The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-07-11

w tnlnR, Salu Jnht ne washed MS hands OF
the whole thing, and shouldn't do another
thing. And he has now run away to New Jer-
sey and left the men to their fate
THE BOTTOM OF ALL THE TROUBLE
Is that copper has declined in price far below
the cost Of manufacture. For some time past
1t has not brought more than twelve and
nall cents pound and II Is said that nearly
al tne mines IN the country cease to run at q
profit when 1t Is less than fifteen cents. Years
ago copper was over twenty cents, and those
were the flush times for Ely-Goddard He
used to draw $4,000 month from his grand
Iather, and the men say that the grandfather's
salary was $4,000 a year. The mine has
aIways oeen very extensively managed and
there nave been great many more gentlemen
drawing large salaries than has been at ali
necessary Tor its welfare While things were
" booming" OF course these leaks were NOT
ielt out now the most economical management
is requisite in order to pay expenses much mora
earn dividends The best superintendent Tho
mine ever had is Mr.. William Long. He re-
signed n year ago, or more; but il Is said
that he is large holder Of bonds. and medi-
tates getting control again, If he can. These
bonds, by the way, are another of the troubles
under which the mine labors. There were
S5OO,0OO OF these bonds payable in ten wears
or before at the option of the morteagor. with
six per cent interest, payable semi-annually,
me condition OF the bond is, that If there are
two successive failures to pay interest as IL he
comes due, the mine shall then become the
property of the bondholders subject to re-
demption. Now, on the LIST of july that had
occurred. Not cent has been paid on the
bonds since they were issued There is also n
claim on the mine made by Mr. Cain for the
value OF his shares. ETC., and he has brought a
bill in chancery for the vindication of his rights
and has asked for the appointment of a receiver.
The court has ordered that the company shall
give bond OF $4,000 to secure Cain. They
have offered one bond signed by themselves
which the court wouldn't take, and they now
have until the 18th inst, to file one which will
be acceptable 1t is not believed that this can
be done, and in default receiver will be ap-
pointed to operate the mine pending a decision
inaCazin's suit. Besides these claims there are
some attachments, notably one of the Eagle
bank OF Boston for S2l 600, which must be
satisfied. So it is apparent that there are
various claimants of the property whose inter-
ests clash, and it is believed by prominent citi-
zens, unconnected with the mine, with whom
the representative of this paper has talked.
that the key to the troubles would be found
there. Several of the men assured our repre-
sentative that one of the reasons why they lost
confidence was their belief that the mine
would go into new hands, who would not assume
the debts OF the old company A good many
people think that the attack of the men upon
Mr.. Cain was instigated by the bondholders
and MIR. Ely, who wanted to scare him out of
the country, il they could. A large number of
the bonds are held around Ely, by storekeep-
ers, who have taken them in payment of old
debts and by gentlemen who have bought
them of the men. Their interests clash with
Mr. Ely's and Gains too. 1t is a singular
fact that during this whole instruction,
the superintendent captain, treasurer, pay
master, one OF the three directors, and all the
other officials of the mine except Colonel Farm
ham (who lives in Bradford), MIR. Ely (who
lives in West Fairlee, a mile away and E.
Ely-Goddard (who has left the state inglo-
riously) have stayed in Ely without the slight
est feelings OF alarm or anxiety nor has there
been any disposition manifested adverse to
them or their families. Yet it has been tele-
graphed far and wide that the men were dread
fully incensed against the officials of the mine
There are wheels within wheels about this Ely
mine business, and probably twice during the
week, when they visited Mr.. Ely, and when
they asked Cain to leave town, the men, un-
known to themselves, were the tools of other
persons who want to get control of the mine.
A MEETING OF THE MEN.
On Sunday, the first Of July, the men and
their families went to church, as usual-the
lrishmen to the Catholic church, and the Corn
lshmen to the Methodist. Most of the men are
either lrishmen or Cornishmen. There are some
French Canadians and some Welshmen, and
few other nationalities. On Monday morning
mass meeting was held in the street oyer
, which M. Charles McCarty, the pa mas
were discussed in pretty outspoken Ian
guage; the large sums which Goddard had
squandered were sworn about, and good deal
OF rough talk over the swindle which mad been
perpetrated upon them took place. These men
are anything but the hardened ruffians which
have been described in the Boston papers and
in the Free Press A more decentand respecta-
BILE collection of working men it would be hard
to find. Their wives and children are neat and
clean and they manifest a desire to take care of
their families and an affection for their homes,
which indicates good disposition One of the
many men who were arrested and taken to
Chelsea had been haying during the week for
MIR. Fred w. Farnham, the proprietor of the
West Fairlee hotel in order to get bread for
his family, and another, Joe Cordick, was CO.
ing haying on Monday. After good deal of
"jawing it was finally voted to appoint
committee of six-Patrick Heaey, Jerry Nc
earthly, Thomas Trevorow, John Baker, an d
John Buckley-to wait upon Mr. Ey and as
certain the prospects. Mr.. McCarty and the
committee, escorted by their constituents, went
to MIR. Ely's home and were shown up stairs
into his chamber, where he was in bed. Mr..
Ely shook hands with them. The committee
told their errand; that they wanted their pay
and that they believed there was money enough
somewhere to pay them, and he could get it
for them. Mr.. Ely assured them that such
was not the case, that he had not dollar in
the world. Said he, " Gentlemen, this mine
belongs to the working men; give this mine
up to YOU Then he proceeded to
ABUSE MIR. CAIN.
He inveighed against him bitterly. eff it
had not been for Mr.. Cain, should be able to
pay you now in full, and the mine would be
paying to-day. Cain has ruined the mine |
don't like to encourage disturbance; but |
own the house in which Cain lives, and you
may take and unroof it, as far as | am con-
cerned. This property belongs to the laboring
men in spite of everybody, and | give it to
you" Baker said, " Are you satisfied to have
us take the ore in the roast-beds and smelt it
and take the proceeds for our pay ?" He said,
Yes: am in favor of any course which will
get the men their pay. want TO see the men
paid The committee shook hands with him
again and went down stairs. Monday after
noon more turbulent crowd visited Mr. Ely's
house, and good deal of harsh language was
used and some threats of violence were made,
1t is said that some windows were broken; but
this is denied by many. The truth is, there
was some whiskey among the men on Monday,
and 1t was the most turbulent day of the week,
on that account. During the rest of the week
the men were sober and it is conceded on all
hands that no one was under the influence of
liquor. General Thomas in stentorian tones
rescued MIR. Ely from whatever danger he was
in, and the old man went to Bradford in a
great panic, whence he departed on Thursday
morning for New Jersey or New York; more
probably the former, for he has not been in
New York for many years, on account of the
danger of arrest. There are many claims
against him there Of such nature-some or
most of them growing out of the peculiar way
in which he acquired possession of stock of the