Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-14
Things Seen and Heard
Around Strike Centers

The course of the strike of the local teleg-
raphers has been marked by a number OF
incidents. some of a more or less serious
character and others of humorous ma
ture.
When big policeman informed a gather
ing of striking messenger boys that they
must not assemble loiter on the public
streets, as it was a violation of the law
the spokesman of the messengers turned
to his followers and with a wave of his
srimy hand sad
Den let's assemble in dat alley fellers.
I guess dat amt agin de law. because de
statoots doIt say nothing about alleys"
When ii had been decided to call the big
strige of lSS3 the managers of the telegra-
piers union agreed upon the cipher mes
sage, Gen. Grant dropped dead at noon
today as the signal for the men to desert
their keys. There was no cipher message
decided upon for the present strike. When
the hour arrived for the walkout the oper-
ators who were to go out simply on the or
der of the proper union officer sent over the
wire he was working these characters:
&c. N, 73 meaning when translated,
Good night; accept my compliments. To
this some of the telegraphers added: We
are OF. meaning the big strike Is on at
this place"
To these signals the receiving offices gen.
orally responded with %" (accept my
will follow your example" Pittsburg fol-
lowed the lead of Washington in going out,
and then Charlotte, n. c., sent Its &c. N,
49, and forty union operators IN the North
Carolina city quit their keys, leaving one
woman operator in the office.
II stated by one of the officers Of the
strike committee that one of the officials
of the Western Union Company here was
standing in front of his office yesterday eX-
pOstulating with the striking operators
who were assembled there. He Claimed
.,r4lra ~ lAuo hot
il had not been properly authorized by the
national officers of the telegraphers' union.
AS a result of his argument. 1t Is said. two
woman operators were induced to go to
work before the pickets could prevent them
from doing so. The committeeman say they
will present their side of the argument to
the women today and win them back to the
strike forces.
Vice President Beattie of the union, when
he heard of the incident. declared that as
one of the national officers of the COM
merCial telegraphers he would state for the
benefit of the ofticia S of the telegraph COM
panIes that the strike was legal in every
sense Of the word and had been fully au-
thOrIZcd.
\ tlnid colored boy who had been in
formed OF the strike Of the messengers
and told that he could get a job a strike
breaker made his appearance at the
Western Union office yesterday. He rode
a wheel, as he had learned that bicycle
messengers received higher wages than
those WHO delivered messages afoot. Be
fore entering the office lie placed his wheel
carefully against the side of the Western
Union building
The coored lad had scarcely reached the
desk Of the clerk in charge before one of
the pickvts OF the striking messengers
darted away from a group of boys on the
Ehb!tt House corner OF 18th street and
made Decline for the bicycle. He had
his jaCk-knife open -bladed in his hand
He reached the wheel Then there was a
dull report. like the bang" of a wet fire.
cracker. and the picket ran back to his
fellows and was lost in the crowd.
Il swiped me knife acrost de coon's
tire" all he said.
Later the colored lad came out and as
the striking messengers hooted him
heartily he pushed his wounded bicycle
along IN front of him and declared that he
didn't want dat Job nohow.'
At one time yesterday the striking boys
attempted to hold their meetings in the
Theater alley. in rear OF the New Ma
ttonal. but they We're quickly routed out by
the police.
1T seems strange that men are allowed
to gather in lunches. said one OF the
boys but we little ones are driven about
by the cops as though We wasn't human
beings.
Never mind" exclaimed another. Sam
De Nedrey and de Central Labor Union
bunch Is goin' to organize US an get US a
hall. Then we'll be strictly In politics and
De cops won't bother US. cause we'll have
'nooence."
When a bicycle messenger who had re-
manned In the employ of one OF the com
panles attempted to take message ou'
on his bicycle several of the Rough
Riders on wheels made a vicious charge
at him and he was quickly dismountet
from his wheel and sent sprawling on the
roadway The mounted strikers charged
the Iuckless lad from several directions
simultaneously.