Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-06-16
THE MINERS
Tentinu on Their New Camp
Grounds at Mcdonald.
No Change in the Situation-How the Men
Talk-AH firm-No Trouble Antici-
pated-How They Live and
Pass the Time.
LATEST NEWS FROM ALL QUARTERS.

| took an early train this morning and
came out to visit the miners camp at this
place. Mcdonald is about eighteen miles
from Pittsburg, on the Panhandle road. 1t
is just close enough to the Allegheny coun-
ty line not to be within it. and is therefore
in Washington county-the county of sheep
and statesmen, the county that raises more
Presbyterian preachers and general cussed-
ness to the square inch than any other ter
ritory of equal dimensions ON thisfound
globe. The town Is rambling sort OF a
place, of probably two hundred and fifty
inhabitants. The houses do not seem to
have been built with any particular regard
to streets. The place lies in a valley be-
tween two hills like most valleys, and like
all villages it has postoffice, several stores
and two or three churches. With few
exceptions the residences are unpreten.
tious, the larger part OF the population be-
ing miners.
The Miners Camp
is located about half a mile from the sta
ton and just on the outskirts of the town.
arrived on the ground about eight o clock,
Just in time to see the stakes driven for the
first tent. 1t was the intention of the
miners to 90 into camp yesterday, but they
were disappointed in procuring tents. Last
night those who were on the ground be-
came the guests of the resident miners.
many Of them sleeping on the soft side OF
a plank. A better location for camp could
not be found. The ground has gentle
slope. Just sufficient to drain itself nicely,
and is vet level enough to make nice tent
floor without any grading. There is plenty
of fresh spring water near, and small
stream running by affords an excellent
place for morning bath.
The camp is laid out in the form OF par
allelogram, a broad street running through
the center. At one end of it and across it
is erected very large "A" tent. On either
side of the street will be erected five small
er tents, each of them capable of accommo-
dating about twenty men. More tents will
be erected when needed. When l left the
ground, only four tents had been erected,
but about thirty stalwart miners were
busily engaged in driving pegs, stretching
cords and other work necessary in the erec-
ton of tented city. A number of others,
together with goodly company OF citizens,
stood by watching the proceedings and
dropping an occasional word OF advice.
dred expressions showed the nationality OF
the miners. Most of the inhabitants OF the
camp were off fishing, some had gone to the
city, and others to other places, so that
there were scarcely fifty men on the ground
this morning after breakfast.
The Regulations.
Are excellent. Various committees have
charge of the various duties necessary to
81 tl,o nin0 nf ia
provides the provisions, another looks al
Ter the good order, another provides music,
another examines applicants for admission
10 the camp, etc. There are three cooks and
as many dishwaters. There is no captain
general, except when President Jones is on
hand. The day is spent in playing games
of various kinds. ball, quoits, cards, fish
AT stated periods they expect to have grand
pow.wows. The band has not yet arrived
at the ground, but is expected to-day:
This is band composed OF miners, and
will be no additional expense to the camp.
No Liquor
Is allowed on the ground, and there was
none this morning. This will be difficult
order to enforce, however, notwith.
standing the fact that there
is no licensed house at Mcdonald. The
population of the camp is averaged at 300,
some days the crowd being much larger.
The miners have been interviewed so
often of late that they can tell newspaper
man at forty rods, and as / am not un.
known to some of them, ! was recognized
before getting inside the lines. 1t was an
exceedingly hard matter to find man who
was willing to talk. But finding the right
man finally, a seductive Wheeling toby
segar," fished from the reportorial pocket,
unlimbered his tongue with the following
result:
"What is the object OF your camp"
"Well, to give place 10 men who have
been turned out of their homes by the op-
orators. Then we want place to hold con.
ventions, and maybe, II We have a good
crowd out here, We can induce the 'niggers
| to come out"
How do you propose to induce them?'
"Well, we don't know exactly how yet
| but none OF us are in favor OF using force.
We will send committees to argue with
them
Couldn't YOU send committees without
| having such a crowd out here?
Eyes, but, as Jones says, a big crowd has
| a good moral effect"
Don't you think a little whisky might
stir up riot here some time?'
| "Yes it might, of course but the sensi.
BILE men amongst US, think, could prevent
it. A riot would not do us any good"'
"How much can a man make, on an
average, at 3I1 cents per bushelT'
well. in this coal a man can't make
more than $50 or $50 month, that is W.T.
pretty steady work. But you reopie don't
understand this question. exactly. You
don't know that Ne miners have to furnish
All Our own Tools
and keep them in order. Besides this We
have to furnish our own powder and fuse.
This all takes pretty good slice out Of our
wages. Theb We don't get steady work.
Every once in a wSile trade falls off little
and the operators don't want any coal. We
have to stand all these losses. Unless q
man lays up something when he is at work
he has pretty hard scratching il the mine
closes down for month or two. And l
suppose you know that US fellows don't
save much money"
| ''How long do you think the lockout will
last?'
1T will last until we get four cents a
bushel, we have been out over two months
| now, and can stay out more than twice that
| much longer The other men, who are
| getting four cents are coming up right
along with their assessments, aud as long
as this lasts We can stand it. These Pan.
| Handle men
| VIII Have 10 Come In"
| Several other men 10 whom talked
| spoke much in the same way. Among the
| rougher class few were found who thought
the damned niggers" ought to have their
| mouths mashed" and expressed them
selves willing TO perform the operation.
The large majority Of the miners, however,
were peacably disposed One very intelli-
gent man said:
I'VE will not go back at three and half
| cents II the operators can get men 70 do
| il for that and lock us out, all we can do IS
to hunt work elsewhere. The public need
not fear any violence on our part against
the men who have taken the bread out oil
our mouths. believe We will triumph in
the end"
The only thing to fear is that the camp
may get on q grand drunk. Then the
'.niggers' would have TO look out. The
latter do not venture very far away from
their quarters, near the mines, when some
| of them are accommodated in tents.
| The Mines Vow at work
With "black sheep" are W. P. Rend & Co.'S
Briar Hill, Primrose, Fort Pitt, McCue':
4 80 otLar Gtanv, d or wnrt