, 1877-04-21
Election Of Their City Ticket by The
Miners. with tue Men.
A Trip to Streator and the Diff
.culties at That Place.
importation Of New Hands...F Foxsibi1i.
ties Of 4 Row in the Future.
What the Representative Of a Prominent Altl
Ht Il Say "a liz Sab3ttt.
,BRAIDWOOD.


spring came down upon the desoste, wilde prairie.
liz pleasant glow leened to viyify the scant and
1onE-opprcased hesbngc, Awakening IL dormant
feelings aud causing 1t to llf and move, and color
into something like grass; whl1n the long vat
nttehks on thu .bcattn stdea Of tnn miners
cahins In 1raluwood grew narrower and 1eAs da-
tuct, Even tho deep, black mud OF Tho streets
partook Of tho gentrsl Joy. and sent up grateful
incense. Hero and there doors and Windows wtfe
opened, aud women aud children could b seen on
tho threshold basking In Tho sun. Ther wefe Ia
sympathy with the occaston. loo. these people
who wero accustomed TO tho dscariest aspeess OF
nature the contrasts Of carth and aky being teRl-
bio TO tho slmplest- minded. II they aaw also
tho wrctchcd novels Of Bra!dwood, tho black
tnada wiadln9 In and out, and hera And
thssc, rising like soma hldeona md prImeval mon
s.ers, tho hugo implanted structures marking tho
entrances to coal nuin1.-if they saw these, 1t
was not to tsko scrioas nuttee. for thay vera TO-
mI1lar txpcsences Incorporated into the daily life
Of every child In Urafdwood. ground into Il To-
Ecthor With all the harah and bitter, and fFtttln9
Issues Of toll.
This Ia emphasEca1y mining town. " ithout
III coat.shasts Il would have reasonable spo1ogy
for existing, since thcfo II agricultural neigh.
bosheod 10 give It support - IL tbs cass with
nearly ali Western towns Of It's size. Tracts Of
barren prairie surround It, the jand being owned BY
coal companies Or private spcculators.
- 70 TIN TOWN ITSELF,
II IL scattering aud ditaptdata. Thcra Il onc long
business tttcet, frontcd by unsteady frnme build
1ngs Of all stagos OF growth and decay. Soma Of
them are raised above the levcl Of tho streek and
soma arc below It, aud tho wooden sidewalks pro-
cIpItato themselves rashly In all kinds Of snglos
strcsches a varetRptea seene Of cabins. cottages,
and patches Of pFaEtea, the CONDENSATION principle
NJ bs!ng It al honotsd: rar sway, to ths north,
,uay 10 seen Old Nfaldwool. marked from ihs ret
hou.es; several miles vest ot to Old 1osn afo
elustased around tho horrible black structures
reared ahove Tho ahats That furnish likelihood 10
The Inhabitants; mining town Il ordinary t'mes
mining town on 'str,ke' q still less agleea-
blo. Such, however, was nrailwood when your
correspondent arrived and tho spring sun Was shin
ing bcpi2nantfy rpun Tho dcsoiAta aconc.
THE PRESENT LOCKOUT
.t aet ths p,o"i'es 70 u
essat.: Y kmpio,sn and s%spoye!. G a.. se. nSs: d.
term.ned to gatn thelr point, and It il dtcult to
sec how either can ylell, 40 wids apart are their
tss ehss %nason
the Wilmington .; Sur Mining Company, the
Euteaa Coal Company, Tho Wilmington coa! hin:
Goal Company. The whole number Of men and
eors employed In An! around mlncs Il !, Gui. Tic
SSes e. TIL ss r ,hsn sSns III sg
number Of psrsons employed by each:
2, w;*y; y, eea cemp.ay."........;sas: s:s @ss; s
y y. y l. htnHls sGompanY......*.,l.... r. aU ats
1Fald~ood CoA Compkay. y.............. l2,0N d
The total amount OF capital invested IL So22 600,
waaGh TOT the sake ot eonveaienca may 10 called
M million L. doi!ats. Thts espita! rot only own. tho
lss'dHooa gain suhshtcncc, but also tho lana in
md .eoat !ns o%p IN: tae!stose
wsa1a i ns ss sfSa ssa .esa.ed M ~
human dceds. mud IN the present Instance what.
srer may be alleged aeainst the coal con,panica,
i woal lndesd. Ie 4 serious and aTiui error % ior
me companies 10 admit TINT these Minets wero
msa. Or that tdey wore TO he treated IKE human
eetaln soFt ef mechanism gotten up By the Creator
espcc;ally foE the Rso of coal companies not de-
.iSnea to bc faral.hcd with anything s1eept phyel.
coat and lc propcsly grateful fof tho itlcsltlabIs
p's.lsEs., Ao pay sat and secp. Ett married and
essn ii III .ns
R!o@Rt!y ~ oa band to work with ths Other n,cchen.
tho coal market supplied hut to barely
ultimate ! that tLs minof y man who has rlgan
M oasht tg 20 respected u TO cauao Tho check Of
a1a hh hafr to rlsE nr Oh h14 head With fright.
-, TIE COAL MINES or nHAlDwoop
so peen In operation about twelve Ye1rs. In that
Sa!nef3, and Tho profits have been eoErcstlon.l1xy
!asye. Hut what Of tho lnrn who spend thslr lvcs
geiSfiSsonna ni.iS toIlsoms'y hacking and picking and
panesf Has thels condition been at iii inpsuvelt
ntet careful inquiry. conducted. think, With.
Ss Sas eo1o: NJ. K n .stG :" ssy s n0t ony
.o.d.y tho eoal miners of Viii County ia reduced
70 sHls that 10 about ~ near slavery - can bs
Imagined. Mf. john Young. Gus Of the most H.
tsiI!Hent miners tn !lFafdwood, who has worked
nete tof ton years. told me that when he esn,s hers
wnen It il remembered that Tic men wcTs cafnin9
~ M commencement of Tue atrke only 81. 10 pef
n!utsnx IT, year 1873 ths mlners wero paid tho
e.: ssn. :' sE e1 e. e os f. e.
@ ses!nalaY Ut ltst year II was PROPOSED 10 reduca
se,ses, waes VI tnS to nake certain s4aases a ths
leaving tie n,ners about 70 cents psr ton. Al that
pfoPvs,..9!oa tae ns tshsl1ed sad struck work. 4
ansly decided on: VI. For digging b. ssnts; isr
II. G,iS.an ssa(s H. - ssn oa! pst uads!
year. The yearly contracts with tbs mcn Terminated
nay !: Monday, Matah ~, tho BsaIuwooa cum.
9nt's Ween % ~ tnesS matters have paolcd end
J wages would b - cents per tou, and Alter oet.
the wages shoHld be ~ cents per ton.
AAto AMNnuaGHAhHr" WAS SUMNER
70 The Miners, who. sysA NJ tho pticas sircsdr sx
tipS wtre scarcely able " keep thelr heads Sboye
water. As quickly ~ pos&iGle tnrgling was
called. i was held tn Odd. tallows' Hall, aud III.
!asld Mclaughlin was eiectad Chairman Ana
ChaTles DuucAn Secretary. Thefe Was . vat
crowd psetrnt. aud iuteuae feeling was shown.
put tho leading spirits Wcts fortunately men OF
!otethougAt and moderation. They eHectuslly pro-
seAtea any imincdtu.a Feapst 70 ftalence, sad Tho
Mttting unanimously resolved to dsnAnI The
PRICED Of lh76, to abolish ths yeStlf contract ~
tea. anu that thereafter QUO month's notice Of q
eaaLTs In prices Hu4t be g1ytu 4 committee WAS
app9lntet 10 lake ths resolutions TO the SWperln.
~; sGndent Ut ths Wilmington Sef,nlllIon Company
ts' ns!d' John klef: Ch*lsa,aa coalmun!eatton va
MMtrem ,ssa from Nr; u l. swset Superintendent oi thu
,saninSton 4 tsrmill.on Company, announcing
vat tho proposed reduction Of wages must 90 fatd
s1sGL II W*s thcrsupun decided to suspend work
N antN Ihutsday OF that week. hoping th4t tho coal
Gompan1es wuuld offer compfomise. Thursda,
u WA formally decided Ia stslka, tho following
resolutions bsing PASSED:
sY.1E,s sssse3as. 81 ~: c siaE tsnsks, C..
psG I'd Sf 1no1 uatl fhe sA'as Of u aud ~ ri
e. ~ that wiling pss tta Siiss ri ssss
Sot4ing further oecurred until last Noaday,
npsli ~ sauday. lbs 1h.a. was ths regular pa1
utoasna pay Wa due tho employee of tho Wijmlu7
IA "a : sc1milloa Comp2ny. The ucu hid xorkce
fhA Ak,h.. <