Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1877-09-08
How a Precedent Works.

POiiNy "oAho AZ Shhog ~ "hA"' ShNoA
date Of Sunday its sPittsburg CORES
pondent writes: b
+. An order was issued late last night by the
superintendent of the Wyoming Division
OF the Lehigh Valley Railroad not to give
to or take from the Butler, Seneca, Rasine
and Twin colierles any coal cars or freight
until further orders. This is regarded as
Il most remarkable move on the part of the
railroad company. The news has created
sensation among shippers, propagated the
germ of levengeful hatred in the bosoms
of workingmen and bewildered the business
elements. The order applies to and direct
ly effects the mining operations and COM
panics over which General DininnJ otiici
ates as president.
Referring to the adjustment of re-
cent difficulties the Herald correspon-
dent gives the following statement as
the origin of the trouble:
Just as soon as the military had estab-
llshed peace and opened the line of freight
communication between the metropolis
and the West over this route General
Dininnv set his men to work, and their
hearty response to his demand that they
should continue loyal to the interests ofthe
company of which lie is President was met
by voluntarily raising their remuneration
t. per celt. The proprjetols of the Roch
Hill tunnel and Phoenix colliery also ad-
vanCed wages ten per cent as soon as they
learned of President DininIy's coulso. Up
to last night three of these companies have
been actively producing several thousand
tons of coal weekly, but this Older eterred
to above vii reduce the amount 20 about
one-third what it has been. The Lehigh
Valley railroad company is also coal plo-
ducing company, and has been resisting a
strike of its men for an advance of twenty.
five per cent Tie company was very bit,
ter against Dininny for increasing the
wages of his men, even in the slight de
gree reported and reta'ia!ed by raising the
tolls to Buffalo eighty cents on ton o.
coal
1t will be remembered that the
great crime Of the workingmen in the
recent strike consisted in the intimi.
dation of those willing to work at
the reduced rate. This Was done
squarely in the face Of the fact that
The self-same railroad company which
made this plea plausible enough to
engage il its support the puissant
ann of military power had, last
spring, intimidated our coal compan-
les and thereby forced our miners to
90 TO work at fifteen cents per ton les
than their price. But for this arbi-
trary action the companies would, no
doubt, have yielded the price asked,
and the work would have gone on
without interruption. Every fact de-
veloped since goes to prove this. But
the railroad company, having succeed
ed in a0edglmg ITS poorer m aohere 1t had
no business, and with the an1naus 0.
greedy tyranny permeating its whole
system, tried the game Of laying the
last feather on the backs of its owl
faithful, trusted operatives, and the
swift contagion Of resistance to OPP
preston" sped from Baltimore to
Chicago in as quick time as a eight
ming express" to be finally arrested
only by the military arm.
These facts are recited only to show
where such policies lead to. No doubt
the Lehigh Valley railroad company
borrowed the precedent established
by the course and success Of the Bal
timore and Ohio, and we quote fur
Their to show the immediate effect in
that region:
The men who have taken this order OF
the Lehigh Valley company most to heart
are the employees OF the coal companies
that have been conpelledto warn the men
that until ca and freight privileges can be
obtained that their services will not be re-
quired. The entire number are prccipitat-
cd into !. frenzy. The usual steady, honest
hardWorkCr, whose hands have never been
raised against Il fellow being or countenan-
ced the lawlessncss OF destroyers of prop
erty, are ttarfu!ly aeitated Their protests
of being innocent of any participation in
the recent disturbances is recognized by
he business community. The fact that
apital has finally driven them from work
because they have been obtaining meagIe
'dyance has called forth hearty eXpres-
sion of sympathy,7 Those who had been
hoping Tor and encouraging the better ele-
.nclt Of strikers to resume their places in
tue MINES and look TO the corporations and
be, ter times for a generous acknowledge
nent o" fidelity are dishcartened ovel the
order.
Now, let us see how this matter
stands. The Butler, Seneca, Ravine
and Twin collieries" are willing, nay,
ANXIOUS, to go on getting out coal
But the Lehigh Valley railroad com