The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-07-19
THE PENNSYLVANIA coaL rlsaRs' STRIKE.
Companion Pictures Taken fr0m Life-Oppo-
sition, Views and Purposes Of Operators and
Strikers-Full Details Of the Strike In Potts.
yilIe-IeumOrs Of Reaction Elsewhere.

yilie-RumOrs Of Reaction Elsewhere.
PoTTsvILLE, July Is, 1868.
Modelled after the capital OF the State the streets
WIDE we'll paved and running at right angles, the
houses built mostly Of brick and neat and compact
in appearance and In the suburbs many very fine
dwellings OF the tasteful villa style of architecture,
Astounding in large stores with snowy fronts and
snowy displays OF brilliant fabrics, comfortable
complement of hotels banks, insurance offices,
schools and churches, the beautiful Schuyl-
kill river sweeping by with its gracefully
meandering curves and enc0mpassed within the shell
terng embrace OF glorious mountain heights the city
Of POttsyille, with its immense machine shops and
rolling mills and cOleres adjacent, the chief sources
OF its enterprise, industry, prosperity and wealth. is
certainly Of the most thriving as well as one OF
the most beautiful inland cities in the State. tem-
porary PAIL however. now Overshadows the town
the result of the present strike movement. All the
coieries in the neighborhOod and those at Wades.
corners may at all hou}e be seen the strikers
and those who through their inslramen-
smaller groups the shaded portic0s OF the hotels
are the miaing operators. Shall we persist in our
strike Is the ceaseless topic OF discussion among the
strikers snail we persist III our refusal 10 comply
with the demands Of the strikers the operators are as
busly discussing among themselves. marked dlf-
ference shows itself in these approximate groupings
Stern and T0ugh-visaged, with coarse WoOen shirts,
dilapdated felt hats worn with peculiarly reckless
their feet, and great broad hands. the most smok
ing short clay pipes, and very many odous
with the fumes of vianous whiskey, ana
Astounding in fine oaths and finer ges,
tculaiOnS-SuCh are the strikers Sleek and
evidently well fed, and wearing good clothes and
smoking good cigars are the operators But there Is
a good, clean honest, intelgible look about them
the look of sharp business men, but such as are dis
posed to ne just and not mean-men who know Their
own business and interest best and are not given TO
submitting 20 dictai0n, and withal men who know
how to JOKE and be jolly among themselves, what
ever pres ing outer cares may weigh upon them
Among these operators are some of very large wealth
whose net incomes are to be counted by tens OF mot
sands
asked one of them, with a view to draw him out ON
the subject and with no view on his part that in iei
ting his opinions be known to me he was paving
the way for their wider uiterance in type.
''We have got used to this sort OF thing and don't
regard It much, he quietly answered knocking tne
with the miners. only the disease assumes Vrulent
type at times. 1t is now in one of its viruen stages
The eight hour labor law passed by the Legislature,
like the presence OF ozone in the air. which develops
cholera, has induceda renewed development oil the
disease"
..Knowing what would be the effect upon the in
dustria interests OF the State, and particularly upon
you coal men, why were not measures taken 10 pre-
vent the passage Of such law,' ventured mildly
to suggest.
at Would have done no good" he answered. "a
democratic member proposed the law, and, though
the Legislature had a republican majority, they all
voted. 1t was simply avote to get yotes-so many
bids for reelection"
81 don't think the Legislature had any right to
tutionaty.n
con what basis, them can you assume to contest
the law 2'
"On the broad basis OF justice to ourselves and
equity to those we employ he responded. at Will
not do to have such law become universal through
out the State Large manufacturing establishments,
employing extensive machinery cannot work adj
vantageous!y under the eight , hour system.
twelve hours and twelve hours off, 1t is only about
one-fourtn Of our men, the outside laborers, that
work ten hours; but we cannot afford TO have them
work less, and with coal at its present prices we
certainly cannot afford to- raise the wages OF these
.f coal goes up in price so that you can afford to
give the additional pay demanded, 1t Is possible you
may comply then with the terms Of the strikers ~
1.-THE general disposition now is,r he continued.
mot to Accede to their demands under any circum
stances Tor we consider the law "a unjust and an
unwarrantable interference with our rights and bust
ness"
s.But suppose you find you are going to he heavy
losers by persisting In keeping the old ten hour
system at the old wagesp
''Wel, that's subject OF after consideration" he
answered. at would he foolish to be blind to
interests and particularly II the Scranton region
don't strike to remain idle for principle when We
might be making money and give them all the coal
The above is fair sample OF the general views
entertained by the operators and their mode OF ex-
pressing them. II will be seen that If the Scranton
region strikes, thus shutting of any supplies or coal
TO The market, the strike may continue for an in
definite period like former strike that lasted nine
months; but on the other hand. II
the Scranton region does not strike,
Il is likely 10 be OF short duration. As fitting
panion picture 10 the above will give you brief
dialogue with one of the leading strikers.
"Ain't you boys getting tired of your strikc?" was
my preliminary interrogaOry.
'Not d--n bit OF It," ne quickly answered.: ''the
law of the land is on our side and by the holy abcrs
Wen have justice or die IL says eight hours IL u
DAYS work and how are they going to get over it,"
'But the operators say the law Is unJus," replied
cor coorse they says mat" he continued; they
to rule they want TO he arlstocrats and ride in
their carriages and all that. and they don't want 10
give the poor man his onest earnings, but they II
have to come TO IL and they can't help themselves
$50 YOU are bound to sti4ky'
"Stck Wen stick TIL we dies; we dies of old age
fust alore we gives uD."
'They stick and be ID "e can stick the
longest"
t.Starve without cent In our pockets or cent to
bury us WITH" I'D he looked very determined when
he said this and his gesticuatOns were sufficiently
vehement to give convincing proof that he meant
every word he said-at least while he was saying II.
Reaching this climax concluded that had pursued
the conversation far enough and elected about as
much light a. was possible on this side Oh tue ques
ton. Subsequently was told that the man With
whom had been conversing was one OF the leading
spirits here In resisting the draft during the war,
and who when the Lehigh valley was placed under
martial law was with some three hundred others ar
rested by the Tenth New Jersey regiment, Col
one Ryerson, sent down here by General
Sige nrommand OF the Army OF me Cnnoer m,,
ware This man, however, escaped from durance as
he expects now TO escape from ten hours labor.
large number OF the strikers belong TO the same
three hundred. II remains to be seen whether they
will show the same persistence In standing th,ir
ground as the famed three hundred AZ Tnermopyl@.
II has already been mentioned that all the collier
les about here stopped. My account OF the strike
by some OF the workmen In the machine SHOPS gwen
i'm a previous letter and based on rumor, now nnd
was somewhat imperfect as well as incomplete. A
gang OF about ifty Golfers, with fife and drum ana
banner inscribed Eight hours labor and no reduc-
If
but they soon got disguised, for the result was
not as brilliantly successful as they an'icl,
pated. They first visited the machine snop Oh
George n. Snyder who now has employed only
some thirty men instead OF the one hundred and
Hfty employed In brisk times. Mr.. snyder tod
the men IL was immaterial TO him whether the men
stopped or not. The men considered that II was
material to themselves and did not stop. Thev next
went TO John Derrs foundry He shut the door on
them, told them they had no business interfering
with hts business or that OF his men and ordered
them away. They obeyed the order, as likewise tney
did similar order given them oy SIMON Derr, Z,
brother Of the latter having y FOUNDRY near w,
which place they next visited From here they went