Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-02-09
THE IRON CITY.
BACKBONE OF THE MINERS STRIKE
BROKEN.
Operators Considering a Proposition to
fiI the Places Of the Strikers
With Foreign Labor.

PITTSBURGH, February From pres
ent indications it appears certain that
the only idle coal region in the immedl-
ate vicinity OF the city (the Pan Handle
pits) will resume operations next week,
AMI that the days of uncomfortable
scarcity OF coal are about ended. At a
meeting of miners to-day at Walkers
mines, on the Panhandle road, reso-
luton was adopted whereby the dig.
gers agreed to cut loose from all alliance
with prominent strikers and 90 to work
on Monday at compromise of three
and hall cents, an advance oil
hall cent on the old rates. At present
nearly all OF the pits have started up. A
prominent railrod man OF the Pan-llan-
die states that of the nineteen pits on
the road work was going on in thirteen,
aud that at the other six preparations
for resumption were being made, so
that all would be in by Monday or
Tuesday.
Information IS also had to the effect
that Secretary Jones has made his head
quarters at Mansfield, and is doing what
he can to stem the tide that is SO strong
lv setting against him and other ultra
supporters of iour cents or no work. A
little strike is reported at Hebras Eltin,
Wild Station, Pine Creek. The men
are out for four cents. Advices from
Sharpsyille, in the ShenangO Valley, are
that the miners still stand shoulder to
shoulder, but the iurnacemen say that
they can yet anthracite coal, and Will
not pay any more advance for coal here.
The average rise in the past six months
has been about 73 per cent. on the price
of running. The operators offered II
sliding scale, based on the selling price
OF coal at Sharpsville, but the miners de-
manded scale based on the price OF
pig-iron. Why this should he so no
reasonable man can see, as nearly two
thirds of the coal mined in this district
is shipped TO the Erie docks for
sale. The basis now is sew
entv cents per ton in fOur-foot coal, and
proportionate larger Tor smaller veins.
An ordinary miner can take out from
four To five tons with the assistance of a
hoy, thus earning from $3.50 10 $3.50
per day, ii he will work.
The coke regions strike continues,
This morning conference OF the coke
manufacturers was held with Mr.. Ro-
senberg, the representative OF the firm
of Peter Wright 4 Co., who propose to
fill the places of tue striking operatives
with Belgians who would pay their own
way 10 the mines, The result of the
conference was an agreement to employ
five hundred Belgians, who agree
To work iOr less than the pres
ent wages, who will bring their
families with them and pay all
expenses. They are prepared To con-
tract for the year or more. While this
conclusion had been reached by the
manufacturers, II IL questionable
whether the experiment will succeed
The importations OF laborers in large
bodies has never met the expectations
of those who resorted to such measures,
and il is hardly probably that any bet
ter success will be met with in the
present case. The coke district miners
ask an advance from thirty TO forty
cents per wagon, and the drawers also
demand an increase, but they base their
demand ON the fact that the price OF
coke has been enhanced from eighty
five cents to s. and s. % per ton on
ears on the ovens.