The daily gazette., 1883-05-02
THE GREAT STRIKE.
Five Thousand Miners Holding Out for
an Increase of Wages.

PITTsBURG, May 1.-The largest miners
strike that has ever occurred in Western
Pennsylvania began this morning at
o'clock, when over 5000 bituminous coal
miners laid down their picks and left the
mines. The men demand 81 cents per
bushel for mining, while the operators are
willing to give only cents. There are 14S
mines idle. This morning the men
at six pits refused to leave and join
the strike. The six mines that had not
joined in the strike were the Penn Gas, No.
4, Scott Haven and Waverly, on the Balti-
more and Ohio railroad; Primrose, on the
Pan Handle, and Keeling and Castle Shan
non, on the Pittsburg, Virginia and Charles
ton road. No special fight has been inau-
gurated on the Baltimore and Ohio. 1t IL
thought, however, that all miners will quit
work. On the Pan Handle extra efforts
have have been made to get the men to join
in the strike.
URGING OTHERS TO STRIKE
Mr.. Schaming, president of the Miners
Association, was at Primrose to-day, trying
to influence the coal diggers to leave their
picks. Tomorrow morning meetings will
be held at Keeling and Castle Shannon, on
the Pittsburg, Virginia and Charleston, and
the miners urged to strike. 1t is thought
by those at the head of the action that all
men who are now holding back will come
out. The great size of the strike gives en-
couragement to the participants, as they be-
lieve that operators cannot afford to keep
their mines closed. What orders they will
fill will be with river coal. A miner who
has worked in England said that the pay of
the coal diggers in this country is 30 per
cent. less than that given to men across the
sea. Operators seem to feel as confident of
ultimate success as do the miners. They
sfa ctr Ha
the men. Some of the men feel some
what sore because they have large contracts
on their hands that they are unable to fill.
The question OF paying three and half
cents has been considered by some, but no
definite action has been taken.
MASS MEETINGS OF MINERS.
Tonight large mass meetings OF the
miners are being held at Mansfield and Nc
Donald stations, on the Pan Handle rail-
road, and at Scott Haven and West Newton,
on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad. These
gatherings are held late in the afternoon or
early in the evening. At the meetings
last night on the Baltimore and Ohio an un-
usually large proportion of the audience
was composed OF women and children,
members of the families of the strikers.
They took the liveliest interest in the pro-
ceedings. 1t is asserted that they are urging
their husbands and fathers to prosecute
the strike to the end, as they say they can
not live on the three cent rate.
The strike covers an area of country so
miles long by 25 miles broad and at least
10000 people are involved, counting the
families of the strikers. AS yet there have
been no suggestions of filling the places of
the strikers with new men, but should this
be attempted trouble will probably ensue.
For the first day the strike has progressed
smoothly. If there is prospect of pro-
tracted lockout the men will 60 into camp.
If the pits now at work refuse to come out
delegations of strikers, with brass bands
and martial music, will make an attempt to
make them strike.