National Republican., 1882-04-29
IN THE COAL MINES.
The strike i'm the Cumberland Regions
aud the Cauae OF IL.

Special to THE REPUBLICAN.
LoNAcoNINo, April 27.-Your correspondent ar
rived here this morning via the Georges Creek
and Cumberland Railroad for the purpose Of lis
tenlng TO the story of the miners as 1t ia told by
the agents Of the coal companies aud the miners
themselves, and to draw his own conclusions, as
II he were some philosopher who had devoted the
best years of his life In solution OF the problem.
The strike commenced In the Cumberland region
which embraces the counties of Allegany and
Garrett, in Maryland and Mineral in West vir-
ginia, on March 10, aud there does not at present
seem TO be any indication Of its termination. The
miners up to that date had been getting--during
the past twelve months-sxty-fiv cents per ton
for digging COAL which is fifteen cents per ton
more than that received by the ClearGeld miners.
The companies refused to give more than fifty
cents per ton hence the strike which throws three
thousand miners out of work, and costs Allegany
County
TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS PER DAY.
There have been reports freely circulated in vari-
Gus papers to the state of affairs in the Georges
Creek coal region during the suspension OF work
at the mines. ! see that some papers have been
informed by their respective correspondents that
that the men indulge in Intoxicating drink to
excess driving their wives and children TO the
woods and in the streets In despair, and that mer.
chants are endeavoring to get saloon. keepers to
sell no liquor to the lnboring men connected with
the mines Now. allow me to say that suoh is pot
region as a class are sober, industrious, honest,
cool headed men, and Intelligence seems TO be u
natural development with them.
80 FAR AS A STRIKE IS CONCERNED,
the miners claim that 1t is a one-dded affair.
They say the miners have not struck; but, on the
other hand, the companies have struck FOR lower
wages. The miners refused to accept the reduc-
tion, and, consequently, work has been snS-
pended The companies claim that II is not an
unjust demand In asking for reduction In wages
and advanced this theory as their argument, that
other coal fields are producing In the Eastern mar
kets coal ip quality equal 70 that mined in this
region at lower figure than they can produce in
case they pay siXtyfve cents per ton for digging,
thereby entailing 10 them a losj they claim, un-
less coal is mined IN our region for fifty cents
Competition, they win not resume work during
the coming summer. In addition to the demand
PoR A REDUCTION IN MINING
they also request the miner to work twelve hours
fore arguing that il the miners accede to their do
mands they can carry their coal 10 the Eastern
markets, aud thereby compete with other compa-
miners. The town has population of about 4 900.
In this region they are, as rule men of far more
intelligence than the average laboring men; and
more than this, are men who, in many II not In a
majority of instances, have homes Of their own
and a neat little, nest egg in the bank,
resident; here. Some OF them have lived here for
twenty five years or more, and the migratory class
Is but small factor in this mining. community.
IL Is, perhaps, more on account of their stability
and permanency that they are so
SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR sTRIKE5
which haye become 30 frequent of late years that
season like the last without one was a novelty
of these coal companies for the cause of these
troubles, and he WIN tell you instantly that 1t Is
s e mne1 G she s So %
with one or two exceptions belongs. Turn around
and ask the miners for the cause, and, with exhi.
tell you that II is nothing but the greed of the
coal companies; who, they claim, have nothing
which IN any way beers the smallest s ssssSmSlaRee
state Of apparent
HARMONY BxIsTs HERE
among the miners and their employers. A strike
does not take on the nature Of light, and there is
rarely any demonstration. II is purely 10 would
seem, matter Of business in which, rs q rule, the
miners. working through the medium Of this ter
ribly powerful, but undemonstrauve, Knights of
Labor, come out at far the biggest end ofthe horn
Take last season for example. The miners began
work at fifty cents per ton, which was an increase
season. They struck, by order OF the association,
ana then got ior one year sixty live cent, per ton
But TINS association OF theirs does more than this
tons or two and a half Of these
MINE CARS PER DAY,
and that he shall begin work at seven o'clock in
he does It, 10 all these orders the companies have
TO submiy, and now this season. which ut the start
promised TO be the most successful for years, will
at the end prove little, II any, better than its
predecessors. Such, In fact, have become the
power Of these Knights OF Labor that they have
taken away all immediate authority from the
hands of the Companies their agents and super
intendents, and have assumed 10 themselves the
working cOntIol OF the mines and the companies
know that under the present circumstances they
are unable to make
ANY SUCCESSFUL RESISTANCE
unless they close their mines. The association
knows its power, and II may be fairly said, some
times abuses t. The strike 10 haYing o disastrous
effect upon the trade on the Chesapeake and Ohio
Canal, With one or two seasons Ike the present
the canal will soon be q thing of the past and
Georgetown will be dull place indeed. The
opening OF the Georges Creek and Cumberland
Railroad last year and the Elk Garden region
seemed TO give much encouragement TO the friends
Of the canal, who were anxious TO soc its looks
doubled aud afty boats per day leaving here for
Georgetown, loaded with mineral wealth. The
boatmen
HAVE NO ORGANIZATION;
the miners have, and the battle upon which
that region entered on the 18th OF March will be
no chids play. Those who expect TO see the
miners crushed In a few weeks win be sadly dis
appointed They are stout-hearted, uncompro-
missing, are we'll organized and not
only unanimous, but intoerant Of op-
position in the position they have taken. They
laugh 70 scorn the threat TO supplant them with i'm
ported labor and it is almost Certain that that eau
not be done without bloodshed. II not the inaugu-
ration Of reign OF terror hitherto unknown in
this regiou The outlook for the present. there
conn umst Is reached no coal wifi likely be
mi tlls region the present summer, and the
en- a.. IA be idle. X.