Arkansas true Democrat., 1862-06-05
operatives. and the manner in which such wages

1 operatives, and the manner III Whlch such wages are doled out.
 Probably an equal amount of wretchedness IS remarked of no other class but the coal mlnerS or this state. The average amount of wages pa]d to miners is about five dollars per week. ana thIs most generally is not paid in cash, but i'll ' orders upon storekeepers in the employment of the mining companies. The operatives, in this way, not only receive paltry pay, but they are swindled by the capitalists, and compelled to take merchandise at the capitalists own rate; so that they barely obtain the necessaries of life.
 The yea: was made m era for a < strike " upon grand scale, and, taking advantage of the ab- sence of all military organizations from the county the operatives proceeded to insure their demands by force They seized the collicries of the Forest 1 Improvement company (now controlled by New York captaiists), interdcted all employees from working under threat of death and, by putting cut the fires at the colieries, stopped the pumps that cleared the miues of water, whereby. they were soon flooded.
 The sheriff of Schuylkll county found that he could make no arrests and that he could not sum- mon posse of citizens to assist him. the sympa- thies of the mass being with the strikers" Tie latter grew defiant, held meetings at Forestvlle, Heckleyille, Thomastown, ami other points, and made preparations to organize q general strike throughout the whole coal region. The few that insisted upon working at the old rates were roughly handled, the contractors and agents of the mine owners were threatened with loss of life and pro- perty if they maintained opposition, and the sheriff was too weak either in spirit or in force to assert the law and arrest the rineeaders.
 The latter had organized the strike cunhingy, and executed it untiinchingy. Golfers of one mine enforced the strike upon another, so that no em- poyee appeared where he could be recognized Iu this way the officers vet bailed as to the where abouts of the rngeiders. About fifteen hundred men were numbered in the primary offensive meas ures and their numbers are increasing. Ihe To- calitv where o5.iiities commenced is noted for the tulbulance of its deniZeus, murders and riots being frequent occurrences there, and ignorance and drunkenness being characteristic of the populace.
 Their high-handed proceedings left the law no option but force, and the governor called upon Gen. Patterson, (of Harpers Ferry tArlc,) to depu- tize certain men to que the riot They stealthly moved out towards Forestvi!c, the infected dis uct, with loaded muskets and set bayoncts, and this morning had mounted guard over all the col licrs to the great astomshment of the mutlneeTs.
 The latter are fierce. and threaten to retake the mines l rode among them at dawn to-day, and they seemed unanimous to their grievances, as serting that they meant to abolish the "Or-cr system and to secure equal and definite rates for their services, so that they would be out of the reach of want. The sheriff, meantime, has ordered the troops to stand fast, and the reintorcemenFs that went on to-day indicate fears oi rupture. Ii difficulties occur they will be of serious character as the miners are emOtteTed by the presence Ot soldiers, and they are all armed with their layorte 1 mountain rifles. Many of them were i'll the three
 months service, and have the elements of military discipline among them. They are nearly ail Irish. The Forest Improvement company is working ' mainly upon government order, and if the sums demanded are paid, tine capitalists say that they cannot fulail the contracts, which name certain amount of money per tUn. The damage tO the ' mines has been considerable.