
quit their keys There were at the time
approximately 500 men and women Of the
day shift working at the Instruments on
tho two floors.
As the union operators left their
keys. cheering, they made for the
elevators One of the elevator men was
old not 10 take the striking operatives to
the sidewalk. and he promptly indulged in
a sympath hetic individual strike. Then the
union men and women trooped down the
stairs The first to pass through the street
doors started a cheer. and as every roup
from within joined the crowd at the doors
more cheering was indulged in. Then with
many men and women linking arms, the
crowd bore up the street to the Offices Of
the Postal company at PM Broadway.
The strikers began to conRreRate about
the doors Of the Postal building at about
1915. They expected that the Postal teleg-
raphers would he on the street by that time,
hut there was no sign of affected opera tors
from the twelfth floor Of the building. The
Western Union people eddied about the
corner Of Broadway and Murray street,
their leaders taking counsel as 10 the hest
way to notify the brethren on the top floor
Of the turn of events.
CORRIDOR DAME OF HIDE AND SEEK,
While one man hurried over 70 the Office
of an afternoon newspaper to get on a short
wire leading 10 the Postal operating room
another with a whistle in his pocket began
10 make reconnaissance Of the elevator
facilities Vice President Charles Adams.
who was standing on the floor of the main
Office downstairs, spotted the scout and for
several minutes there was lively game
Of hide and seek BET ween the telegrapher
and the vice-president Nobody can get
into the operating rooms OF the Postal
company without pass and the Western
Vnion striker therefore was unable to
blow his whistle on the top floor.
With the gathering Of tho crowd on the
corner Of Broadway and Murray street a
call for police reserves was sent into the
Church street station by the policeman on
post. Sergt. Higgins with thirty men
soon arrived at the congested corner and
Inspector Higgins took com nand Of the
work of pushing the crowd Of waiting teleg-
rsphers back into the broad space Leading
to the City Hall.
There the strikers gathered in knots. wait =
ing for some sign OF the Postal mslcontents.
The word passed around that 2:3O o'clock
had been set as the hour for the wslkout
from the Postal building. Promptly to
the minute a man with a blue cross union
badge in his lapel walked through the
front door Of the Postal Building and threw
up his hands
POSTAL STRIKERS RECEIVED WITH CHEERS
The Western Union men and women
massed across the street in City Hall Park
Get up a cheer. They continued cheering
AZ the striking operators stra gsled through
the doorway in groups The police moved
fast as they came through the door. When
all the strikers had appeared the two com.
panies moved across to Park row and took
up a position in front Of the newspaper
offices there to see the union newspaper
operators quit their posts in the telegraph
rooms. But these men had already left
their keys After drifting down to the
union headquarters at 50 Pine street the
Ill. k... L..
excitement and went away.
The two little rooms that constitute tn,
headquarters of local 10 were bubbline
with excitement meanwhile. President
Joseph Ahearn Of the local had quit his key
in a brokers' office on Wall street and hur
ried up 10 the union offices. Percy Thomas
the deputy national president appointed
last Friday by President Sam Small 4
represent the officers of the union in New
York, was on hand early to take in the situs
ton which had suddenly upset the policy
Of delay agreed upon at the Sunday meet
ing Of the local.
won ALREADY, LEADERs SAID.
The officers Of the local composed letter
a COPY of which was sent TO every membe
Of the union in Greater New York tn,
letter read
To The members NJ LOCdi l6, Commercial Jei'0
m ph'rs Gn,Or:
The national body md local officers anc
members Of the union will support ever
woman and man who ioned in the walkou
from the various offices throughout Greater
New York to-day. 60 to your homes ant
remain quiet Commit no acts OF violence.
We have won already. Right and ius'ic
are on our side The public In with us.
JOSEPH + AHEARN, President
&. y. McINERNEY, Secretary.
GEORGE ], KEARNRY.
Chairman Executive Board.
Immedi ately after the strike officers q
the two telegraph companies took stock n
the men who had remained loyal in the tw
main offices and the larger branche
throughout the city. The union men ha
announced that only i25 Of a force Of 50
had remained in the Western Union mai
ofice and that ~ per cent. Of all the Posts
companys a forcee. both in ths main oftic
and in the Broad street branch. had joine
in the walkont. The figures advanced b
the companies, which were furnished b
the various managers Of the Operatin
rooms showed a wide variance with Oh
union census.
palvidara Rrooka uanaraI mana car ,