The Washington herald., 1907-08-13

Washington is more nearly isolated tele-
graphically than it has been in years.
Yesterday afternoon and evening the
local teHgraphers Joined in the big tele-
graph strike that has now gripped the
entire country.
At exactly 5:15 o'clock ali the employees
IN the Office Of the Postal Telegraph
Company walked out. a few hours later,
at $50 o'clock, all the employees of the
Western Union Company members Of the
local Commercial Telegraphers' Union
did likewise.
Excitement ran high throughout the
afternoon and evening. and the outpour-
ing Of the operators made passers-by stop
TO inquire the cause.
The strike was precipitated by Interna-
tional First Vice President ". W. Beat
tie, who is an employe Of the Postal Com
pany, who was compelled to take action
TO satisfy the younger members Of the
union. whose enthusiasm overrode the
older men, and which could not be
Quenched.
Every operator Of the day force, includ-
ing two nonmembers of the union, par
ticipated in the strike There are only
two men left in the efice besides Mana
ger Prosser and Wire Chief A H. Mitch
ell. who IS union man. It was claimed
by the operators early in the evening that
the only persons IN the operating room
were Manager Prosser, Night Manager J.
P. Gooch. Al Night Manager Morris Fox,
Chief Operator F. B. Travers. and Trahic
Chief NJ J. Kain, who Is a union man.
Mr.. Fox IS also a member Of the union.
The tie-up was practically complete
Night Men Refuse to Work.
Each operator Of the night force, as he
arrived and saw the crowd standing out
side, and became acquainted with the
action taken, refused to go to work
President Groves communicated with
Deputy Acting President Percy Thomas
In New York by long distance telephone,
and received the following from him:
New York has gone out Washington
should be out, and I desire that you
should order all Western Union and Pos
tai men out at once"
President Groves tried to communicate
these orders TO the Western Union en-
ployes. but representatives Of the COM
pany, he stated, would not permit him TO
enter. Several persons delegated to carry
the message also failed 10 gain admit
tance
The Western Union men, who, il Is
said, represent the conservative element
IN the local union refused to go out with
out orders. The entire crowd from the
Postal, augmented by dozens Of spec
tators, went TO the Western Union Office
and made a demonstration, but despite
this fact the cooler heads held the men
IN, pending orders. These orders were
finally gotten through. and the men
walked out quietly IN small numbers after
cleaning up their wire.
It is claimed by the operators that only
two union men remained IN. and these
came out later IN the evening. They also
maintain that there were only ten non
union men IN the Office, not including
Night Manager ". H. Young. Pail
Brown, George Divins, VIII A. Young.
and Dennis Daily, wire chiefs; n. R
Young. traffic chief, and James Hahn. as
slstant traffic chief. The company claims
twenty-five men, and is handling all traf-
ic subject to delay.
O'Keefe Calls Strike.
The night force was on when tie strike
was called in the Western Union by ;. A.
O'Keefe, chairman of the executive
board.
President Groves stated last night that
he could not give any figures; that it
was impossible TO do so at this early date.
He said simply: The men are out and
they are going to stay out until the COM
panies accede TO our demands"
Yesterdays strike has been imminent
ever since the strike originating in Los
Angeles became general The younger
members Of the local union have been
trying 10 so out ever since that time.
Their enthusiasm knew no bounds. and
it was increased by all news Of the
spread OF the strike
The older and more conservative men,
bers OF the union, particularly a number
OF those IN the employ OF the Western
Union company. fought this sentiment
bitterly and tried TO hold the local in
line TO await developments and orders
from headquarters. The two factions
threshed the matter out for three hours
at the meeting Sunday afternoon. and
although an immediate strike was for
stalled, the unrest grew, and the radical
faction was more or less victorious. Sc
curing q two-thirds vote on the promo
sition 10 pledge each union man not 70
work on any wire connecting with a
city where strike was on, which was
manned By a nonunion man
Il was fully expected that this action
would precipitate a walkout. and con
seausatly all Sunday evening and yester-