Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-08-13
PRESS OPERATORS STRIKE.
Chicago and Southern and Western
Circuit Men Leave Desks.

Chicago. Aug. 12.-The operators in
the office in this city and on the south
ern and western circuits of The Assoc
ciated Press leased wires left work to-
night at I.30 O'Clock. The strike was
made against the wishes and advice
of Grand Secretary Russell of the Tel
egraphers Union, who tried to keep
the men at work for another "A hours,
or until satisfactory arrangements
could be made for conference between
Melville f. Stone. the general manager
of The Associated Press and a commit
tee of the operators.
Following the delivery of Mr.. Stones
reply to the operators. Sec. Russell sent
a message to all operators Of The AS
ISOLATED Press suggesting that -Ir.
Stone should be asked to set a definite
date on which he could meet the Oper-
ators. the date to ne announced by 40
Tuesday night.
TO message asking him to name {:
date for n meeting Of the directors
Mr.. Stone replied that q meeting of the
directors would he held Sept. IS and
he would be glad to lay the matter be-
fore them at that time. In the mean
time he would be glad to meet any.
committee Of the operators and consid .
er their grievances.
This arrangement was unsatisfactory
to many operators. particularly those
on the Southern circuit and they sent
message to Chicago urging that Mr..
Stone be pressed to get into commune
cation with the directors by wire and
give the operators a reply by Tuesday
night at 100. To this Mr.. Stone re-
piled. addressing his message to the
opera tors south of Louisville, that he
would see what he could do about get
ting the matter before the directors
To this message the operators in New
York added a Chaser in shape Of a
message to the Chicago operators say
ing that they We're ready for the strike
at 40 if it came.
The situation was unsatisfactory to
the operators south of Louisville and
they announced that unless messages to
the directors were sent by Mr.. Stone
over the wire before 80 they would
leave at that time. They also sent a
message to Mr.. Stone that they wanted
to know what recommendation would
bc made the directors before they con-
Promptly at 40 o'clock a message
was received in the Chicago office from
Louisville saying:
Good night, we are out
The operator in charge of the operat-
ing room in this city as soon as he re-
ceived the message called ont Good
night RS" the latter letters being the
Geographic call for the Chicago office
Of The Associated Press. Instantly ev-
cry man working at wire in the Of
flee rose from his wire and stopped
working. Only one man remained in his
seat long enough to finish the words
necessary to complete the item he was
then sending. The others left their
work as it happened to stand at the
lime of the call.
Inc operators remained in the door
for few minutes. and then being re-
luested to leave the premises they did
80 in good temper and with every evil
'icnce of good feeling. The shutting OF
he wires prevented the situation in
Their offices than Chicago being known
N"r time AS soon as communica ton
vas re-estabiished it was apparent
that the strike had not by any means
'een unanimous. The Offices at St. 10.
'eph, Mo-, and Milwaukee RESPONDED
Vt the first call with all of their mcr
'eady for duty and it was declared thai
9TH Cleveland and Detroit were SIT,
, duty. indianapolis reror.ed ready t.
ontinue work with two operators. De