Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-08-29
Striking Miners.
ovrR 10000 MEN VOLUNTARILY IDLE IN
GREAT COAL REGIONS.

toined a doubt that the final struggle of
he striking problem will be continued,
fought out, and decided in the eastern
anthracite coal regions. The initiative
move was made in the L~ackawanna
valley, where
TWENTY THOUSAND MEN
are now and have been for weeks idle
m an unrequited demand for 25 per
cent. advance on the wages ruling in
Inly. This disatfection has reached the
wyoming region. The employees of the
W~ilkesbarre coal and iron company,
Numbering several thousand, the Lehigh
Valley railroad coal miners, numbering
also.upward of three thousand, in CON
nection with several thousand employees
nf what are understood rs small com
nanies. have maintained a determined
attitude for weeks. All the hopes of
the business men hang upon the allie
rance of the Pennsylvania coal con
nanv's men to their employers.
A PROPOSITION FROM Til COMPANY
seeking an expression of the sentiment
of the employees as to their willingness
to resume, was met to-day i'll Il public
meeting of some three thousand miners
and laborers, and an emphatic refusal
was the response given back to the COM
panv. This throws upon the streets as
oilers no less than four thousand males.
and double the number of hungry
mouths that must find food, and that
too Immediately, or the fearful cries of
a mob demanding bread will reverDe-
ate through our valley. To-day the
meeting of miners was three times in
terrupted by
FEARFUL PLEAS OF OLD MINERS,
asking the privilege of resuming work at
the schedule under the last reduction.
Women with their infants, and children
scarce able to understand the
situation, pleaded with the men
to continue work at the COM
pany's offer. Men of reason and mer-
chants encouraged the proposition for
continued industrial activity, but when
the vote was counted, just thirteen-six-
teenths of the entire representation re-
solved to strike for an increase of some
% per cent. on the wages of July. The
meeting then dispersed and marched in
squads through the streets,
SHOUTING VICTORY
and evidently determined to resist any
opposition of capital. There is at this
writing a rumor that the Pittsburg Coal
Company will join in the general at
tempt to coerce capital. The merchants
are holding a meeting, the subject-mat-
ter of discussion being the question Of
extending further credit to the striking
miners. There is no doubt that the de-
cision will be in the negative. If so, the
most squalid poverty will follow a pro-
longed strike.
II NUMBER INCREASES.
A Wilkesbarrc dispatch of the Dist
inst. states that, fully five thousand
miners have been added to the idle
thousands i'll this region to-day. Last
week the Pennsylvania Coal company
ut Pittston, where the men had been
idle for a short time by reason of the
destruction of a head house on the COM
pany's gravel road, which interfered
with the shipment of coal, proposed to
their employees that they should 90 to
work on the July wages and bind them
selves not to ask for higher wages unless
the other large companies in this region
make an advance. 1t was known that
the other companies would do just as
the Pennsylvania company did, and the
men employed by the latter felt highly
lncensed at the proposition. This morn
ing a very large meeting was held at the
mines at Pittston, and only fifty out Of
thousands agreed to go to work under
the proposition. Before adjourning the
men agreed not to go to work at all UNI
less the company gave them
AN ADVANCE OF TEN PEI CENT
on the July wages without any contin-
gency, This action will virtually close
all mining operations Of any account in
this vicinity. The several collieries that
had a small supply of coal at various
points when the strike began have sold
It all and not a pound remains. The
Delaware and Hudson are shipping
small quantities from H%onesdale, but
tins will probably be stopped in a day
or two, All reports that the miners
here are in n starving condition are
false. The have regularly organized
bands out securing the country in all
directions, and these are daily bring
ing IN large quantities of provisions,
that are being stored at several points
IN the county.
THE FARMERS K COMPLAINING BITTERLY,
and threaten to meet the invaders with
powder and shot if the demands do not
cease. The men imagine that the
operators will be forced into an acqui-
cScence of their demands should
9%chuyIkill county keep to work. They
think hat the fear of Governs getting
control Of the coal markets will compel
the companies in the county now idle