The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-08-22

enough for their toll TO enable them TO live
by exercising the closest economy. Numer
Gus instances could be related Of smelters
and landowners taking advant &c Of in
dividual miners, but time and space viii
not permit
In addition to the lead ore, large quanti-
ties Of :" black jack" or zinc ores are being
mined, for which the landowners have
never charged any royalty, but one pious
old skinhint, being ashamed to go to the
miners at work on his land to ask royalty,
hut wishing them TO support some of his
family in idleness, sent a son, who asked
or begged 81 per ton royalty for the zinc
ore. The miners being liberal, whole
souled fellows, and knowing that the young
sprig must be supported from their labor in
some way, paid him what he asked. But
IS the price Of zinc ore began to advance,
the old fellow seeing that the miners had
complied with his sons demands 50 read
lily, annulled the contract and demanded
10 per cent. royalty, or abou t 81 per ton.
To this the miners objected some, but in
order that everything might 60 on peace
! fully, they agreed to pay the 10 per cent,
and went 10 work all the harder to try and
make it up. But the old skinflnt landlord
was still unhappy and again broke his CON
tract with the Ia'ners, (whO, by the way,
generally place more reliance and conf
dence in a verbal contract than all the writ
ten ones LAWYERS can draw up, which are
Lgenerally assinst hem and III favor of the
/ oari list J, and this time demanded ~ per
cent To this demand they refused to &C
cedt, aud requested test suit Ia he
brought In the courts against one OF their
number, and have the matter decided legal
~, whether they should pay more than 10
per cent royalty as agreed, they having an
abundance Of proof That that was the con
tract. To this the landlord would not agree,
but going to a court III which he knew
the cases could not be called, III at least
one year, being that much behind with the
docket he caused writs If injunction to
be served upon the miners, forbiddlng
them working the mines until the cases
wert decided, saying that he would starve
them to his terms. This was the straw
that broke the camel's back You can
imagine the condition the miners were in,
having spent their money and labor in de-
veloping these mines, sinking their shafts
till they had Just began to realize wages
for their labor, and wholly dependent up
on the ore raised each week tor the sup
port of their families. They were nigh
driven to desperation, and when on the
Monday morning after the serving Of the
iniunctions, kerosene oil, giant powder,
and fire reduced the old skiutilnIs smelt-
ing furnaces to ashes. the verdict of the
worklngmen was, served him right.
While We all deplore the destruction Of
property, justice is all the labor and miner
asks or wants, and reformation or revolu-
ton must come. The papers throughout
the county all unite III demanding that the
parties who perpetTated the deed be brought
to justice; and | say let those who caused
the deed TO be committed, be brought to
Justice, and If the systematic expressions
of the old landlord and smelter was the
cause let Justice to him be meeted out.
The miners are now becoming thorough
ly organized in miners unions, and are
determined TO try and secure their rights.
As means to this end, they are toa man
uniting with the farmers, mechanics, and
lahorers in the formation Of one lndepen-
dent Labor Reform party. A large, en-
thusiastic and harmonious mass convention
having been held in this city on the 10th
inst. for the purpose Of organizing and ar
ranging for the nomination and election Of
such men only who are known to be in
sympathy with the laboring man and pro-
Queer.
Under the management Of our worthy
1fss1 BrotKerh6$d Is gainIne s ~ Z AZ
| ly, there being now five fiourishing lodges
IN this county, and others being rapidly
formed in this portion of the State, and
southeast Kansas. 60 to-day to organ
ize two lodges in an adjoining county.
Yours in the cause Of labor redemption
and justice 10 al cidSsss
A. W. ST JoHN.