The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-08-14
Service Of Telegraph Com
panies Crippled; N OF
Stoppedin Richmond.
BOTH SIDES
MAKE CLAIMS.
Companies Say Conditions Are
Improving, While Strikers De-
a clare Ninety Per Cent. OF
Men Throughout the
Country Have
Quit.
On receipt of orders from President

On receipt Of orders from President
Small. of the national association, thir-
ty-nine operators. employed by tho
Western Union Telegraph Company at
the main Office in Richmond, walked
out at IL o'clock yesterday. At 4 o'clock
In the evening six operators in The
Postal office struck. At 10 o'clock asst
night a reporter counted sixteen op-
orators at work in the Western Union
office and four at the keys in the Pos
tai office, across the street.
According to statements made by
Telegraph operators the number on
strike In Richmond is larger than the
the number that walked out Yesterday
The list, as given beoW, takes into8
account the actual number who quit
at the hours stated. There are, how
ever. many others who We're not on &
duty at the time, and they, 1T is as-&
serted. will stand by the colors of the
union. In this way, the list may be
| larger. Some of the strikers estimates
for the Western Union run as high as
10, and for the Postal up to nine.
After the passage of the resolutions
at the meeting on Monday night, tho
general walk out of the men was some
what surprising to the public which
had believed from the newspaper &C
counts published yesterday morning
that there would be no trouble here
especially in view of the statement by
the present strike leader that there was
no local grievance, The operators had
agreed, however. atEthey would quit
If ordered to do so. and they merely
carried out this plan.
The failure of the Postal force to de-
sert at noon was said to have been
due to various causes, the real nature {
! of which was not clearly understood.
| When asked last night TO explain 1T a
leading figure. in the union said that
4 Hs,x.,a . ~
At o'clock this morning the Postal
1 ofIice closed-two hours earlier than
usual. 1t was explained that the night
! force had been greatly rushed and
| a part OF 1t may go on duty this
morning
URGES AGAINST DISORDER,
! CONDEMNS INTERFERENCE
Though the strike. of course, inter-
fered to large extent with the regu-
lar transmission of business by the &
Itelegraph companies. the fact that they
were not forced to shut up the doors
and decline to accept messages was
somewhat surprising and disappointing
to the more aggressive leaders of the
movement. The leased wire of
| the Associated Press. serving the
| News Leader, worked as usual
yesterday, and the night leased wire
of The Times-Dispatch' was not
interrupted. ! Last night the operator
receiving the report worked in the
Western Union Office instead of in The
Times-D Dispatch building, this being
due partly to Interference by strikers.
When the matter was reported to
Strike Leader Hervey he declared that
there was no Justification for It, and
added that he would give it his per-
|sonal attention to-day. The operators
I'm Il Il
properly, without disorder of any kind.
and though there was no disorder In
the newspaper Office, Mr., Hervey did
not think the appearance of strikers
there was the proper thing.
| When the word was passed around /,
in the Western Union office to strike
the mon went out quietly. There were
conflicting reports as to the number
but Superintendent Maxwell last night
| gave out n list containing the names
OF thirty-nine. In the same way Sup
erintendent Ribble. Of the Postal. gave q
the names of his six strikers. During
| the AFTERNOON the men held meet
ing In Dabney's Hall and discussed
the situation for two hours. Speeches
were made advising them not to break
the law. AT this meeting Mr. Hervey,8
who had talked against a strike, on
the ground that the constitution did
not authorize it. and for the other
reason that there was no local griev-
ance. was appointed strike leader.
| There does not appear to be any
| foundation for the report that long
distance telephone operators will be
| called out on sympathetic strike.
The business in and out OF Richmond
| yesterday was normal and the COM
pany does not anticipate trouble. The
wires are open for the use of the
public.
NO INTERRUPTION IN
HANDLING OF TRAINS
| The Order of Railway Telegrap pli~'s
Is not involved In the present contro-f
versy and consequently there Is no.
| interference with the movement of
trains the transmission of train orders
and railroad business generally There
are different reports. however. about
| tho handling OF commercial business
A message came from st, Louis, bear
| Ing the signature OF Secretary Quick.
OF the Order to the effect that the
men must not handle other than rail-
road business. Subsequently, this teler
| gram was branded by Secretary Quick
as fake, and he sent out the fol-
lowing order, which Was personally
verified by General Superintendent
Levin, of the Western Union.
ST. LOUIS, August i..--,ro mems
bcrs order Railway TeleGrnphrrnI M
Am Informed message purporting
to have been signed by ine, II
being sent over the railroad wires
| instructlng railway telegraphers
to refuse to handle Western Enion q
business. That message is q fake.
| Pay no attention to messaEes o1
Tint character. You are requested i
te strictly Dbserve your agree
.ncnt with the RAILROAD companies,
! You should perform the same dU-6
.Ies nov that ,ou did before Lhs