Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1881-04-09

guilty as the thief, ask now can the
Clearfeld operator clear his skirts 81
this wholesale system of plundering
and robbing labor Of its just dues. |
saw clothing bought for nine dollars
cash and fou: teen dollars was charged
for the same snit paid with store or
ders. But this is called business,
vi ich means in plain English in this
case, baro-faced lot berry, or, in other
words, the purchaser with the store
order was cheated out of FIVE dollars
which lie divided between Shylock
and the operator.
In FORMULATING the streets of
Houtzdale with my business eye upon
these shaving shops was stlongly
reminded of the words in Holy Writ ::
Where the carcass is there will the
eagles be gathered together" There
is great deal Of indignation mani
est ed against the British government
by our people for its coercion policy
toward the Irish race, and justly too /;
but here are two counties, Centre and
Clearfeld, in our peighboring State
the great republican and keystone
State of the Union-where mechanics,
tradesmen and laborers are debarred
from combining together for their
mutual aid and protection in this
boosted land of freedom and anti
coercion. There are number OF
miners in those two counties that are
blacklisted and denied the privilege
of working for the support of their
families, the only crime against them
is the expression of their opinions
Immortal spirit of Penn look down
upon the civil and inherent liberties
Of the people in the State founded by
you and view the change since you
left this lower sphere of existence.
Just before leaving Houtzdale |
met John Whitehead, the largest coal
operator in the region, and also An
drew Spier, the superintendent, both
old Maryland miners. Mr.. White
head had learned at Osceola that
there was an emissary in the region
from Maryland for the purpose OF
getting up strike. Upon reaching
his mines he learned from Mr.. Spier
that it was your humble correspond
ent, SO he quickly came to the con-
clusion that | was not upon such a
mission, and regretted very much that
I had been made a victim of suspi-
cion. Asking me what | thought
about the coal field and its workings,
I denounced the truck-store system
in stronger language than perhaps |
ought to and appealed to him as a
miner if he thought it was right. He
frankly admitted that it was curse
to the entire community and also
informed me that he had been offered
eight per ceat. and a bonus Of two
thousand dollars for his orders, but
knowing that it had to be made out
of the goods sold lie refused it. He
keeps a store at his mines for the ac-
commodatlon of his men, selling his
goods at reasonable profits, and often
pave out from five hundred to thou
sand dollars cash between pay days
to his employees. feel certain that
if an effort was made by the miners
of Clearfeld, under the present cir
cumstance,, the dealers in dead men 3
clothes could be put on their IYhmael-
itish pill rimage to the Land of Pales-
tine.
AS this letter is getting too long |
will deer my observations upon the
mixed population of Houtzdale and
the future prospects of the Clearfeld
coal region until The next issde Of the
JOURNAL. Thomas BROWN.