Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-09-05
STRIKING MINERS.
THE TROUBLE

Zoth TO chicago papers say that rs time
advances trouble appears to thicken.
Night before last a gang of masked men
formed III procession Mt midnight. and
marched to a coal breaker ut Ashley.
about three miles from this city. which
had begun work, and summoned every
miner below OF the night shift to the
surface. As they came up on the car
they were taken in charge, and each
compelled TO take a solemn oath that
he would not 90 to work again. In
many instances the oath was forced at
the point of the pistol, Wher all the
miners were out, the engineer and fire
men We're treated in the same way.
Then the fires below We're drawn and
the pumps stopped.
THE WORK OF INTIMIDATION DID NOT
TOR HERE:
for masked gangs visited the home of
those who worked ON the day shift. and
they were called from slumber and
forced to take the same oath not to re-
turn to work again, under penalty of
death. The pumps were started again
yesterday morning but the miners fear
to go to work.
Last night the Nottingham breaker. at
Plymouth, six miles below this CITY,
the largest breaker in the valley,-was
visited by Il BODY of men. who forced
the engineer and fireman out of the
mine under threats of s~utfocating them
by stopping the fans which supply air
to the chambers below. The engineer.
on arriving at the surface, drew a re-
volver and swore that he would shoot
the first man who interfered with him
IN any way. He was at once knocked
down and cruelty beaten, his revolver
being taken from him at the start. The
fireman promised not to 90 to work
again, and he was set free. This morn
ing the engineer, in a battered and
bruised condition, reported for duty
and went below. Guards of soldiers
have been placed at the breaker to-day,
and no more Interruptions will take
place there while they remain.
1t vas hoped that the recent
REPLY OF III PENNSYLVANIA COAL COM
PANY
to its employees that if a majority Of the
men voted to resumc work the mines
would start up and the July wages be
paid would meet with favor, and idle
ness at PittstOn would cease to-day.
The immense business done by the
Pennsylvania company ver its own
road would, it was thought, if work was
resumed, have the effect of compelling
the Lehigh Valley Railroad company to
take oil the recent enormous advance
OF 50 cents on Il ton of coal to Buffalo,
which the road enforced only last week
after three II four small collieriers had
started. The advance of course COM
PEELED individual operators who had
conceded to the demands of their men
to stop work. This species Of tyranny
RRhtpGs 92Egti iq}h6gi AYfh dL f &hiH9rXSd al E5GSnG Com
nation of all shippers of freight in this
vicinity, and will have the effect of de
stroylng a great deal of local custom and
patronage unless the tariff is reduced.
This morning, according to previous ar
rangement, the miners in the employ
OF the Pennsylvania Coal company held
a meeting at Pittston. All the collier
les were represented.
EACH DELEGATION VOTED SEPARATELY
upon the question of work or no work.
ana the vote was reported by a com
mlttee TO the general meeting. Seven
voted to resume on the company's
terms, and ten we're solid for no work
unless the ten cents advance per ton
was allowed. This will shut up bust
ness at P%lttstOn, and will materially af
feet the whole Wyoming region for an
indefinite period.
NOT STARVING.
II the good people of Chicago imagine
that the miners in this section of the
coal fields are becoming pale and atten-
uated, and that this unhappy condition
of things has been wrought about by
reason of Il lack of nourishment, let
them dissipate such notions at once. for
| can assure you that nobody will suffer
for food here, for at least sixty days to
come. | was over in the neighborhood
OF several idle breakers to-day. They
huge black monsters, rising hun
dreds of feet out Of the ground, with a
tramway leading down hundreds of feet
below. All these breakers, or nearly all, F.,
located right at the foot of the love
hest chain of mountains in this country. (
mean lovely in point of rich and va
rlegated scenery. They overlook, too,
some of the finest and most fertile fields
On Gods green earth.
From the centre of a group of miners
which found myself this morning
could see
THOUSANDS OF GRE OF GROWING CORN.
millions Of cabbages waiting for the
gathcrer, and tons of potatoes to be
away. Do you suppose anybody
5 going. 10 starve while all these good
are lying in barns and cellars
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