, 1874-01-20
Tho Miners Organizing and Preparing
for a Siege.
Their Bill Of Complaint Against the Great
Operating Companies.
Cases Of Lnwlcssndss Rcportcd:in
the Lclligh District.
Twenty Thousand Men Now Out
Of Employment.
THE WYOMING DISTRICT.


miners OF the northern coal.tlolds of Ponnsyl-
vana slumhors @ deeply-rootel hatred toward
tho operating companies, which grows stronger
as tho programme of tho combination to forco
Upon them a reduction unfods itsolf. your cor
respondent las mingled frooly with tho most in
teiligent colliers of tho Wilkcsbarre Districts
during tile last two days, mud finds that they
present this
AnRAlQNMENT on DILL OF INDICTMENT
against tho four great representative corpora
tions embraced within tho monopoly controlling
tho Wyoming region. Theso arc tho snmo COM
platnts that may be heard In every other
anthracite region Of tho State. Tho minors
decaro TINT their condition iB but little re-
moved from that Of q bonded slave, as thoy nrc
tho victims Of the capricos of the ConlpanieB,
who dole out their own figures to sorve pros
pcring grood, and force them into iileuoss,
when production is to bo suspended In order to
Raise 4 CORNER,
or Lift up prices to speculation figures; tlat the
wages TINT arc now earned under tho basiB OF
1873 do not afford hardly comfortable living,
aud thnt a reduction would continually involve
thom in debt; that they hayo been SUBJ
jccted to all kinds Of petty anuoyanceB,
sucll as tho temporary suspension OF mining
III ti,noB whon thcrc is no actual reason therefor;
that perfected system Of withholding III in
tho full humber stipulated in the contracts. thus
compelling The colHers TO lose tina mid money !;
TINT superintenlentH lave boen appointed. dis
tasteful to them, who display favofitsrn, and
also by other means cut down the earnings !;
TINT a dicta;orinl and insolent manner OF dealing
with the miner exists, rarely even allowing liM
n voico in any conference when tho question Of
wages arises TINT tho inadequate
VENTILATION LAWB ARE OR1MtNALLT NEGLECTED
aud dsrogardea, the inspectors, wllouo duty il il
tI+&
to their bnsuess aud thus jeopardlzing s1e life
of tho collier. These abuses, with many others
have extended over long period OF years. until
now, when iii attiuenRl cross in the matter Of a
reduction Of wages il about to bo thrust upon
thom, tho meu have determined that
THEME SHALL he NO SUBMISSION
on their part, mud that they will hold out like
their brethren Of tho Schuylk,ll region
until tho last copper has been exhausEed.
atnoug them in every district OF tho region.
Tho cry Of alarm is sounding, aud ''organize :"
iB tho word that goes from lip, to lip.
From all Quartors tho report comes here that
tion Of tho lodges Of tho National Mlners' Union.
Good authorities stato that before tho month
closes tho organization will number in this re-
gion . membership Of fully 20, 600 men.
4 STRUGGLE MUST ENsuE.
neBs has been occasioncd. IAo operators
still cling to their old story that there liz 10 de-
nand for GOALS, Aul consequently with tho very
large stock ut points Of. shipment, which il
enough to supply the consumption for some
time yet, they cannot afford to niue ton,
coNB1DEnABLE EXCITEMENT
hns been crtatcd to-day among the coilers in
this immediate district over the arrival Of John
Siney, preaidentof the National 1lincrs' Uuiou,
aud G. d. johnson, editor of the 1Vorkingnen,
the organ Of the colliers, who haya
come oyor from tho achuylkill region.
A. groat nlass-mooting will bo held
hero on Wednesday, as tho call for
positively known tonight whether or not tho
question Of tho reduction will come up for con-
sidoration, but the presence Of Mr.. Slnoy at this
particular juncturo ii omlnous.
REs1HTISti REDUCTION.
Reports reach hero to tho effect that about
5,000 collicrs employed vt the mines OF tho Alin-
eral Railroad d. Mining Company. Lake Fiddler,
Hickory Swamp, nrtl Hickory Ridge, are now
holding ont against 10 per cent reduction.
Although tho strikers do not belong to tho N1in-
erH' and Laborors' Benevolent Association now,
it is understood they will do 80.
THE GREAT oARnoSpALE lMERoGL1o
has assumed no change for tho better. and 1t is
taken by both operators and men will causo the
struggle to be ono Of IN indefinite period. About
7,00j lncn aro employed at this plnce.
Various reports come in Of
ISCEfDlARY coSFLAGAATloNs,
and tho operators haye taken precautions to
protect their property. Considerable lawesa-
ness preyails, and in some places. especially in
the upper Lehigh district there is almost O
reign Of totror: At tho County Court here to.
day. fifteen indictments were presented for mrr-
der, which shows to what extont the lawlovsnegs
is carried.