The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-09-25
THE MINER.
n TTTT'I TOT Iht hDNL CATl
THE COAL COMPANY'S AGENT.

ECHAPTER VII.
IN WHICH YOUR MASTER EXTENDED HER RULE
You had been four years in the district
and bad the good sense so far as to allow
Crooks, to adjust all matters with the work
men. But never interfere with their wages.
CT any of their concerns Crooks in per.
forming this part part Of his duty gave much
satisfaction TO the company, and to the
men. THIS is always a critical part of
superintendents business in the coal region.
where there is often much dissatisfaction
prevailing.
About this time the war was absorbing
large numbers Of wOrkmeD, and wages were
being ruised all over the coal regions. Men
we're beginning to get scarce, and command
ing fabulous prices. Your wife bad the
reiDs in her hands then, and began to inter.
fere in the matter Of wages. The men not
feeling satisfied began to strike the ring.
eadeTs-as you term the officers or leaders
of workingmen-were invariably discharged.
You acted in such matters ONLY a. a speak
Jog trumpet, but the men, somehow instead
Of blaming tlelr superintendent Crooks
who issued your second hand orders that
raised dissaisfaetion-bla blamed YOU VOC be-
came unpopular.
The men feeling themselves uDiustly treat
cd, organized Union, as much to prevent
their companions from being discharged. Is
TO seek advances in wages. Every kind Of
produce was rising in the MAJ kets coal was
bringing high price but your wife ap-
Tarcnty, you-ohjecttd 10 a corresponding
advance in wages. There was a long strike
IN consequence. Your wife was eDraged at
the audacity-ss she called it of-of the
blackguards Of miners. She was never more
eloquent on any subject than that of terify-
irg them. 1t is usless to repeat the terms
she used to express Der indignation; you
beard many of them. That a body of men
should dare to dictate. This was a word
she emp hasised-what wages they should
receive, and what they should not receive
TIE bare idea seemed to be beyond her rea-
lzation. They we're a lot Of fanatics
Could ever such thing be thought Of, like
that of large coal corporation like this was,
yielding to such demands
.V--SsSite OF the lady's chagrin, the terms
we're agreed to after having suffered from y,
suspension OF work, of two months duration.
Although the miners blamed you for the
action you appeared to take, you were but
an old woman in the matter, sort of me-
dunn, speaking trumpet, telegraph, acting
between a source and limit. Your broad
cloatE, gold chain, responsibility was getting
VIGOROUSLY unpopular. Had you but heard,
What the miners said Of you; those tumb-
ling eyes Of yours would have stood still in
their sockets, and you would have expressed
yourself with meaning stare. You could
rot have been but Indignant, imprisoned
a. is your nature. From this time forward
you became the butt Of the miners you are
the talk Of the thirty thousand men who are
suspended to day.-June 18th 1869.
FAY to resist your apparent tyranny the
Union of the companies miners was or
ganiEed, since that time Mr.. Stirring, you
have become an absolute tyrant. Your ma
ture was callOus then, it is more so now
when your still temper is stirred; it proves
TO be gall. You never yet act though, in
any matter Of importance, without the in
structions Of your clever wife. But your
wife is a hired servant Of the company now,
and therefore las a right to her say, you
know how this was brought about.
Your company bad continued prosperous,
and you were continually shaving in that
mOnotonOus office Of yours. The president
very considerably proposed to the directors
that you should be aided by private secre-
taIy. This Office was granted, and a salary
Of twenty-five hundred dollars per annum,
voted to its use.
This was applied for, by your wife, and
she received the appointment. Your Joint
TIE salaries then reached snug little sum OF
seven thousand five hundred.
Your incomes was but a small slice of the
large revenue your company reaped yearly.
You still Kept drudging in the Office ;
you were both yourself and the secretary in
combination, as far az the work concerned ;
only in the directing Of this work you we're
nobody Your clever wife appeared in that
art Of the business directing your move
r.ents, snd those Of Crooks as well. Crooks
Was astOnished, when you first began to
trumpet these orders, concerning the work
Ing # the mines, aud the regulating Of the
wages. of course it was not bis place to
make tho slightest objection.
To him you represented the company; but
he became astonished at the company ac-
curing so suddenly, as much ability, 10 al
rect and control; for to tell you the truth
Mr.. Stirring, Mr., Crooks, had not given YOU
much credit for ability of any kind. In one
Of the views be took Of you; you appeared
little more than a respectable sign board,
with "the company" painted on it in let
tiers Of gold. We are sorry that Crooks did
you 20 great injustice but be is respcn-
The late Mrs. Ford, began to direct her
whole force against the union men, 10 gene
raj, and against the ring leaders-as she
termed the officers, in particular. She at
tacKed all the weak points, still acting
through you as medium Mr.. Stirring. More
than one provincial editor was her slave.
She bad command, and besides has yet, for
all needful purposes New York and
a PbiladelL biGn daily paper.
At the mines she had a corps of black
sheep il Der service, among the mot selfish,
and prominent, of whom, was a cunning
MI. Fish. With all the assistance she bad
thus rendered, the union men still held
firmly together. Even during one of their
long strikes, when all the other coiieries-
ana companies surrounding them continued
70 operation, they s'ood their ground till
they obtained what they thought their iust
demands. During this stagnatioD. your
lady exhausted all her means ia endeavoring
20 make the men yield, and give IN their
cause. Blacksheep, always caused much
disturbance during such trials. He ia busv
at the present time operating-no one knows
how but be himself.
We are continually having false alarms
raised by the press, and otherwise serve 10
agitate and cause considerable amount Of
uneRsiness but the Miners Benevolent As
ISOLATION cannot easily be overthrow let
the enemies of it be ever 80 willy and power
fui. There is a cement in it that will bind
lt together, so that il will stand under the
violence of the storms that beat upon it.