The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-05-03

HARMONY, Clay Co, April %, 1873.
To the Editor Of the woRKSoHAS's ADVOCATE
DEAR SIR: 1t may not be uninteresting
to the mining portion of your readers to
know how the miners Of the block coal Of
Indiana have been getting along lately.
The miners here have been organized for
the last three years, and we're doing well.
Last October they agreed with the employ
ers TO form basis, one dollar per ton for
digging, selling price to be ~. % ton,
and to receive ten cents out Of every TWEEN
ty-ive cents the coal rose in market And
to be paid every two weeks instead Of ev-
cry month The coal advanced to e. rs,
and the miners received 81 20, and when
working by the day received SO 60. This,
with the short pay, We soon we're over
crowded with hands, and during winter
We did not average three days work
week Under the banner of our associa-
ton We considered ourselves safe; but,
alas while We are saying peace, peace, the
operators were busy in forming their plans
to overthrow US So, on the 10th Of Feb
ruary, work was suspended by the MAORI
ty Of the banks, on account of them being
notified If twenty cents Of . reduction,
and to be paid monthly without any refer
ence to the October agreement.
Three banks have been filled with ne
groes from Richmond, Va, with forty or
fifty negroes in each Of the three banks
This did not dismay us we held out
manfully, and at the same time these ne
| gre importers were by their own magma
tons scared and had their mines and 9TH
er property guarded with armed men, and
| had all kinds Of terrible rumors going the
rounds Of the press, without any cause
whatever, unless from their own heated
imaginatiOns The knightsville riot, Of
the 9Th inst, which was fearfully exagger-
ated by the leading press Of the country,
was only sort u an exciting shindig be-
tween drunk puddlers and their wives, with
some negroes. The operators lost no time
in making the fuss appear as riotous A.
possible. The negroes were all gathered
to knightsville. and operators telegraphed
I
80 a detachment Of the b. g. and consta-
bles were shipped from indianapolis on the
following morning, hut when they came
they found II almost mixed to a hoax, 81
they returned to Indianapolis on the after
norn car~
The miners having stood out ten weeks,
have found that their funds are too light
t. hold out all summer, and seeing coal is
down IN market. resolved. al a mass meet
nv. t. accede Ia the twenty cents drop and
month pays Several banks have gone to
work upon these terms but other employ
ers will not permit them t. 70 to work I'M
less the men denounce the Miners Associa-
tiOn. and sign an agreement for twelve
months On account Of this monstrous
entertainment on their liberties, 2I0 men
are still out On strike, and are determined
not a. sell their blrthnght on any accOJnt.
The following are the officers Of the
Miners Benevolent and Protective Associ-
alton Of Indiana, which meets on the 4th
saturday in each month, at Brazil, Clay
county
The officers of the General Council are
President John CARMEL, Knightsville
Vice President Robert Linn, Harmony
Treasurer James Shaw, Brazil; Cores
ponding Secretary Scott, knights
vile
Honr Of meeting - o'clock A. NJ
Yours Respectfully, r. L.