Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1881-02-05
OUR CORRESPONDENCE.
FOR WARD-MA RCH.i
FEBRUARY LIST, 1881.
To the Miners Of the Clearfeld Region:

nation OF capital which resisted your
Just demands. You were beateI for
want of proper organization, and
from that date your neck has been
under the heel of the oppressor.
Numbers of your best men were de-
MED the privilege of earning their
daily bread in this boasted land Of
free speech for no other crime but
asking a fair remuneration for their
labor, to enable them to support
themselves and families. You can
not lay the blame upon the Swedes,
but must shoulder the responsibility
yourselves. If you had been proper
ly organized you would have been
working at the price you asked for.
What is your condition now? You
are getting robbed daily in the shape
of the overweight that you are com
PEELED to give since you lost your
check. weighman !; you are endeavor-
ing by your present conduct to break
down the price Ct the labor of the
gen erous-h hearted miners of the Mary
land coal field, who stood by you so
nobly in your struggles with capital.
The roduct of your low-priced labor
and your over weight is coming in
direct competition with theirs in the
eastern markets, thus enabling your
operators to undersell the operators of
the Georges Creek region for the pur-
pose of mining our trade. flask you
que,tion-who is reaping the bene-
fit brought about by this state of az
fairsp Wow I'll L.o" The ansWer-lt
IL the consumers and your truck Jew
stores. Are you willing to continue
to Cypress your bodies and degrade
yourselves below the dignity of man
hood for the benefit of the consumer
and money shark? For one, cannot
believe it, knowing, as | do, large
number of good and true men in the
Clearfeld region,
Brother miners of Clearfeld, take
an example from your fellow-minera
OF Maryland who, by their united
action, have been able to keep their
price and have other grievances re-
dressed. You can have the same il
you will only organize and act in
unity with them. They are willing
to give you all the assistance that is
in their power. Your interests are
our interests. There is a living for
us all if We will only act together.
We are combined at this end Of the
line, and by your actions you are
doing everything in your power to
break our ranks. You have nothing
to gain by this but everything to
lose.
The narrow belt of tie bituminoue
coal field that supplies the eastern
market is extending from
Clearfeld through Maryland into
West Virginia, Clearfeld and Mary
land furnishing eighty per cent. Of
the whole amount sent to this market.
The miner that does not see that all
that is wanted is united action with
both regions to get a fair price for our
labor, must be blind and does not
want to see. The miners of those
two sections have only to regulate
the supply to the demand, then we
will got living rates and the compa-
MES good dividends, which they are
Justly entitled to. This can be &C.
complished by us becoming united.
The great evil that has crushed
mining down the last twenty i've
years has been working TOO long ours
and therely producing too much coal.
Common sense ought to teach every mi
ner that the coal trade is governed by
the same principles that governs other
branches of business. When there is
more produced than consumed the
product will lose lis value, and it is
impossible fer either the miner or
operator to get what they ought to
have. We have only TO look ct the
example set forth to us by the middle
men, who make money out of what
they term handling coal" Those
men go to their Offices at 9 o'clock
a. m, and leave them at 8 p. m. Why
is the miner compelled TO work ten
and twelve hours in the bowels of the
earth, straining every nerve in his
body to earn enough to support his
family in the humblest manner ?
The one is able to clothe and educate
his children by six hours attention to
making out bills Of lading the others
family often feels the pangs of hunger