St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-07-13

stoned through the state last week by
the announcement that three hundred
miners at Ely had struck, had demand
ed back wages due them. and threat
ened to destroy the town if their wages
were not forthcoming. A visit to the
scene of the anticipated trouble by a
correspondent of the Boston Journal
showed the report to be well founded,
and the miners to be masters of the sit
uation. Work in the mine of the Yer
mont Copper Mining company was
suspended, the smelling furnace fires
were out, the corporation store Quilted
and closed, and the property of the
company was being closely guarded by
armed sentries. Saturday, June 30.
was set as the company's pay day, but
the money not being forthcoming, the
miners, to the number of over 300, sus-
pended work and took the mining
property in charge. The company owe
the miners 100000, not having paid
them since April. A series of mis-
fortunes and complication of lawsuits
having Overtaken the Vermont Copper
company, of which +. Ely Goddard was
president, as well as their successors,
the Vermont Copper Mining company,
Smith Ely, Esq, of New York, presi-
dent, there has been no interest paid
on the half million dollars for the
payment of bonds issued IL few months
since and the floating debt. EX-Gov.
Farnham, attorney for the mining com
pany, made an offer to pay the miners
five per cent on their wages, but they
refused to accept the amount, declar-
. Il
them or nothing. The miners had
seized l25 kegs of blasting powder be-
longing to the company and had armed
men watching it. The leaders of the
rioters gave their ultimatum to the Off
GERS of the company, to the effect that
if their wages were not paid in full by
Saturday the torch would be applied
to the cOmpany's buildings and the
mine and mills would be blown up.
The Indebtedness of Sl20,O0O last year
has been doubled, the company have
expended nearly half million dollars
on machinery and building, and ut one
time were offered ! ,0O0,0 900 for the
plant.
The town of Nershire, changed from
Ely by the last Legislature, comprises
some $50 tenements and 1000 inhabi-
tants. The miners were fully armed
with rifles and revolvers, and had more
ammunition than provisions. They
went through the corporation store.
cutting the premises and carrying of
the stock. The postoflice had been re-
moved to a private house. The spa
cious residence of f. Ely Goddard,
which has stood untenanted by its
owner fol- several months, was entered
by the strikers, and tine rich and ela-
CANT furniture apportiOned out among
the miners and set aside as partial pay
ment for services rendered in the mines.
The strikers said that if they could
have what Goddard spent in one year,
the strike would have been ended.
Smith Ely, who has sunk several hun
dred thousand dollars in the copper
mines and is president of the cOmpa-
ny, fearing his safety, fled to Bradford.
The former manager of the mining
company, F. NJ. F. Cain, was given
ten minutes to get out of town. Not
leaving in season he made a forced
exit.
The situation of affairs on Friday
morning was such that Governor
Barstow, in accordance with his own
views, and fortified with the opinion of
Hon. L. J. Phelps, decided at once to
call out the militia to quell the disturb
ance. Orders were Immediately tele-
graphed to commanders of the Rutland,
st. Adams, Mortified, Montpelier and
Bradford companies to place their COM
panies under marching orders for the
Ely mine. The companies had from
two to four hours to respond. The
special train with the Barlow Grays,
Capt. II. Z. Perkins, thirty men, left
st. Adams at six o'clock that night,
and the Kingsley Guards of Rutland,
Capt. c. c. Kinsman, thirty-eight men,
joined the Grays at Essex Junction. AT
Montpelier the Capital Guards, Lieut..
Kemp, forty men, and at Mortified
the New England Guards, forty men,
came aboard. His EXcellency Govern
or BarstOw, and Colonies Woodbury.
Gilmore and Fletcher, Adiutant Gen.
L. S. Peck, Quartermaster General lde,
Col. w. l.. Greenleaf, Adiutant Mark
ID. Green, QuartermaSter VIM. Smith
and Surgeon Peck accompanied the
troops. The battalion was commanded
by Col. Greenleaf.
The troops arrived at Ely station at
l.3O Il. M, Saturday, and were drawn
up in line and twenty rounds of ammu-
milton issued to each man. Col. Green
leaf addressed the militia in few
well-chosen words, complimenting
their full ranks and promptness in
responding to their call to arms. He
spoke of the probable demands that
would be made upon them to protect
life and property, and said he believed
they would show courage and forUitude
in any emergency that might arise.
| The men were then loaded on seven
large siX-hOrse wagons, and, with their
tent equipage and ratiOns in the rear,
the military train took up the line of
march for the Ely mines. For three
hours the numbering vehicles slowly
assembled the mountain road, and mt
sunrise the bleak hilltop of Ely mine
doomed up. When within two miles of
Ely village the troops alighted and
marched i'll platoOns up toward the
mines. Meanwhile the Bradford COM
pany, Capt. John II. Watson, which
had also been called out, had been
brought to West Fairlee in teams. At
break of day this command was de-
tailed to make an Independent Strate-
gic movement for the purpose of cap
turing the powder magazine near the
mines, containing 40 kegs of blasting
powder.
Under Capt. Watson the Bradford
Guard, by forced march, skirted the
crown of the hill on the other side from
the mine and village, descended the
hill and took possession of the maya
zine, and captured four armed strikers
who were on guard without alarming
the village. Meanwhile the main body
of troops marched through West Fair
lee village for the mines. Adjutant
General Peck led the column, Col.
Greenleaf following in direct command