Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-08-10
WIRES ALL SILENT.
Telegraphers' Strike Is Felt
 From Ocean to Ocean.
NEW YORK. NEW ORLEANS AND FRISCO
General Tie-ur shows what Modern Worlkncn's Union Can Accomplish hy Combination and Loyalty
 of Its Members.

py Comusueth0n ana Loyalty of Its Members. NEW YORK. Aug. 1o.--A strike that threatens to become general all over the country has been declared by the Commercial Telesraphers' union against the Western Union Telegraph company in Chicago. Kansas City, Helena, Mont, and Los Angeles. Through business of the Western Un- ion west of Chicago is practically tied up, and tie service between Chicago and this city is almost at standstlll.
 The Postal Telegraph company has been handling all business offered without delay, but 1t is believed the strike will extend to that system in sympathy. Photographers in this city arc expecting orders to strike as soon as the Western Union attempts to use nonunion operators in sending mes- sages from Chicago to New York.
 There are only two Western Union wires working on general messa ges between New York and Chicago, where normally sixty-five are required. For transferring quotations between the Chicago board of trade and the prod uce exchange but one wire is avail able. The Postal has no wires on the floor of the Chicago board of trade, and all business sent by that route Is seriously delayed.
 Both the Western Union officials and the leaders of the Telegraphers' union anticipate general strike.
 It is a question of working with non union men, The union operators say they will not take messages from or send messages to operators not mem- bers of the union.
 Colonel Clowry, president and gen eral manager of the Western Union Telegraph company, has issued the following statement in relation to the strike.
 Mrs Nichols, an operator at Los An geles was charged with maliciously delaying traffic. As careful investi- gation, which occupied several days, showed exclusively that she was gull ty of deliberately obstructing traffic on important circuits she was dis charged,
 "A petition signed by other em- ployees of the office, requesting her re- instatement, was thereupon presented to the local superintendent, and when cte . wife kat th< pany would not tolerate the malicious delaying of important messages and that the discharged operator would not be re-employed the majority of the operating force quit work without notice
 Operators were sent to take their places from nearby points, and at II o'clock last night the operators in the Chicago office employed on the vest ern circuits, acting in conformity with resolutions understood to have been adopted by the local organization, re- fused to work with the nonunion men at Los Angeles, and when this was in- sisted on they quit work in a body.
 ''rhe Chicago operators have pre- sented no grievances. and the present movement is an attempt to enforce the closed shop rule, which. if success ful would take control of the com pany's affairs out of its own hands. Such condition cannot be tolerated"
 Chicago dispatches say that the 500 operators of the Postal Telegraph com pany struck last night. This. with the LIDO men out from the offices of the Western Union throughout the city, makes 1,600 men now on strike in Chi .ago.
 The general situation throughout the west becomes more serious as oper- ators go out.
 An Oakland (Call report says sam nel J. Small. the national president of the Commercial Photographers Union of America, is quoted as saying:
 Mrs. Nichols is the storm center of the strike. and she and the San Fran cisco officers of the company are re- Iponslble for what has happened The latter have not lived up to the agree ment adopted two weeks ago. When an investigation is made something startling will come out.
 ''The strike Is spreading. We have advices that the operators in the fol- lowing cities. in addition to Los An Eeles. are out: Chicago. Helena, Mont; Cleveland. Cincinnati. Salt Lake City, Kansas City, Birmingham, Ala: New Orleans, Denver. Butte. Mont; Cobra 1o Springs. Fl Paso. Fort Worth. Dal- las. Tex. and Detroit, Mich. These represent about 1000 operators.
 "oakland operators want to go out, but we are holding them back" The Western Union Telegraph com pany declare they will fight the strike of their operators in the western cities, In the eastern cities or wherever the men may go out. They expect to win, as they claim to have won in 1883.
 Railroad MaRnates Tse Fists.