The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-10-17
Yours, respectfully
joins BlRoN
ColcHEsrER. ID. Oct. II,

COLCHESTER, Ill. OCt. IL, ISt4
40 The Editor q the sokSNoa.N> ADVOCATE
We have been Oh strike here about four
weeks, for an advance Of one cent per
oushel. But the following letter will eN-
PLAIN our demand Our request IN itself,
is a true copy If the letter sent to 4. T.
Dwight, the representative ~ the Quincy
Coal Company
COLCHESTER, ILL.,. sept. 4, 1874
AZ. the coal miners II Colchester having
assembled for the purpose OF settling our
business. have taken into consideration the
present price paid Tor digging coal IN contrast
with tu, pule paid for the same last year.
and md ourselves At least one VENT and
halt Der nu~nel under the price paIi t1r dig
alnL coal last year the causes tnar have led
u tuat reduction are follows We have
quietly submitted e. the putting up Of
screens, winch Is at least one halt cent per
bushel oii secondly the veins are one tenth
less, many places one-uirh. Thirdly. the DIS
lance Tor wheeling l. more than double ia
some OF the shafts we ton think It right
that We should suffer all tue loss on our part;
hut should rest on the shoulders OF both EN-
ployer and empIoye therefore, under these
considerations, We think ourselves Justified IN
asking the company to raIse the price Tor
digging coal one cent per bushel as at the
present price We yauuot earn living, and
will tie constrained 70 ind our way t. larger
VEINS, where We nave no wheeling, and have
better reward for our toll
To Dwight we sent the above letter, and
waited two weeks. but We received no
answer, and have been out ever since.
On Thursday last, .Iohn Siney arrived
here. he had private chat with US in the
the union hall, and made public speech
ia the Christian Church at night Thank
God be D. man that can speak anywhere
Tie vas received with great applause here
Mr.. Siney gave us some sound advice f; he
sand to us, as he said TO the men at Braid
wood, for us to be as one mau, whether We
went in or staid out
He waired until Saturday for Mr..
Dwight to come tas he was ia Chicago en-
gaging blacklegs), Dwight came in on the
morning train, and brought him sixty men
o. work in our places. There was no
trouble, as the men all took Sineys adj
wee, and were very quiet.
Mr.. Siney and Dwight had a very
friendly interview, but Dwight said he
could not give the price the men asked, but
If they would 20 IN at the old price he
would try and give all Of us work in about
thirty days, meaning blacklegs and all to-
4ether. Mr. Siney had not much time to
talk, as he he'd to leave on the ten O'Clock
train.
After talking with some Of the leading
men, and giving them some good council,
Mr. SiLey took his leave Of us.
We called a meeting at once, and APP
pointed a committee to 90 and ask these
men what they came here for. They said
they were told there was no strike here,
that the men were all discharched, and
signed contract III Chicago to work for
two cents less than we are striking for. |
forgot to tell you the company have been
building a large boaxding house up at the
works, about one mile east of town, and
brought a boarding boss and store-keeper
With him, along with the rest of the men
In the afternoon, we called a mass-meet-
ing, and invited the strangers to come to the
meeting, and if they had been brought
here through false pretensions, that they
could make the ones that brought them
here take them back again, and sue them
for damages Some of them talked in the
meeting But some Of them would do
that-that is swear they were deceived IN
coming here.
While the meeting was in session. some
enc asked them how many of them were
at the Braidwood strike, and one man an
swered immediate all of us, that let
the whole thing out. Some Of them de-
MED it, but most of them by their own
confession were blacklegs at Braidwood.
After the mass-meeting we adjourned e
the hall, and had a private meeting, and
concluded to let them 90 their way, and
we would 90 ours They say they are 60.
ing TO work on Monday, and that nifty
more are coming on Monday morning
We, in our private meeting, appointed a
committee to 60 ito the Mayor Of the town, and
have him TO enroll sufficient number Of
extra police to guard our lives and proper
ty, as they have already insulted two ladies'
and one of them in her own house. The
scoundrel will be arrested on Monday
morning | believe this is all Of interest
this time More anon.
Yours truly,
MINER