The New York herald., 1877-03-23
WINTER WANT AND SUFFERING.
Baleful Influence Of the
Molly Maguires.
LOW PRICES AND LOWER WAGES
RuniOred Terrible DestitutiOn in the
Wyoming Basin.

PoTTsvLLE, March 22, 1871
rhs anthracite coal region oil Northeastern Penn
sylvania 10 divided into four great basins-nanely
the southern, the Shanokin aud Mahanoy, the Lehigh
aud the W; oming basins Tho 400 coIlories operated
IN them employ 60 900 yield 23 OOO 900 of
coal year Most OF tho collicres aud coal lands
passed long ago the control OF powerful railroad
and transportation lines tributary to New YORK and
Philadelphia. The Delaware aud Hudson Cansl Com
pany tho Delaware Lackawarna and Western Railroad
Company, the Pennsylvania Coal Company, tho Lehigh
Coal and Navigation Company and the Philadelphia
and Reading Coal and Iron Company have io- years
been the principal operators IN the region, debating
wages to miners and prices to consumers, and acce
Grating rctardng the production OF coal by general
or partial agreement
The interests and necessities OF the CO. 900 employees
Of the coicries and their families caused them to
adopt various OF selfproect,on. Miners as
sociations and labor unions formed anu funds
subscribed bridge fluctuations of pay and lapscs
Of em ployment. Strikes organized from time TO
tie checking the production Of coal and sending up
price, the profit OF the monopolios and resulting
In no permanent advantage to the miners.
MOLLY MAGUIREs
About one-half the miners employed are OF mixed
nalities-Amcrcans, Germans. Wclshmen, Eng.
lshmen and Swedes Tho rest Irishmen, and,
although the majority OF this latter class industr
Gus and lawfully disposed, they tolerated for more
than twenty years the organization known the
Molly Magures This terrible band, which
spoLsb!e for the worst outbreaks and crimes in the
coal region, held threo-fourths OF all the miners and
their bosses under terrorism TO which Is traceable
most that Is bad and pable in the condition of the
mining population to-day. Through the exertions,
principally, OF Franklin Gowcn. President Of the
Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company and the
Philadelphia Coal and Iron Company, tho history
aud deeds OF the organization were at last uncovered
In Trench's "Realities of Irish Lifc' is account
OF the Ribbonmen Of Ireland. They sprang up at
time when most OF the landowners were non.resi.
dent, and when there organized resistance to
the payment OF rents Thor objects to intmi-
date tho agents of tho landowners and the constabes
and bal.ns who aided them in collecting dues. Asa
branch of this society sprang the Molly Magures, the
name arising from this circumstance, that when per-
petratng their offences they dressed as women and
generally ducked beat their victims, or inflicted
some other punishment which infuriatcd women
would administer. Exactly when or how this society
came to this country is not known It has been sdeL-
titled here branch OF the Ancient Order OF Hber-
mans, whose headquarters In New York city and
whose members distributed over every State and
Territory OF the Union The national delegate and tho
president reside in Now York, aud understood to
receive advice and instruction from the Board OF
Erin IN ireland. Each State has an organization;
there separate county organizations and separate
district organ In the several counties In no
part OF tho United States however did the members
OF the Ancient Order OF Hibernians take upon them
selves prerogatvcs and addict themselves to the
practices which have distinguished the Molly Maguircs
OF the anthracite coal basins Bound together by oaths
and by mutual knowledge Of mutual crimes the Molly
Magurcs usually abe to secure work at good
wages while other miners wero half dle or starving.
They dealt with the the colliories, who
induced to give the Moes the pick OF what printers
would call the fat jobs. Tho easiest Jobs always
went to these men: or, when such jobs were not so
assigned, the boss was invariably warned The warn.
ing came TO him IN a shape like this:-