The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-05-01

crushing out the union. The operators
We're not thoroughly organized, for "A
great percentage of the whole were not
included in the union membership. They
enlisted in Il losing fight, one they had
only the most desperate Of chances 10
win.
Fight for Control
After long fight Tor control of the
business of the country, the Western
Union Telegraph company in about 1850
secured control of the great rlvallng
lines Of the Atlantic and Pacific. For
months after the latter had passed into
the hands of It's former competitor, of.
fees of both companies were kept open.
But in the summer of 1881 expenses
were cut down by the company then
controlling all the telegraph business OF
the country. All of the A. 4 p. Of
fees were closed and the operators
thrown out of jobs. Places were found
for somo of them in the Offices of rall-
road companies-thcy were made sta
tion agents. baggage rustlers. or given
But notwithstanding these provisions
made for some, hundreds and thousands
Of men were sent out to find employ"
ment. This had it's effect on operating
in general, for the army of unemployed
who were looking for work numbered
as much as those that retained their
Jobs.
The condition of affairs at this time
WAS that the telegraph operators
worked on the Western Union system.
For many years the Western Union and
many of the railway systems had
worked together. the train operator and
the Western Union agent frequently
being one man. This concentration of
employees WAS disturbed in 1879 and
1850, when many of the railroads sep
arated from the Western Union AT
some points that separation was accom-
panied by violence. the railroad agent
at all points being instructed 30 use
their utmost power TO prevent he West
crn Union men from cutting the wires
In order to establish separate uptown
Offices The manner OF thus segregating
interests was usually interesting. \
roughly.dresscd man would appear III
the town. pretending TO have no partic-
ular business except TO make the ac-
uuaintance of the daring ritiraff. After
being sufficiently known among such
he would make offers for assistance In
a little night venture. it was to cut
the wire running into the railroad sta
ton, which was owned, he would cN"
plain, by the Western Union, and which
the railway company was unlaW1u!lN
holding. The great Gould corporation
" ould stand behind the venture. he cx-
planned, so that there was no possibility
of punishment. It would be more OF
roug house lark than anything else,
safe way TO have IA lively time at an
such parties the Western Union was dl.
vorccd from the railroads.
Increase in Operators
These night parties gave employ
mcnt TO numbers of operators, swelling
the ranks of that occupation, and max
ing more to be turned out upon the
world when the consolidation already
mentioned was effected the next year.
The railroad operators and the West
,rn Union men did not affiliate. Only
The latter were members of the union.
When the big strike came in 1889, the
lnion trying TO hold its place in the
world Of organized labor, the railroad
operators took up the positions LAID
lown by the union men, 80 that tho
company was able TO keep
Oil transacting business. Largo business
interests suffered some inconvenience
from the handling of their messages by
men, but the main point
was that the messages were handled.
The result was that the great telegraph
was able to crush out the op-
orators union, and keep it out of exist
enee for more than twenty years.
Since the middle of last summer the
operators have been quietly organizing
for the effort to regain what was lost
lwenty-four years ago. Though a form
Of organi cation has been maintained for
many years. it has been merely form,
without power to compel its Tccogni-
tion. Whenever any operator has suf-
fercd what he has believed to be an
in justice, the others in the city have
stood by him, demanding his rcinstate-
mcnt. But i'll none of these differences
has any recognition been accorded the
union; in fact, the existence of that
body has been ignored, the officers Of
the company pretending to have no
knowledge of Its existence, and the
men not caring to risk further disputes
by intruding it on the notice of com
pany men. But now the operators be-
lieve that the time has come to force
of the union.
Are Thoroughly Organized.
The demand for telegraph operators
is greater than the supply. The men
who work at the keys have been thor
oughly organized into unions IN the
principal cities of the country. and are
prepared tn stand together. In form,
ing lnls compact lne men VINO sun I'VE
Of the men who took up their station
al the keys in 1883 when the union men
walked out-these have been ignored.
They are not included in the lists Of
union men. But so small is the residue
that it will have no effect upon the
result if strike shall come
The organization is known as the
Commercial Operators union. II in
cludes i'll its membership the men who
operate keys on the two big systems
Western Union and Postal; the men EN-.
ployed by the railways, those in brok-
ers' offices, and all the grand army
that makes a living by its knowledge
of the Morse alphabet. The companies
are conceded TO have but one chance
against tho contemplated movement,
and that is through tho new machine
that has supplanted the 'wheatstone"
as sender of messages. In 1883 the
'wheatstone aided greatly in trans
acting business. 1t is, to tho uniniti-
atcd. machine in which may be fed
prepared slips of paper. These slips
have been punched in the dots and
dashes of the Morse alphabet by cheap
Enthusiastically girls-and when fed into
the "whcatstonc enable one wire to
carry business Of dozen wires. A
machine at the other end receives the