The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-02-09
MINING MATTERS.
Troubles at Pittsbursh-Employ Of
Belgian Miners.

| Troubles nj acknowledgements Q
Belgian Miners.
PITTSBURGH, February From presen
indications it appears certain that tn
only idle coal region in the immediate
vicinity Of the city (the Pan Handle pits
will resume operations next week, ant
that the days OF uncomfortable scarcity o
coal are about ended. At q meeting o
miners to-day at Walkers mines, on the
Pan Handle Road, resolution was
adopted whereby the diggeB agreed 10 cul
loose from all alliance with prominent
strikers and go to work on Monday at q
compromise Of three and a half cents, an
advance Of half cent on the old rates.
A prominent railroad man of the Pan
Handle states that OF the nineteen pits on
the road, work was going on in thirteen,
and that the other six, preparations were
being made, 80 that all would be in by
Monday or Tuesday.
Information Is also had to the effect that
Secretary Jones has made his head.quar-
ters at Mansfield, and is doing what he
can to stem the tide that is so strongly set
ting against him and other ultra suppor-
tiers OF four cents or no work. A little
strike is reported at Hebras Elfn, Wild
Station, Pine Greek. 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
furnacemen say that they can getanthracite
coal, and will not pay any more advance
for coal here. The average rise in the past
six months has been about 7S per cent on
the price OF running. The operators offer
ed q sliding scale, based on the selling
price OF coal at Sharpsville, but the miners
demanded q scale based on the price OF
pig.iron. Why this should be so no rea-
sonable 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 seventy cents per ton in four.ioot coal,
proportionately larger for smaller veins.
An ordinary miner can take out from four
TO five tons with the assistance OF a boy,
thus earning from g so to s. 80 per day,
ii he will work.
The coke.region strike continues. This
morning conference Of the coke manu-
facturers was held with Mr.. Rosenberg,
the representative OF the firm Of Peter
Wright & Co., who proposed to fill the
places OF the striking operatives with Bel
gians, who would pay their own way to
the mines. The result ol the conference
was an agreement to employ five hundred
Belgians, who agree to work for less than
the present wages, and who will bring
their families with them and pay all ex.
penses. They are prepared TO contractfo
one year or more. While this conclusion
has been reached by the manufacturers, 1t
is questionable whether the experiment
will succeed. Theimportation OF laborers
in large bodies has never met the expecta-
tions Of those who resorted to such meas.
ures, and it is hardly probable that any
better 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-fve cents to s. and
s. % per ton on cars on the ovens.