, 1874-08-17
THE STRIKE AT BRAiDWOOD.

IT, Tie Editor of The Chicago Tribune:
SIN: Minors, rs class, Lavo seldom received
mitch Of opnblic'a sympathy, and far less Of
its lolp in timo Of strife, such as wish to
bring ,ndcr tho notice. Of your readers Though
I do not sec why it should DO so, for they work
hard enough, and tiier toll is Of sufficiently ro-
pulsivo 1nture In nll conscionco, md, whon thcy
stand out like mon for their rights, it is surely
as little as tho public can do to listen to fair
statement Of tho faots rs tloy oxiBt.
Within tho last twelve months, tho minors OF
Draidwool have had their wages ro1uccd no loss
than three tinlos. Tie first might havo been
expected, owing to tho unaottled state Of trado
throughout tho country. But tho second was q
most uncaied-for md tyrannical piece Of husi-
nese, viz. mating tito mon kcop tho road coar
from tho switches to their place Of work, which,
in most cases, would comprise q distance Of
7 have known them worK for nix days on end
devote half g day to tlis Job twice every
week; uni clearing tho way after part OF
tho roof fcIl III. AL this tho min
ors submitted to-, and exorted themselves
fourteen and fifteen hours per day, trying to
make livelihood. This VIE bad enough, moro
especially whom we ramombcr that it has been
proved by statistics that the MINORS employment
brings down the average of ilis life to 2l years,
years.
But tho employers at Biaidwood werc not con-
tent,with this atate Of matters for, shortly since,
they took another 10 cents OF tile ton. Tho
miners, aftor looking at tho matter; fair and
aquare, saw that thcro was not living in It, and
they therefore struck work. Doforo, doing so.
they met and discussed tho question. aud wished
to compromise tho matter but thoir employer
informed them TINT ho was determined to put
his foot on them Mt this time. .s
There il u,an In ono of tho shafta WHO, on
reoolving tho pronise- Of being mnda Boss.
agreed to go down with q fow unskillcd bands,
mud learn them tho, way to niue, thus leading
, ,ls not nblo to Eoep Squad of men out OF danger
in q pft which has not been worked for soluo
timo, and whoro all kinds of explosive gases have
been allowed to accumulate. These mon nro
only prolonging the strike ; and, al soon as 1t ia
scttled they will DO discharged, thoy being en-
gagged ut loss just to spite tho regular work.
men.
Iconclu1e this lcttor by quoting the follow
ing from an article on minors pIo1sures by G.,
A. Saa which appears il tho curl cut number Of
Hclgrauia. anl which will holp your readers to
aua what kind OF an employment tito minors
really hayo, aud how much need they Aavo to bo
able to make thoir living in 1oAs than fourteen
like to 10 u miner. anil to eayu your bread half
naked in black, vanlt underground -, How
wonld you like to 300 -your wives aud daughters
clad in Jerseys nnd corduroy, and begrimed
with coal:dnst, Hlavlng q filling carts at tho
pits month How would you, iair reader, il
you wore oollier's vito or coIlier's daughter.
like to i've in perpetual state Of uncertainty as
to wl1othor tho noxt intelligence you received
tfum tho pit might bo TINT your husband or your
father, with Avo-score Of hla .feow-wor!tmon,
lal been blown up by tho 1ire-aanlp, or snfrocat-
cd by tho chose-dainp I" WoaK1adMAs.