The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-12-23
A POTTERY LOCKOUT.
AFFAIRS UP At EAST LIVERPOOL
History Ofths Troubles Between III, KaIrhls o
Labor and the Host ratt,r-Soms Puhny
Features Of the sIrlA,-Ih, "Stat'.
Hsfeh" aAi the Troabi. Il Caused,

Labor and the Host rotttr-Soms Funhy
Features Of the slrk,-Th, "Stab.
. Hsteh" mi III, Troabi. Il CAu,i.
Special Correspondence Of the In,eisCuCpr
EAST LivEnlo0L, o., December oooo.-l
few days aso the lSTELLr0rScrn containc,
an account Of the arrest Of eight Of III,
locked.ous poiirrs here for rio,ous conduct
In connection with which Il was S,a,et
that "llore trouble Is anticipated Desir
Ing to bo able to give tho lSrEytl0EScIn',
readersan intelligent un,lerstandin. Of tli,
situation here, boarded the early train pi
: the Cleveland 4 Pittsburgh road, and her,
: | nm.
l;gst Liverpool is II peculiar town, strik
Ing the stranger ~ tliu pOssrssor OF NOR,
slgns Of enterprise md ibp modern spjril
Of progress, und at tho same more traces OF
old fogyish md rural ideas, tllnn any town
Of It's size In this part Of the fooistool. |,
Is probably the only town In the world
where lhe street gis lights are allowed 10
burn oil day because II IL cheaper TO do no
than 10 hire II man to light them. A
journalistic friend OF mine used TO tell his
western acQuaintanCes that In Wheeling
gns was SO cheap they burned Il In thc
gardens instead Of tho usual spring rubbish.
This WIS not true, but II il nearly 30 here.
Theg gus Is obtained from tho earth, where
il seems 10 BE- stored In inexarstible auan.
titles, and Is not only used for lighting,
but also for heating.
| Itafnr, arriving bnrn fronu,pt ,U,,,,,.,,
were heard on the train 10 The
pottery troubles, and when struck tllo
platform at the depot had pretty good
idea Of the history OF the lockout. It com.
mcnced about the sane time as the iron
strike, and though that Is thing Of the
past, the solution Of the difficulty here
seems about rs distant MS ever.
THE uEGiSSISG.
The origin OF the trouble WIS peculiar.
Last April local assembly OF the Knights
OF Labor was organized here, commencing
with about score Of members, but grow.
ing rapidly. No opposition was manifested
to the order for several weeks, but one Iav
one Of the owners Of large pottery was iu
Pittsburgh, and in the course OF Il conyer.
Sati0n with well known manufacturer
there, the talk driiiel to the subject OF
trouble with workinenen, from which the
potteries nj East Liverpool had been singu.
larly free.
The Piilsburger warned his friend
against the knights. saying thut II the
order once gained Il firm footing here the
boss pottcls would be at the mercy OF their
employees, who would want 10 dictate in nil
sorts OF particulars rs TO how the potterics
should be managed.
Upon liis return here the gentleman re-
peatel the conversation, ,,'and the result WIS
u conerenceo Of lending pO,,ers. Sometime
after this conference n notice head, 40
our Employees" was posted about n mum.
her Of the potteries. As the results which
followed this lirst step have been 30 grave,
append this notice. which is in itself in.
ieres,ing:
GENTLEMEN We have resolved that on
and after this date, TO employ no man In
our works who isa Knight OF Labor" or
belongs to any similar organization, ANY
one now in our employ belonging 10 such
organization, and who desires to continue
in the same, will consider this n two weeks
notice, after which time their services will
be no longer required. Our reasons are
mainly, that We cannot permit outside par-
tics 10 adjust differences between US and
our employees, which in the past have been
amicablv settled directly with the indiyid-
lial concerned.
We recognize the right OF each individual
10 choose his own course, giving him nil
the liberty We claim aud shall maintain
for ourselves. We regret the pleasant and
very friendly relations between some OF us
must be interrupted, but You are MS.
sured that no personal feeling exists on our
part.
The vital principle Of self government is
nj stake, and on it hinges esc!i mans in.
dependence, and neither you nor We can
afford 10 loose our manhood, and the right
belonging 10 every American citizen, 10
act according TO the dictates OF his own
Judgment, uncontrolled by au association
OF men. many OF whose interests ure not
identical, and in some cases, directly nm.
linguistic 10 such individual interests, and
each ones conscience should be his only
guide OF conduct, il we are going 10 avoid
in free America the wastes Of energy con.
tinually going on in pauperized Europe.
although our business is 1T present un.
renumerative, and the future looks dark
and uncertain, We appreciate the burden
our employees are bearing in the increased
cost Of living, and therefore, we assure
you that we feel that neither OF us can af.
ford to disturb present wages, or have
other unnecessary friction.
TIE flIIsr HREEzE.
The notice created some excitement in
the pottetles whose owners posted it, which
were the following: West, Ilardwick 4 Co.
VIM. Brunt, Jr, 4 Co. Homer Laushlin,
Knowles, Taylor * Knowles, William,
Flentkc, Nodiey Bros, Goodwin Bros.
Wallace 4 Chctwynd, and Geo. S. llarkrf
K Co. Immediately after the notices were
posted many OF the workinen in these pot.
teries painted "k. OF L." over ther coat
hooks, and when the owners went through
the works inIuirins oieach employe II he
was knight they very frankly said they
were. Such feeling was engendered that
some OF the employees got to shouting ut the
proprietoS, their clerks or members of
their families, when they saw them OH the
street, and making rcmarks Of not yery
friendly nature, 10 say the least.
At the end OF two weeks from the dNte
OF the notice, II discharge was nut in lie
pay envelope OF each OF the employees
who had contested that he belonged 10 The
order.
The potteries were idle for some time
and though the feeling was intense among
the workmen, no violence was attempted.
AT times there were fears OF trouble, but
matters moved very smoothly for seycr.
weeks.
The potteries affected by the trouble
comprise the largest concerns located here
Elst Liverpool is well called the "Crockery
City," for the town is apparently one vas,
pottery. The silns meet the eye at every
turn one makes, and the establishments
range in size from those having one small
kiln and employing about fifty men, to the
largest pottery in the world, That of
Knowles, Taylor & Knowles, which when
running 10 its full capacity gives EMPLOY.
ment 10 GOO people.
There are up yards OF n score OF potteries
in the place. OF these the ninc named,
and those OF John Wiley 4 Son and Tho
Dresden pottery. now the Cooperative
pottery, make white granite ware, Good.
win bros. and Iurford Bios. make what Is
called cream colored ware, which Is nearly
white. Wileys and Buriorls did not sim
the notice, but continued to run, employ.
Ing Knights Of Labor il they werc CON.
pelent. By this course they have won rs
high position in the estimation OF ihe
wolkingnen us did Mr.. Whitaker, of
Wheeling, when he signed the scale Inst
summer.
Nine other firms are engaged In the
manufacture of Rockingham and yellow
ware. They arc Frank Sienkle, Allen 4
Co., G. G. Thompson & Co., Ca,tyrirhi
lIros., Baggot Bros, CrQxal 4 Cartwright.
Aguer 4 Castor, McNichol, burton & Co.
Flurtke, Harrison 4 Co., AIcDevi,t (
Moore. Buckingham ware is tho dark
hrnu-n wnra D,urI, ,,sa.l fo. 49,. '