The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-09-14
PEhNSYLVAN "A.

WILLIAMsPoRT, Pa, Sept. ;. 1872
IT, the Editor ~ the WoRKIxsNAS's ADVOCATE
trust you will pardon me for not reply
ing to your letter requesting correct state
meut - the late difficulty III WilliamspOrt
before, but should you know the anxiety
and labor attended on one engaged i'll
looking up evidence for twenty nine men.
whom the law says have committed pen
itentiary offence. you cannot but overlook
my negligC nee
The men engaged in the sawmills Of the
city have always worked from twelve t.
fourteen hours per day. for mere ordinary
wages. And this work is such that old
men cannot perform it, and they are usu-
ally incapacitated from working on the mills
at about 40 years Of age.
Cur union concluded To make an effort
70 reduce the hours Of labor, and accord
ingly held public meeting, passed resolu-
tions, and appointed committee To wait
on the lumbermen, and request them to
give the ten hour system tn their men al
the same wages they we're receiving for J y,
Is and 13I and IA hours per day, which
was ~. 90, on an average
The lumbermen scorned 70 recognize The
committee The men accordingly struck
on the 1t day uf iuly last, and turned out
in large procession, visited the mills, and
induced the men to join them, by moral
influence. The strike continued for three
weeks meetings we're held once and some
times twice a day, and had speaking ev-
erything was conducted peacefully no mills
were running, except four, and these Oh
the ten hour system. The sympathy Of
the entire community was with Us, and the
| lunbermen knew not what To do they
did not like To yield 10 the poor working
men, and to hold out ary length NJ time
was bankruptcy Their was nothing done
BY the strikers, by which they could be
taken hold Of BY the law, W far How
ever, on the 22d Of July We had a parade
and visited the mills for remember they
had ali started, some with half, fourth and
third crews Of men. that were entire stran-
| gers ~ the city. This aroused our resident
portion.
AZ the first mill we visited we were met
DN the bnLlLt INlCt lNIEE llllilt llltHl hI INti
city, and the p-oprietors Of the mill, who
drew their RI divers and threatened 90
shoot the first man that would step on
4 their property For hand full Of men u
thus threaten (slthough they had perfect
right toy was folly The strikers became
uncomfortable, broke through the ranks Of
the force above named, rushed toward the
mill, perfectly Infatuated, ana | regret to
say, abused some Of the hands and drove
them off BY this time they became elated
| by their first success They next proceeded
from mill to mill, driving and whipping
the Z" black-legs, as they we're termed
No LIE ~ property ,rds destroyed nv injured
The next day militia from all parts u the
State were in town, and they proceeded al
once to arrest the leaders, some % W u.s.
who were mcarcerated IN Jail eight and
a-half days, without hearing and under a
demand Of the most extortionate bail,
ranging from three thousand to thirty
Nine of the men are IN prison yet
Our trial is now going On, and the evil
dence is so strong that nothing short Of a
pardon (which has already been refused
by Geary) will save us from the Peniten-
tiary. The Judge il against as, 90 YOU see
what | have made However, the men
only work ll5 hours now. and receive 70
cents more than they did when working
IL and IL hours, so all was not lost.
Very Respectfully,
A HATER or TYRANNA