The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-08-24
LABOR'S SUSPENSE.
The Golfers of the Lehigh Region
Joining the Strikers.
LOSSES AT PITTSBURG.
Operators Said To Be SchemIng to Ad-
vance the Price OF Coal
RUIN AND RIOT.

CONDITION OF sroBEKgEPEns AND OTHERS IN
WnKxsuARRE, Pa, August %, 1871
The situation bore and In neighborhood may DO
said 70 remain unchanged. Such as have any work,
and they arc few, comparatively speaking since the
mines have stopped. with their usual avocatons
The farmers and 70 TO and nom tho town seins
their products and purchasing what they require
soldiers regulars and militia walk the streets and
fratern,ze with the little crowds of workingmcn that
collect ut the street and in the beer Saloons
and not few OF the military by the by, drink more
than In good for them and find themselves In the
morning either in the city or camp lookup, officers arc
riding or driving hither aud hther with the bellies OF
WiIkesbarre, for whose special delectation the fine
band of Twenty second regulars occasionally turns
out IN tho evening to serenado them Thus, to the
observer all quiet and tho business OF the town
seems 10 be moving along about usual But
examination below the upper and superficial current
OF affairs reveals q coalition that Is deplorable and
which bring about very serious results
Men OF large means and vast property find themselves
to-day in positions from which nothing but tho imme-
date assistance Of wealthy friends extrcate them.
Their coal mines are not Iproducng, whilo large
pensos connected with them still TO be met
Engineers at tho pumps a large force OF wachmen,
clerks, supernendcnts, mino bosses and many others
must be paid There Is insurance too which Is large
item, and the feed OF the mine mules idle makes
expense to DO sneexod at 1t is we'll known that
for year more past, few If any of the mine oper-
aors have been making money while the
majority have been losing it.. Still tho
money that came in from the sale OF their coal
helped to pay back Indebtedness and new
kept ahoat Now these notes falling due,
and the operators without funds 10 pay o
percentage on their notes and again renew them.
What, then, they dor The answer is met with
hourly the disturbed faces Of the operators here
and in their movements as they hasten TO New York
or Philadelphia to raise, If possible, the necessary
funds They feeling tho strike in that most ten
der oil places, the pocket, and, although the miners
sre, many of them, without anything but Just suti
sent to keep body and soul together. they md soace
In watching their late employers or, perhaps gloating
over their diff uties.
sroIILNG TAX EGYPTIANS
II cannot be doubted that tho striking miners have
eon systematically 10 work TO "spoil the Egyptians
When, in March, the last heavy deduction made
from their earnings they made ouicry aud did not
refuse work. but quietly about preparing for
day whom tho tables should be turned and the shoe OF
distress be placed the other foot. 10 this they
secured credit at the smaller Stores and the propre
tors thereof, unmndful OF tho long striKe Of 1872
whom they trusted the miners, and nine cases out
Df ten afterward collected from them cent
therefor, gave them credit Not large indvidu-
ally 70 any one man, but in the aggregate amounting
TO more than many OF the merchants could afford
lose. Until the strike came these merchants continue
10 receive little cash from their miner patrons and
IKE the large coal Operators n, they could With
moro goods by paying small percentage
down. To-day the propr,e.ors and clerks
scarcely miner pays them visit. Those are IN
debt to them may be divided into two casscs-those
who would pay they could and those who could pay
tunate in having sickness death In their amilios
which has Helped up their wages or may have
large family to support The latter arc Systematic
scoundrels, who have gone into the credit swinde
purpose 10 .sbeat, the merchants such have often
quite little hoard saved by, and this they
spending at such stores sell only for cash. There
still another class who have obtained credit at the
stores, and who have perhaps few dollars left have
occurred little money by tue sale OF household effects,
watches, &c. They keep away from the merchants
who nave trusted them, as the little cash they have
needed Tor the immediate support OF themselves and
their families they tear that the merchants would
make them pay the old bills they gave them
goods. That they cannot do, and tho credit stores
stand empty and the cash ones are filled.
RESULTS.
IL do, 9 not take much figure what the result
must be. Already the collectors ana IN many cases
the proprietors of large houses OF New York ana
Philadelphia are coming here to look after their in
tercsts. One of these informs me that he with
claims against eight merchants here and has many
moro TO look alter next week when their notes which
he holds fall due. OF the eight, he Informs me, nc
finds that tive are utterly worthless, while The remain
ing three put evil day by obtaining indorse-
ments to their notes Tor sixty days more To-day, as
far as my informant ascertain the indorscrs
perfectly good what they viii be whom the notes
fall due none can tell month ago my informant
cons dered every OF his debtors here good their
accounts ten times and over, yet out that
they have been trusting to the miners and
LETT In The lurch by them. Is but right say that
the business OF the house Of my informant is consd
cred the worst one Tor credit purposes 1t is thai Of
underwear, such as miners shirts and drawers heavy
stockings, waterproof goods, &c. such articles
necessaries TO the miners, who must have thcm to
keep of the rheumptIsm produced by their work. But
shey are the last things paid Tor, and the average
miner giories in cheating merchant out Of such arti
nes Particularly so has II been since March, when
The long headed and most INSCRIPTIONS ones quietly
lao IN good supply OF wearing apparel on credit
saved their ready cash to purchase goods Tor
their lnsldcs now that the hard times
have arrived Next to the above business
ranks boots and shoes, or indeed, they
may be said TO be about equal in bong articles that
must DO obtained, but which are the last paid for.
collector OF a Philadelphia boot aud shoe house
here says that his patrons here about bad q
state those in the shirt anu stocking line. They
have trusted their goods and no whistle their
money. The hardware merchants are as a rule, SOL
vent their trade Is more with builders and farmers
than with the miners. Picks and shovels sold by
them to the miners, but, rule the latter obtain
these articles when they need them from the stores of
their mine employers and have them deducted from
their pay The dry goods merchant are heavy suffer
by giving crcdt, but their trade not confined TO
the miners, ana 1t Is believed tnpt most Of them can
pull through the present crIss As for the grocery
aud provision merchants those who have given credit
are feeling the strike terribly, while those who refused
II are doing we'll II does not require much smart
ness walk through the streets OF this city Of an
evening and pick the credit from the cash stores.
During the past week many Of the mines have had
their pay day, and the miners nave received such
small sums as have been earned by them. Perhaps
this all the money they Will Tor many weeks,
snd they expend II to the best advantage. Al least
the wise and prudent Will do SO but | regret to say
That large number have spent their money in
carousing, seeming to have no care where their next
meal vii! como from. The careful seek out the
where the proprietors have n reputation for
selling strictly for cash. and by dong enabled to
BUY their goods TO better advantage and sell at lower
prices than their credit brethren. With such they
lei nd cash nj fn
business who the 'credits" have customers For
the latter have learned that the average |
miner has no objection TO paying big profits to
MS merchant, provided always one months pay |
overaps another, and be Is thus enabled, for ono |
mouth at least, the Of his pay Tor Spree SICK
ness, funeral or perhaps some ianccd pleasure. |
NOW MAT the credit merchant wants cash from HIM |
ne nnds That he can do better elsewhere.
kuN STARING MERCHANTS FACE.
with desire TO get at the bottom facts your CORE