The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-08-20
IN THE COAL FIELDS.

IN THE COAL FIELDS.
CONTINUATION OF THE CoNTEsr-sCRANTONs
DIFFICULTY scHUYLKILLs OPPORTUNITY
THE FARMERS OF LUzERNE COUNTY FEEDING
SCRANTON, Pa, August IS, 1877.
"Therc il no moro signs Of the men returning to
work now" said Intelligent miner to me today,
''than there when tho strike first declared,
and every day that passes by only strengthens the men
their determination to stand out 10 the death" My
in ormaut formerly worked for the Delaware, Lpcka-
aud Western Railroad Company. but now as
ssts in conducting the miners relief store in Hyde
Park extensive depot Tor receiving and distributing
PROVISIONS The idea was conceived among tho miners
themselves the first week of the strike that II thcy
would be successful in the present struggle they
must feed the poorest In their ranks, md as
hundreds OF men were in immediate need II
would require ordinary amount Of provisions
to them from starvation. Accordingly the relief
store became u fact, and since then q steady
stream Of provisions of all kinds has poured The
farmers have been unusually generous, and In many
instances have invited the men TO dig and carry OF
whole patches OF potatoes 'fhe famous esculont are
plentiful this year" they say land If the poor have
no money to buy them they'll rot our hands any.
how, so you may well have them.' Tho result is
that nobody in Hyde Park need 20 short OF potatoes,
and corn, cabbage and other vegetables are equally
plentiful The storekcepers are doing hardly any
business The miners living charity and charity
IS poor storekeeper that by old and sub.
santia business retiring Father thar face the
ruin which they in the coming winter. Bank
ruptcy aud bcggary dictate the handwriting on the
wall and famine will without DOUBT stalk through the
coal regions in all her gaunt deiormily. Those
who live outside the region cannot appreciate
the DEPTH severity and sincerity OF the present strug
gle. Its like has never been inaugurated here and
the common prayer among tho people Is that they
will It's like again 1t is fierce, I'M cnsc, bit
ter. The lines are rgldy drawn. The friends of tho
corporations and the friends oil the poor arrayed
themselves on their respective sides.
THE SCRANTON BATTALION
Among the corporation officials and clerks the CON-
pany store men and their employees, battalion has
been formed-the Scranton Battalion-and the work.
ingmcn look upon IL with intense disgust and dsfa
They regard 1t as organization gotten up ex-
pressly shoot down workingmen whenever tnoy
shall ask for the just remuneration OF their TOLL and,
10 show that their suspicious we'll founded they
point to the fact that there is not single working
man-so caed-in the ranks. The battalion has
just received full supply OF Remington
rifles and is now eady to check any
d. monstraive miners that shall dare 10
march procession through the town. 1t is deemed
crime. py TIE way, lOr the miners oil this place 10
march in orderly procession. and their meetings are
called mobs. The announcement OF II miners meeting
coming of anywhere in the suburbs Is enough set
men on the top Of every company sore and Office
town With spy glasses To what The meeting looks
Ike II II scat, rs ut the close there is dagger but
II the members attempt anything like q march in
column come IN any considerable body toward
town the telegraph Is set IN motion from 51icc to
Office, and each company lrots out It's quo Of vigil
iants
WORK IN THE MINES
The coal shipments Of the LacKawanna res, On-which
includes The Delaware and Hudson Canal Company,
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Com
pany, and Pennsy wanna Coal COMPUTATION the past
week present bank as compared with l2d,6o3 tons
sent by the Philadelphia and Reading Company IRON
the Scnuykill region Al n time IKE tnis, wnen the
approach OF winter makes struggle Ior control OF the
market hec.ssty, such record Tor the Lnskawanna
region us against that OF IT'S formidable Schuylkil rival
Is especially humiliatiDg and not at all desirable
Franklin h. Gowen, president OF the Philadelphia aud
Reading Railroad Company, has got the other compa-
MES just where lie wants them, and they rely
1t, he IS gong 10 improve the opportunity as best he
can, and as only lie knows how 10 improve II. WbyY
A lew months ago, the Philadelphia ana Reading Rail-
road Company, while struggling with the qualifications
OF secret societies throughout It's own baiwick, made
overtures throngn It's president to the other
companies for a combination. The "othcr cOmpa-
Philadelphia and Reading Railroad was at low water,
and II lett TO stand on It's own legs would shortly col
lapse Visions OF II "rccevei' and all that the term
uples loomed up before the eyes VI the long hcaied
gentlemen VINO 'ri on the dcstinies of the other
panes, aud they SAID 1--WE viii have combination
But" said Franklin Is. Gowen, 'scc the bcneiiL OF
having prices and production regulated by IA system
Let Us poor the couccrn have one man TO sell the
coal 80 that We can't cheat each Other and then Tor
less coal We can make more money. We pay the
miners less wages make them worK less time and get
higher prices from the CITY Tor our Gusky diamondg
lie may not have used these exact wods but this
his meaning Hts proposition was met by the answer
that IA combination was unpopular, the press would
howl and the people would growl ana tic thing would
BURST But This was not iheir real reason.
Their real reason was, "Ah Mr. i. Is. G., we We got
you III tight place and we'll keep you there. No SOM
bnatlonln 1his Mr.. Gowen OWNED. anu he suilcd
for "Merric England" 10 raise tho money. Learning
that his mission was about 10 prove Il success, tho
other companies presidents ncd meeting, and,
strange To say, came 10 the CONCLUSION that com
bination" the ouly remedy 10 save the anthracite
trade from rum fney accordingly photographed to Mr.
Gowen England tho effect tUat they nai dccid cd
adopt his plan, with slight notifications and only
waited his reply 10 make the compact He elegraphed
he had written letter setting iorlh ms views
the subject 1t that the ctter would favor
the project, but II has not yet been received Mr..
Gowen has been back from Europe Tor some time
but that aDxiousy awaited letter has not yet turned
up. No combination has been or vs. likely TO he
effected. MIR. Gowen says "GcntlcmcD, when was
eager tor combination you relied too much on your
own strength ana gave It the cold shoulder Now Pm
strong; tho Philadelphia and Reading has been 'braced
up und don't want any combination in mine. "
THE IDLE MINERS
The desperation of The Mie miners Is something
which be described Tbcy are banded together,
and although the Cummuuistic teachings have Yet
odnd no place Ia their doctrines there Is no Know
ins what hunger and penury may prompt should
the coming winter he allowed to blow us emil breath