The Labor enquirer., 1884-11-08
Nonopoly's Merciless erip---starva-
tion and serfdom in the Region
Of Labor.

Now the gates of the coal banks are
closed, The chief stores have their win
dows constantly shnttered, the iron fur
naces stand cold and grim by the road
side; brickyards, lumber mills and ma
Chine houses are abandoned. The
workmen are idle and destitute, and the
hand of charity feeds them and their
families. The miners sit sullenly about
the day long, without money in their
pockets, food in their houses or hope in
their hearts, Almost without exception
the men are workless, their families ILL
fed, poorly clad and miserably housed:
From his palace car window, on his re-
cent trip through the valley, Mr.. Blaine
saw picture of industrial stagnation
and social misery unparalleled in the
history of this country. The brilliancy
of his retinue and his glowing descrip-
ton of American prosperity under pro-
lection served only to add depth to the
coloring and vividness to the outline by
the unusual contrast which they afforded.
Years ago, when development of the
NATURAL wealth of this valley had only
begun, large colonies of miners, mostly
from England, but. many from ireland
and Pennsylvania, and some from Wales,
came to the valley to work. They were
an industrious. intelligent people. Out
of their comfortable earnings they built
many school houses and churches. A
large number soon owned their own
dwellings and bits of ground. The val
ley had its prosperity and discourage
ments, but in the main all was well for
both owner and wageworker.
A new element, however, soon ap-
peared, Capital, stimulated to excess,
here and elsewhere, by the greed, that
naturally attended temporary pros
perity produced by artificial causes, be-
gan to feel the inevitable punishment.
Immediately it sought to make the wage
worker suffer for its own indiscretions
The spirit of concentration and aggrand-
izement, of swallowing by main force
and assimilation for nourishment of the
few, invaded this valley in its progress
across the country. A man named Lee,
of Newark, John LawColonel Sellers
sore of man took the lead. In his
brain originated the scheme to place the
whole Hooking Valley on the title deeds
of the Standard Coal and Iron company.
Lee himself was almost without re-
sources, but he induced Blaine, Elkins,
Governor Foster and other capitalists to
join him. Blaine and Elkins came here
and went through the valley, so the
great man could view the desolation.
The Standard bubble burst, and Blaine's
brother.in law, one of the 'Stanwoods,
became its receiver. But fast on the
heels of this collapse, came scheme for
concentration that was moved by a. man
who has no Sellers in his composition.
In January. 1888. was incorporated
the Columbus and Hooking Coal and
Iron company, with a capital stock of
$4,000 With the birth of this COM
pany began the present Ills of the fair
Valley of the Hooking.
Eighteen months ago the depression
in the iron industry closed most of the
Hooking furnaces, but the coal miners
were steadily worked. The miners were
paid 70 cents ton in summer and 80
cents in winter. Since the new COM
pany, commonly called "The Syndicate"
took control Of most Of the large mines.
the men have been given work not more
than one-third of the time. During the
four months preceding last June their
earnings averaged about $50 month toN
the man. Working full time, at 7Oi
cents a ton, they could earn, at the aver
age; 50 25 day. Out of this sum they
must pay for their blasting powder, their
oil, their blacksmithing or replacing their
tools, and their share of the dead
work" or overhead tinbering within the
mine. Their net earnings could not at
best exceed $3.50 day.. Even with
steady work this would be small remun-
heration for such toll; but June % last
the syndicate served notice of reduc-
ton to 80 cents a ton. The men refused
to work at this, when the syndicate re-
duced the price to 80 cents ton. and the
incipient strike quickly became lock-
out. -
In place of the 5000 skilled miners
who thus became idle the syndicate at
tempted to put negroes from the South,
Italians and Hungarians. These men,
without families, and the lowest in intel
ligence of their races, were brought in
under contract and put to work. They
were housed in barracks, and their earn
ings barely sufficed to pay their living
Many were deceived as to, the nature of
the employment, being told they we're
to work on railroad. Not being coal
miners they could make but little head
way at the strange work. There were
numerous desertions from their ranks,
but the agents of the syndicate contract
ed for others to fill their places. These
imported laborers are coming and going
to this day. Though ignorant, depraved,
without family or taste fer anythingl