Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-10-17
THENIINERS' STRIKE.
The Views of Workers and
Owners.

The miners OF many OF lle Coil HllLto
in this vicinity went out on strike
Yesterday, as was anticipated, and a
REGISTER enquirer went out after them
10 learn their views on the matter. a
group was found, on the corner OF
Wood and Seventeenth streets, discus
sing the situation, and the REGISTER
man was quickly put in possession oil
all OF the points.
In most of the mines, a digger is
paid 80 cents per car, and can pro-
badly average cars per day the
year around, if his health and strength
hold out. This makes an average OF
Sl.4O day, and out of this he must pay
for his tools, oil and powder. This in
formation was quickly volunteered"
"What do you want?" We asked.
eve want the coal cars measured and
we want two cents Tor every bushel we
send out"
"What do your cars hold?
"The bosses say % bushels, but We
know they hold from 294 to 81" a
statement which was afterwards veri-
fed. AS this was said, we made hur-
ried mental calculation and found, that at
2cents per bushel, allowing 80 bushels
to a car, the miner would make $40 a
day, or an increase OF 81 %.
ave can scarcely make decent living
at present prices and want a change,
said the speaker, who had worked at
Mckinley x McCormick's mine. There
will be a meeting tonight, and l am
delegate from our mine.
NTS the strike general 2'
1T is, or it will be. The rest Of them
will come out tomorrow, as soon as we
decide what to do at the meeting to-
night
We started for Manchester TO pump
some Of the owners, and were fortunate
enough to meet Mr.. Kimberly on the
way.
II won't say word until you come
10 my office and look the figures. Ii
| am to be put down on paper, want to
be properly represented"
We followed to his office and were
soon deeper into the mysteries OF
mining than falls to the lot OF ordinary
mortals. Mr.. Kimberly, besides being
a large coal dealer, has numerous bond
ed contracts about the city and any
movement would be OF unusual
interest to him. He furnishes coal 10
the water works at $40 cwt. and the
Mcclure House and Female College at
equally low rates. He began:
1.-THE difference between my works and
others, is that | waste nothing. |
sell all my slack to the hinge and
tack factories, oil refinery and other
places. Some of the slack that other
men throw away burn into cCke. You
see | own my own coal, and cannot al
ford to lose anything. These men who
lease their mines pay royalty on the
coal they take out, and do not care"
We had been told that kimberly's
men made more money than the others,
and asked the reason.
"There are two reasons. In the first
place my men load every thing but slate
and copper rock on the cars, and get
paid for everything that comes out. In
the other banks the men have TO throw
their slack back out OF the way
and get nothing for II.
Another reason is this: In my rooms
the men dig out wider and as the coal
falls in larger masses it does some Of his
work and saves digging. In other mines
the rooms are dug out narrow and re-
quire more work in proportion to the
yield"
"What do you pay?'
II pay 80 cents per car, and my men
average 81 60 a day"
Here he took down an account book
and exhibited the wages made by some
of his men. Martin O'COnnell, who is
said TO be one of the best miners in the
neighborhOOd, for the past six
months has averaged 81 cars per
dav, or Sl.65. Jimmy MulrOy has ave-
ragged five cars. His partner, Neill
COnley, including February, in which
he did not work aday, made an average
of four cars.
eli there is any man who works for
what he makes, it is a coal digger, and l
am not the man to keep them down."
"What will you do if the men persist
in their demand?'
"pd rather not answer that ques-
ton, and had rather you wouldn't ask
it?"
"Have your men notified you?"
"Not yet, they will to-night?'
"Have your drivers struckP
"No indeed. The men who drive my
carts get 50 and $40 a week, and are
satisfied. To those who own carts and
haul for me, pay so much a load"
This closed the interview, land now"
said Mr.. Kimberly, "if you will come
with me will take you into the mine
and show you just how we get out our
coal"
Down In Coal Mine.
Suiting the action to the word, he
called a driver, and in few moments
an empty car, hooked to lively looking
young mule, was in readiness. Several
little teapot lamps" were distributed