The New York herald., 1877-09-04

the capital that came nto the Lehgh and WkesbarTs
compapy's treasury by tho consolidation came tho
most opportune time Conyngnam 4 Co. operate the
company store" department OF the coal company IL
Is illegal by tho laws OF this State for corporation to
have stores, but this cue is 'ialnuy con
Germ and the profits arc divided among the
partners wnie beng under another hrm name,
Conyngham Co and the Lehgh and wkesbsrre
Company part and parcei. rnere otncr coal
corporations PenDsy wanna that have adopted the
same method 10 evnde the laws.
CONDITION OF TIE woRKlNoMES.
CoRREsroS SDENr-What was the condition OF the
workilgmen aud their families At that time and what
eleci had the company store system upon themy
How is II run.
orEsArog-i will tell you. The store system has
always been considered Injurious TO every Que but the
operators. Durng the time when production Is being
'rusLed the miners and their families do very we'll,
but when suspension or strike occurs there is much
suffering among the worangmen.
CoRREsPoNpESr-Dd the Golfers ever rebel against
this so-caled 'store 50 siem?"
OPkRArok-Oh, yes. In the winter of ls13-I and
Just previous to the coalition OF the two comp ,nies,
the Lehigh and w!lSssbarre company had trouble
with the miners, and al one tune u WAS feared 4 serl-
Gus strike would be preciptaed John SIney, late
president OF the Miners National Assoc alton and q.
Ben namin JonDson editor OF the defuuct Work nqnta,-
Official organ Of the Miners travel
Ing through the middle and northern coal ncds,
ganizng lodges OF the association and great excite
mcnt prevailed. The wiser counsels, however, OF
OF the older miners prevailed the mons luce-
ings ana prevented the more unreasonable worsiu--
men from striking IL was believed at that time land
the Impression stiil exists in the minds many mat
The entire trouble was the Result Of II secret COM
pact between some OF the operators and tho prssi-
dent OF the Miners National Association During all
this time the miners and their ssislauts the aborers
were ''ground down" TO almost sery,,ude and in
many INSTANCES the condition oil some 0 the collers
was sorrowiul inGeed
COMPANY STORE
The workiLgmen received uut little nav when pro-
ducton was being carried on, that when suspen-
sion was ordered tney had no means, and wefe OF
ior rainient food anu fuel. rus was wuen tho com
pany sno"ed It's greatest oppression. The necessary
crcdt asked by The miners was OF course, given
Extfavagant prices. 1t Is said charged for
goods that tho outside merchants charged but
a.u,nss,s moderate aguie for Il the miners
employ men. elsewhere and went TO It, his name Was
0Dce on the 'bacA list Of ueIar tlnent
and upon his return 10 the region, unless Will
ing TO forfeit whole months pay, was gwen
nm, ana by regular system vi espionage he de-
tanned from all reg ons where tue prcat
ana trans pof tatvn companies compriscg the
com huation operated For u timo this Mas borue in
silence Ou. sumo Of the more Intelligent und deter
mineu worklngmen rebelied against II, aud
the company, apprehensive ol open rebellion
removed some Of the tyranncal regulations govern
ing the "stpre system.' Tue present yslem Is bad
enough, but the workingmen are nte better treated
than they used 10 bc. II would be great blessing 10
the entire coal country n the whole thing could os
abolished II Is Illegal according To the statutes OF the
State and some honest legislation might remove It,
trust II may be done.
FINGER NoLLIEs
CORRESPONDENTS there any truth in the reports Of
conspracies between the opt rators and Molly Maguirc
leaders to precpate strikes and otner troubles among
the minersg
OpERAroR-well guess those statements have
more prose than poetry IN thcm What Is known IN
relation TO the subject Will rchearse to you and you
are at liberty 10 use tho points or not When coal
combination WAS originated tncre was much harmony
among the intere,ts concerned, but 1t was long
before there were entangements and the that
great rivalry was inauguratea between The magma
oil the various coal and carrying corporations for
prenacy Ia the coal regions. ihe coal kings a. that
time las they are now were Franklin D Gvwen Pres
ident o! tho phiadeIphia and Readlpg Kaircad
Company; Samuel sloan, Pr, siuent OF the Della
ware, Ltckhwanna and Western Railroad;
Thomas Dickson, President OF the Delaware aud
HUDSON Railroad aud Canal Compaav Asa Packer
Prcsidont ot tho Lehgn Valley Railroad Company;
George A. hoyt President OF the Pennsy ylvania Coal
Company; Charles Parriah, President OF the LeuIyh
and Wikesbarro Coal Company, and John Ray John
son, President OF the Central Railroad of New jersey
Mr. Johnston has now retired from coal railroad
operations. THIS peculiar and rigorous struggle may
be said 10 have been the direct cause OF
all the subsequent troubles IN the coal trade.
whe.o the operations OF his company centred.
Thus, while ali these corporations were apparently
working unitedly and harmoniously IN the combina
ton, the executive heads we're constantly sche mug
ouchre zach other out OF portion oil the do
that cvveted. IL IL alleged that labor
agitators were bargained with 10 omeat dlAcord and
dissension among the nj ners In the middle coal fields
aud when the ends Of the INSCRIPTIONS operator had
been satisfied, and cxtortonaic rates Tor coal OBJ
tanned from the Wholesalers retailers and indivauai
consumers incendiarles were bought to SOW tue
OF discontcnt among the men employed in other
regions Trouble would be started In Lhe
| Lehgh region, and then as soon as the coets were
|
parted 10 the northern coal neds vi the Wyom aud
Lackawaana valleys Alter their 'business'' had
been completed tnere Schaylkill county stirred
| up Moiy Maguireism Was Tho outsro~th OF the
''xrindpg policy as adopted by the Operators Had
the nsn not been crushed down to near slavery there
never would have been any Molly Naguireism When
this terrible element became power IT was used by
the unscrupulous aud mereenary operators to
increase their ilIesiiimate gains The number
and influence o the Molly Maguires is
as great ever to-day. bsilevc the
conspiraces between the operators and Mollies urc
| cnuti uuedu nm nd Ia md
positive TACT that coal strikes are led and settled by
Molly M'gumes. Much credit has been gwen TO
| Franklin b. Gowen and tho PinKerton Detective
Agency ior uncarthing Molly Maguiroism. 1 do not
think either entitled 10 all the credit The whole
tEiDg was exposed IN the NEW YORK HERALD several
years before any attempt Vas MAZE to break up the
| terrible organization OF outlaws Why, sir, well re.
member IN August, 1874, when the hrst Molly
| Mcguire expose appeared IN the HERALD, tuat the
operators und entire press OF the coal regions
denied tho story OF the Moilies' great crimes
us "A base fabrication. Soon after this, how
ever, there rupture between some OF the opera
and Molly leaders, and, fearing their rascalites
might exposed IN too giarins light the operators
gave the thing away" and u number OF the Moes
hung. IL WIS only the poor ones, however, who
suffered punishment, and nave every reason TO be
lieve there were some innocent men among those exc
cued Barney Dolau and other chiefs of mo 0rganl-
zaton, wil purses lined with gold aud silver from
the operators, are now walking about the country
scot Tree. understand that Pat Hester, the king o
the Molly Aagures has prepared statement OF facts
durins his Incarceration in the Columbia County jail
winch pretty thoroughly exposes tho plots and
! terplos OF tho operators and their henchmcD, tho
| Molly Maguircs Bogus detectives have also had my s.
ferrous conferences with the Operators aud Mol Ma
CURES TO plan outbreaks among the miners and
laborcrS
COLONEL SCOTT.
CoRaEspoSDEST--liow was Colonel Scott connected
with the coal war;
| OPERAToR-ihat Is m important and intcrestng
thing the history OF the coal trade The
tween the railroad and coal kings continued with
abatcd vgor until last year. just previous to the col
lapse OF the Coal Rang. At that time person aIi-
pearcd upon the scene. Tns individual was mono
other than Colonel Thomas A. scott, who
represents large coal interests. The pa
I've represents have been Tor several years gam
ing great power Ia the coal trade. Tue cous pirl
members OF the combination feared Scott ana over
lures were made 10 him TO join the Ring. All pro
posais were refused and the end was that CoioIel
scout aud Judge Packer, ol the Leh2h Valley Rail
road, combined tucir forces and transacted hvcly
coal business when worked havoc In the schemes oi
the other companies composing the monopoly Judge
Packer denounced as the sole cause OF dsrup-
ton Of the greatest monopoly the world
but Scott was the promoter oi the causes that
conspired TO aid ia the destruction OF the Coal Ring
Scott and Packer are still working together ana their
VIII unqucsuonaby create further trouble to
the tfcsy and rascilly Operators Scott and Packer
thorns IN the sides Of tho mercenary aud uuscr1-