The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1916-03-31
HELLO GIRLS AT
JACKSON STRIKE
FOR MORE DOUGH
Operators Walk out When
Manager Bontin Refuses.
to Boost Ante.
CENSORSHIP ON NEWS
BUSTED" BY STRIKER
Every Little Operator Has a
"Hello" of Her Own, and One
Tells Tribune.

The Hello" girls at Jackson are
out on strike, and while with their
dulcet voices they have been wrangl-
ing with Manager Charles w. Boutin
over wages and hours, the latter has
clamped the lid of General Fred
Funston censorship on the news so
tightly that it was "a hours before
Jackson got the "tip."
The operators, four strong, walked
out at 6 o'clock Monday evening at
the Jackson exchange. They an
nounced in terse and hurried terms
that they no longer would caress the
transmitter with Number, pleasew
unless the company hiked the price
per caress.
At the same time that Manager
Boutin marshalled his forces and
clamped the lid on the wires, John
Tlapek and Henry Rozier, telephone
magnates, started from their homes in
st. Marys and Ste. Genevieve.
The censorship was busted" be-
cause every little operator has a
Hello" all her own. The individuality
Of the regulars" was missed yester-
day by the discerning patrons of the
wire, who recognized the twang of a
strange Number, please" An inqui-
sition followed and it leaked out that
the Hello" girls had walked out.
The four girls declared they wanted
more pay for their work. Two places
were taken by strike-breakers from
the Cape and one of the four relented
and returned to her transmitter.
"Our girls are courteous and accom-
modating," one of the Jackson patrons
wrote to The Tribune, "and hope the
company meets their demand. l think
great many of my neighbors feel
the same way about it, too"
Manager Boutin tried to keep the
lid on the wire when he was called up
in The Cape to speak for the company
at don't amount to anything. It
isn't strike. Two of them just quit
Don't say anything about it, because
if this is kept quiet We'll get all this
trouble settled quietly"
"How many are out now"
"Twow
what do they want-more wages?"
81 don't know exactly what they
want. They left in hurry and didn't |
tell very clearly. Don't say anything
about it, because then we may be able
to get this settled once and for ALL"
"Ffave you had trouble before ?" he
was asked.
"Ne; but you see we may be able |
to get those girls to come back"
The night operator at Jackson de-
clined to talk about the strike.
81 don't care to say anything about |
it. l won't tell you who came over
here and anything about it."
whats the rumpus about, anyway;
do they want more wages? ?" she was
asked.
81 can't tell you thing-simply |
can't say word"
didn't the girls get enough to buy
an Easter hat? Is that what was the
matter?"
"Did you want any number or any,
thing else?" the sweet-voiced one
countered, and the reporter "got the
tip" and hung up.
At the Cape exchange the operators
professed the same ignorance concern
ing the strike of their sisters ten
miles away.
owe haven't heard word about it.
There was rumor but they never tell
us anything like that" one Of the
operators declared in the Cape.
1t was reported in Jackson yester-
day that every time call was receiv-
ed Monday evening, Manager Boutin
got the busy signal He was as busy
as bad connection yesterday looking
for four girls who can thrill their
"r's" and make a whisper in a tele-
phone nozzle sound like the ripple of
spring water on moonlight night in
June.
.