The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1871-05-25
OUR SCRANTON LETTER.
SCRANTON, May 21st, 1871.
ResuDiDtiO1C.

SCRANION, May Zlsi, 1Ofi'
Resumption.
FRIEND ScHocu Our whole community |
are rejoicing over the fact that general re-
sumption of mining operations throughout the
entire Lackawanna region will take place with
in few days. Very nearly six long months
have elapsed since the suspension commenced,
and the financial blow which has been dealt to
our genel al business interests is truly startling
The miners have fought like heros during this
struggle, in order TO gain their point, and, they
have, in manner, came off the victors, mas
much as the Companies finally made an ad-
vance of five cents upon their original offer of
eghty-six cents per Diamond Car. Were it
not for the disgraceful and outrageous course
pursued by the miners for the past two
months, upon the persons and property ofinno-
cent and honest men, the right hand ofgood-fel-
lowship could now be cordially extended to
all law and order, will forever stamp disgrace
and infamy upon their characters. Your cor
| respondent has endeavored to keep your rea-
ders throughly conversant with the true state
of affairs in this locality from the commence
ment of the suspension, and they can now
Judge for themselves, in Wow of the disgrace
| FIJI rioting, &c. whether or not, public opinion
is to blame for being prejudicel. The suspen-
sion is at an end it is true, but STILL the events of
| the past fortnight, which have been equally as
infamous as their former proceedings, may be
of interest to the readers of the JEFFERSON
IAN.
| On the 18th inst, quite a number of the
miners and laborers employed by the Lacka-
wanna Iron and Coal Company, signifed their
willingness to enter the Briggs Shaft, and re-
sumo operations Immediately, providing they
should receive proper protection from the de-
mons who were opposed to a resumption
Accordingly, on the 18th inst, all the neces-
sary arrangements having been completed,
these honest men, headed by Mr.. w. w.
Scranton, proceeded to the shaft in body,
amid the jeers and curses of those who would
oppose them, each man being armed with
Remington breech-loading rife, and also ac-
companied by squadron of soldiers, under
command of Lieutenant Seeley. The soldiers
have guarded the works night and day ever
since to protect the men while at work, and
to prevent the infuriated mob, who continual
| ly loitered about the works, from carrying their
devilish threats into execution. Some ofthem
even went so far as to intimate that a second
Ayondale affair would be the inevitable re-
suit, did they get an opportunity to fire
the braker. The men, after descending the
shaft cut coal until about II o'clock, when, as
they had not provided themselves with refresh
ments, they were hoisted up, and were escor-
ted to their homes by the soldiers being allow
ed full day for the work they had accom-
| plished. And thus was the backbone of sus-
pension crushed. Various speculations were
afoat upon the streets that evening, to the ef
! feet that the men were inundated, and would
fail to return to their work on the following
day. The doubtful ones were, however, very
agreeably surprised, as on the following day
the miners returned to the works, their num-
Der having been considerably increased
While going too and from the works, these
industrious men, whose only crime was that
they preferred work to starvation were con-
tiuually made the subjects of insulting remarks
|
brethren, all of which they bore with a spirit
of manliness. On Wednesday evening last,
however, as the men were returning quietly
and peceably to their homes, after finishing
their days work, accompanied by the usual
guard ofsoldiers, and when they had reached
Fellows Hall, on the old Hampton road,
Hyde Park, they found the road completely
blockaded by mob of infuriated demons,
consisting of men, women and children, who
commenced hooting, and calling the laborers
''blacklegs." The men proceeded quietly on,
however when finally a stone was hurled into
their ranks, which was shortly followed by
two more. At this, the patience of the men
became exhausted, adm one of their number
leveled his rife and fired, and the two brutes
who threw the stones fell dead in their tracks.
The excitement which followed this transac-
ton, during the remainder of the night and the
following day, was very intense, and finally
terminated in the arrest of Mr.. W. w. Scran-
ton, and man named Cairns, as being acces-
sories to the murder. They were taken to
Wilkes-Barre where they were released on bail
the former for 900, and the latter for S10,-
0O0 And thus ended another, and it is to be
hoped the last disgraceful chapter in the round
ofsuspension The funerals of the two unfortun-
ate victims, which took place on Friday after
noon, were attended by upwards of 5000 per-
sons. CRITIC.