American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1863-12-23

bers of their organization, and then by
force of arms prevent all work being done,
and thus by stopping the coal from being
furnished to the Government, these poor,
deluded creatures, the tools of men cring-
ing to them for their votes (and here let
me say that, if needed, satisfactory evi-
dence can be obtained that from 100 to
200 illegal votes were cast in the town of
Hazleton alone, at the recent election),
hoped to obtain exemption from the draft.
Truly, the fools are not all dead yet. One
more instance, and | will drop the subject.
G. b. Markle, Esq, the proprietor of the
Jeddo mines, while riding on the road in
his carriage, was several times shot at in
broad daylight. Several balls were put
through the top of his buggy, and three
passed through his hat. This gentleman
was particularly marked by the Buck
Shots owing to his firm refusal in many
instances to accede to their demands
Such, very briefly, was the state of affairs
when company or two of the 10th New
Jersey were ordered here. Previously
the men controlled the mines, but now the
proprietOrs are once more gaining, although
very slowly, the -aseendency over them
Strange, indeed, is the respect these Buck
shots " have for our veteran troops. A
company of fifty men at any one point is
sufficient to awe them at once into submis-
sion. Some one or two hundred arrests
have been made, and hundreds have fed
from the mines through fear. At Jeddo,
where formerly the Catholic Irish out
| ha al 30,
one, the others are now in majority. 1t
will, however, be necessary to keep troops
on hand throughoutthe district during the
entire Winter. By so doing hundreds of
these men will be forced to leave for other
regions in order to obtain livelihood,
and their formidable organization will, it
is hoped, thus become broken up and dis
banded.
A few words now as to the cost of get
ting the coal to market. The net cost for
the labor of mining, at the Jeddo mines
is about 81 % per tun. The net cost Of
a tun delivered in the New York market,
is from SO rs to ST. The average price
obtained for their coal is about So. At
the Itazeton mines not tun has been
sold for over So 80. Thus think it will
be readily seen that the coal operators here
are free from all charges of combining to
keep the price of coal up. If any such
combination exists, it lies with the middle
men, as they are termed, to whom the pro-
ducers sell. No one who has not been
here and seen and learned of the dfiucl-
ties that are in the way of the owners of
the mines, can have any idea of the state
Of things as they exist. The owners have
lost all control of their mines and over
their men, aud it is the sincere prayer Of
many, ay, most of them, that the price of
coal may fall in order that the price Of
wages may with it decrease and that they
may thus regain their past control They
feel intensely the delicateness of their po-
sition. The care and anxiety of mind
that they possess is dragging them down
very rapidly. They all go heavily armed,
not knowing when they leave their fami-
lies in the morning that they shall ever
return to them again alive. | said in my
last letter, that | would endcavor to state
here, for the benefit of inquirers, wheth-
cr there was any hope that the price of
coal would fall, and ifso, when so | must
not close without noticing it. ] can only
say that ON this question the coal men are
divided. No one can tell anything def
tel*hbout it. The present price is an
unhealthy one. 1t is one which | have
shown has been brought about by an un-
healthy state of affairs. The demand is
far greater for it than is the supply that
can be furnished. 1t is the natural re-
suit Of this fact, together with the state of
affairs at the mines. 1t is something that
at present seems beyond control. A large
proportion Of the advance is chargeable to
the teachings of the so-called Democratic
| party, who have been instigating the mi
ners and laborers to assume their present
position in hopes (vain men of thereby
materially aiding the Gogomment an a
rigorous prosecution cfMe war," by stop
ping its supply of coal, and preventing
the enforcement Of the draft Some seem
to think that it will not be long ere coal
will fall if they are allowed to work their
mines to their full capacity. Others seem
to think that the demand is so great that
it may be months ere they will be able to
supply it. Al, hail with satisfaction the
recent low sales at auction in New York.
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