The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-04-10
FROM ILLINOIS.
S1EEAToR, ILL, March 20, 1868

STREATOR, ILL, March %, 1867.
To the Editor Of the woEKRGNAE's ADVOCATE.
Several weeks have passed now since you
invited the miners east and west to furnish
you with any items Of interest they might
have to communicate, for which, | as =
mir er, ieel very grati6ed, believing that by
this means we can do much towards reor-
ganizing ourselves into some practical shape,
thing we stand much ia need Of
About two weeks ago we had very in
formal notice put up ID the most conspicu-
Gus place Of our bank top. Ii contained
only small amount Of reading matter but,
for what there was Of il, il was TO the point
! believe Il went on something ike this
ITO all whom il concerns: On aud after th e
l5Jh Of March, there shall be paid only Is
cents per ton paid for mining coal. By or
der Of the boss" OF course. Well, there is
not so much to be surprised at, after all,
some one might sa- But when you come
to learn that, prior to this notice being stuck
up, We were paid at the rate of one dollar
per ton and that at this price it took a man
tnat knew his business to make 81 per day
add that from this 50 cents per day was de-
Quoted Tor powder, OIL, aud wearing Of tools,
leaving So 80, and one dollar, by present re.
ducllOn, leaving the modest SUN Of 81 so
Even at this last figure q coal digger could
live, provided be could get any thing like
steady work !; but this rs impossible IN this
State, at this season Of tL- ye..r. About
one-third time is as much as any of the coal
works in this State 90 during summer The
men Of La Sale were dropped a few DAYS
before We were 1t this place, and strange as
Il may appear, they accepted the reduction
az Ia.r l.xlf.
without any apparent attempt to resist, as
was their wont some time ago. The reasons
that led TO the La Sales men to the con
vietion that for them TO strike were madness,
were these: That whilst they were on
strike Of six months duration, two years
ago, the coal contracts that used to be filled
here 10 the suLImer season, in consequence
of their strike, were taken to other places
in the immediate neighborhood, and there
supplied for the time being, and in some In
stances have not yet returned. Another
reason is advanced by them, showing that
strikes have proved 9 failure with them
even when they have been successful, and
20 give their reasons in this respect some
tangibility, they have resolved, at a meeting
held there on the 18th Of March last, to de-
wise means whereby strikes In the future
will be an almost impossibility, that is, If
the coal operators will join with them 10 tie
iurtherance Of this design. well calculated,
If agreed upon, to benefit both parties.
As indicated in your editorial some time |
ago, Abe miners Of La Sale and Streator as |
well, have discovered that their real enemies
are the railroad companies and underlings
connected Herewith. In support Of this, |
viii relate an instance that has taken place |
It La Sale. The North Western Roiiroad |
have taken from this place for /
some years the greatest part Of the coal re-
CURED for their road, which amounted |
10 about two hundred tons per day on an