The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-07-11

and Hecla companies. The i-rmer never
-. leon than 900 pounds for sulphur,
which al 800 know in rcbbing piners o.
their labor and have my doubts y they
ever pick fifty pounds Of sulphur cot Of
any one twenty -6ve-bushel car. Besides,
at one place, where they weigh the cal
before it 10 screened, | am credIbly IN
formed that they take 100 pounds tn the
bushel, at all the mines except one, have
the coal screened before weighing it, and IT
is put over an inch and quarter screen.
We are not getting anything for the
nut coal, as has been the custom
when the scales have been changed
in other parts Of the country. Of course
we are Lot on a strike about il. and II we
were most Of the men would be coerced
back to then work before | could finish
this letter, taking the preceding strikes as
a sample of what would be done IN that
case at this place., 50 that if / should wish
to 20 back to my work should have to
quit this letter or lose my turn in the
mine.
We have DO union here nor have never
had one since this place started, only dur
ing one week. Last year, Just dull
times were commencing, this place gave
birth to q Miners Union Lodge. believe
it was ON Sunday evening, and ON Mon
day it was doing well, and still growing on
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On
Friday it looked sick, but made no com
plant, but on Saturday it suddenly ex-
nh. al 'alr Voc q
when the bosses heard there was such a
movement ON foot, one Of them came H.
the mines the next morning and discharged
all who had anything to do with the union.
they paid of all the single men w1B
wished TO leave, but the men with families
they would neither pay nor let them have
anything out Of the stores to subsist on
until they left the companys houses So
that most of them went back to their work
but not till they had signed code Of laws
AID rules gotten up by the minions Of the
5. b. G. G. | have part Of those laws,
and think one Of them reads as follows
+" No miner shall belong nor hold commu.
nication with any so-ca.led Miners Pro
tectlve or Benevolent Association 50 hong
as he shall be in the employment of the 81
Bernard Coal Company which rule Ii
still enforced, and all newcomers, witt
few exceptions, have to sign 1t before 90
ing to work. Is not that despotism anC
intolerance I'D this our bOasted free anc
democratic country-tO say that mai
shall not work for them because he belong
to q socis having for its motto Protection
and Benz renee. What would be though
and said Of any set Of men who would re
| fuse to work for any company for NO Othe
reason than that said company belonged u
the Free Masons, Odd Fellows, Good
Templars or any other such benevolent so
ciety Would not they, as H. W. Beeche
says, be considered twin brothers of Egyp
tian mummIes, and the mummIes the bes
set of men of the two
Another pernicious rule Is that Of gettin,
nothing for break throughs IN the rooms
while between entry and air-course the.
are paid for, and both the same width
The writer ot this drove break -throug
upwards Of eight yards, and received II
yardage for the same
Since work has been so slack here som
men have turned rooms with no uthe
compensation than a free turn, while Othe
men were getting about one-third work
but hope soon to see Union Lodge pei
manently fixed here, and then we can sho
the operator that we poor workmen haV
rights that the rch oppressors are boun
to respect. Yours, for unity among ii
laboring classes, "A MINER