The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-06-19
Nelsonvil Q Miners Strike.


excitement or unusual incidents. A full
quota of colored miners, about one hun
dred and twenty, have been engaged in
Longstreth's and brought out several car
loads of coal, 30 that it is expected that
by Tomorrow a full train loaded by the
labor element will start for the market
Adjutant General Amos returned to
Columbus this morning, after so arrang-
ing matters that upon the slightest pro-
spect of a renewal OF the disorder he will
give his personal attention to protecting
the working miners.
The operators are proceeding steadily
with arrangements for Immediately Oc-
cupying the other miners in this neigh
borhood with the new class of laborers.
The estimated direct loss to the people
of this valley and the commerce derived
from the mines by the two months and
a half of cessation of the coal production
on account of the strike is over one mill
lion of dollars, and the operators have
decided that they will not risk The re-
currence of any such losses by any future
negotiations with meh implicated with
the Miners Union.
A proposition was made by the strik-
ers at Straitsville to dig the coal for one
half of the sales This has been declin-
ed by the operators, who say that it
would be impracticabie of execution.
A dispatch sent to the Cincinnati pa
pers from Athens, and understood to
emanate from an attorney of he strikers,
largely over-estimates the number of
colored miners carted across the country
by the strikers, as the wagons and occu-
pants were counted when leaving Mel
sonville, and there were but sixty of the
latter instead of the one hundred and
twenty reported. The most of these were
very youthful, and apparently unused
to steady labor, and their removal by
the strikers relieved the operators from
an embarrassment created by their pres
ence.
As an indication of how the colored
miners, who are getting into work, re-
gard the situation, a telegram was sent
to-day by three of them to friends in
Memphis, saying: "We are here mining
coal, and all the men are satisfied, and
want all our friends to come and bring
| families"
Rumors continue 10 reach the opera
tors that their mines will be attacked
soon by overwhelming forces; and while
the fact is that, under the protection af-
| forded by the Governor of the State and
the sheriff of Athens County, work has
gone forward without bloodshed since
the working miners took arms for their
projections; yet strict guard is kept and
| all vigilance used to prevent surprise.
Tonight all is quiet on the Hooking.
NELsoNvILLF, June 16.-Early this
morning the coal operators having got
the Longstreth mine into successful
working with sufficient number of
hands, moved about eighty eolored men
from the Longstreth camp by railroad
past the village of Nelsonville to Lick
Run mine, about two miles north, and
set them at work mining. A camp was
established with forty-fve Deputy
Sherffs acting as pickets in the same
manner as at Lougstreth's. The situa-
tlon is highly favorable for defense, the
mine being set round with hills, like the
edges of cup, on which the sentries
have good view in all directions. The
colony Of colored men were highly graf
ifed with the sight of com mfortable houses
ready for their use at this mine, there
having been some lack of accommoda
tion of this sort at the outset at Long
streth's which the mine owners have been
husily engaged providing.
A considerable number of non Union
miners, who have adhered to the opera
tors during the strike and have made
repeated attempts to work, but were pre-
vented by intimidation, returned to work
to-day, in the Sheffield mine, south of
here. This event appeared to cause
more irritation among the Union miners
than the employment of colored troops,
and caused predictions, that had the
favor of old threats, that they would
soon be out of there. There is grow
ing spirit of confidence among operators,
that if due vigilance is exercised in
guarding and arming the working min
ers until they get fairly into their work,
this cruel war may be regarded as over.
COLUMBUS, June I7.-Private and re-
liable dispatches from Nelsonville rep
resent affairs as progressing smoothly in
that quarter. The work is progressing
in the four mines, in which operations
have been resumed in whole or in part
About twenty carloads of coal were
loaded from Longstreth's mine on Tues
day.
A small company of non-striking
miners are again at work in the Brooks
mine, which has been the scence of so
many Intellectual efforts during the past
three months.
| Mr.. Ames to-day received a telegram
stating that Il company of one hundred
and fifty more colored miners were or
ganizing at Memphis, and anxious to
proceed at once to the mines. Of course
they win be promptly brought forward
and set at work.
Pirt, the chief striker, is reported to
have changed his tactics, and resolved
on going to Athens, and calling mass
meeting for the purpose of raising
popular clamor against the Introduction
of the new order of things at the mines.
Mining operators are of the opinion
that, owing to the large period of cessa-
tion of work, the coal market has been
so depleted that a brisk demand will
spring up soon sufficient to justify the
employment of full force of men in
all of the mines in the Hooking Valley,
and to that purpose are directing all
their energies