Daily Arizona silver belt., 1907-08-23
WESTERN UNION
 WON FIRST STRIKE
Last Big Telegrapers' Strike Occurred in 1883 and Company Won It After Men Had Been Out Montb-Com- pany Refused to Arbitrate Then.

In view of the widespread character of the great strike of telegraphers, il is worth recalling that the previous struggle between the Western UnioT and employees, which took place ir 1883, was won by the company after | bitter struggle.
 While the conditions of the telegraph business have changed greatly since the previous strike of operators, the causes leading to the troubles which now exist are, in the main, the same as those which precipitated the walkout on July l9, 1883, on orders of John Campbell, master workman of the Brotherhood of Photographers, affiliated with the Knights of Labor. The next day the lincmen struck.
 Campbell's s order to strike followed weeks of treating with the companies -there were several small companies besides the Western Union then doing business in New York and the east--in which recognition of the union, extra compensation for Sunday work, eight hours work for day men and seven for night workers, and l5 per cent increase in wages were demanded.
 For these demands nine thousand op- orators, according to the figures given to a senate Investigating committee by Campbell, struck and the great majority remained out until August l7, when the leaders of the brotherhood advised the operators that it was useless to con tinue the strike and that all who wished should apply for their old positions at once.
 This decision was precipitated by heavy assertions from the ranks the preceding days, when it became ap- parent that the Western Union had won and that those who would get their old places back must apply while there were any positions left.
 For many days during that strike the telegraph business of the country was badly crippled. The Western Union closed every branch office in New York city except those in the stock and pro duee exchanges, the Fifth Avenue hotel and one in Harlem, and the money or der business was suspended.
 Other cities had similar trouble while smaller places where the operators and managers were non-union and refused to quit were closed because the men were sent into New York and other important centcrs to work the wires. Commercial interests for while sui fered severely, notably that of several of the commercial exchanges, and these bodies, to large extent sympathizing with the men, used every effort to se- cure arbitration of the troubles
 Throughout the Western Union com pany refused to arbitratc.
 For several days after July l9 the company had difficulty in handling the business, but it gradually recruited force of operators until the service was rapidly assuming it's normal state when the brotherhood leaders saw the futility of further effort and sent their followers back to work.
 Of those who went on strike, many were refused unemployment, and those who were taken back were compelled to sign promise not to engage in any further strikes. Most of the leaders were among those who were not taken back and they were forced to seek em- ployment with private enterprises.
 Master Workman Campbell, in ex- plaining the defeat of the operators and linemen, said it was not through lack of money, but because the Western Union had the greatest staying power.