Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1884-12-15
IN THE HOOKING VALLEY.
How the Poor Miners are Made to Suffer.


from boyhood. He was standing idly |
on the corner and | asked him to give
me the real explanation of the existing
condition of affairs. / knew he could
do if. for he is man of much more
than ordinary intelligence and well
educated.
He asked me to walk with him and
he led the way to point where no one
could get within ten rods of us without
being seen and then he said:
II can't explain anything to you in
n satisfactory manner, for / do not
really know how things are myself.
THAT is strange" l said. Years
ago you could penetrate the profound
est secrets of your native town. and in
the war you were intrusted with the
most perilous missions where tact and
judgment and penetration were your
only safeguards.
''The penetration of the enemy's
lines" said he, during the war was
an open book and mere pastime COM
pared with the state of things that
exist in this valley. There is a mys-
terious terror here that the great mass
never see even in outline, and yet we
all fear and try to avoid it.
IL am told,n said, THAT major
ity of the miners here who are on
strike are willing to go to work even
at the reduced wages protfered.
THAT is true"
Then why don't you go to workP''
1--WE dare not invoke the unseen
terror of which have spoken"
but the operators have guards
here to protect yOup'
These guards would afford us but
little real protection. They are re-
garded simply as employees of the
op rators, as we would be regarded il
w mad the temerity to go to work.
Then how could protection be af
forded YOU
- can hardly tell. / do not believe
that anything short of the state Itself
could furnish the necessary protec
ton"
"Are the prices for mining below
just fgureP"
"Undoubtedly; but l would gladl.
take the price offered SO as to carr
bread for my wife and children. IL
one of the mines burning up yonder
used to earn what kept them in all tn
comforts and many of the luXuries o
life. Now they are living on charity
| am compelled to accept that charit
because | dare not take the risk of go
ing to work. )"
"Are there many of the miners VIII
are willing to work at the reduce
wages"
.'The majority of them are. Nor
than that we all feel that prices woul
be advanced with complete resuml
ton, provided the union of which W
are members were disbanded.
land will it disband?"
Il dare not give even you an answe
to that question, and | hope you wi
not press it. We are deplorably sit'
ated, and we have no idea when {
whence relief will come. l think tn;
the companies and operators are muc
to blame, but all the blame does nj
rest on that side. The majority wal
to work even at what they regard ;
uniustlv low wages, but they dare no
Starvation stares us in the face on OF
side, and worse than starvation on II
other. Who shall deliver us and no
shall we be. deliveredP We take tn
question to bed with us every night
The conversation was continue
much further, and one or two 9th
miners with whom ! had some a
quaintance, while they talked lie
freely, talked in a similar strain. G
izens who are not engaged in mimi
would express no opinions, and on
deplored the existing condition
things, and vaguely wondered VIII
there would be an improvement.
A farmer told me that the farme
generally sympathized with the mine