The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-07-01

Levi Miners Union OF Lander county VIZ
the next organization OF that kind to b
assailed. A few mining men OF that plac
us undertook to effect a reduction OF wages
The Union, of course, objected and wa
m commenced. Several fights took place be
~ tween the miners on one side and the min
ne owners and officers on the other. The re
suit was that the miners had to succuml
es and the Union disbanded. The few mel
y that are now working at Lewis are gettin,
% per day for their labor. Last winter
the Legislature of Nevada passed
what wa known as the Military Bill, which
provided that all military companies in
!. the State that were receiving State aid
! should be sworn in to do military duty
within the boundaries of the State in case
OF any disturbance. The Miners Unions of
the State saw in this bill a blow at their
organizations. The military companies
, OF the State of Nevada are composed
OF men who are also members of the
Miners Unions, and these men claimed that
in case a blow was objected, by capital, at
the labor organizations. and the miners
should resent it in the manner that is
customary with them, that their efforts
would be rendered useless, from the fact
that a large part of their membership are
members of the State militia, and would be
obliged to fight against the miners. Taking
this view OF the case, the Miners Unions
petitioned Governor Adams to veto the
bill, and that official in order to gain the
favor OF the laboring classes of the State,
did veto the bill, and SO the measure was
defeated. When it became known. thas the
Governor had vetoed the bill, a howl OF
disgust AND modification vent up from !
the capitalists and corporations of the en- /
tire State, that plainly showed that the |
Military Bill was their pet measure, and |
that it was designed as a blow at the
Miners Unions OF the State. About this |
time, the Miners Union of Ruby Hill,
Eureka county, Lax some trouble with two
miners at work in the Bowman Mine,
who refused to join the Union. The |
Union, one hundred strong, repaired to
the Bowman Mine. in March last
and compelled the two miners to quit
work. and warned them that they would
not be allowed to work in any of the mines
OF that county. These men, George Greenup
and Charles Mcdonald, at once stated their
grievance to the citizens of Eureka. and
Immediately a mass meeting was held in
the county court house, and the Eureka
County Citizens Protective Committee
was organized. This organization, through
It's PRESIDENT, issued a manifesto, promis-
ing to protect all miners of that county
who wished to work in any of the mines
ut any rate of wages that could he agreed
upon between the employers and the men.
A few members of the Union then issued
manifesto to the effect that the men who
were at the head of the Protective Com
mittee were known to the Union, and that
II said men ever came before
the public for political offices the Union
would get even with them. Now the fun
commenced in real earnest. A Grand Jury
was summoned. and twelve of the Miners
Union men who visited the Bowman mine
were indicted by the Grand Jury, on a
charge OF conspiracy. It was exported that
the Miners Union would advise the mem.
bers thus indicted, to resist the officers, and
in order to assist the Sheriff in arrestinp
those men, the ProtectiveC Committee organ
hed, out OF their membership, seven volun-
teer military companies ofseventy members I
each. The Brigadier General of the Nevada
National Guards, ordered the military COM ]
panles in the State to send in their arms ]
and these were placed in the hands of the
Protective Committee. Thus the citizens
OF Eureka county could place nearly O !
men in the field fully armed and equipped, 6
while fho Minarc, TIr;on o,1r ...- g
about $50 men. Thu sheriff found no diff {
Guilty in arresting the ''twelve conspira- c
tors" and these men were placed in jail and
Kept there for four weeks. A bond of 81
OOO each was placed upon them, which t
they refused to give. The matter came up a
In the Eureka District Court at the MAY t
term, and upon an application OF the pros +"
.ecution, a change ofvenue was granted. and +
the cases were transferred to the Elko county l
court. This was dom in order to induce &
Che miners to give bonds. The Miners Il
Union not wishing their members incarcer- CT
ated In a strange jail, where they could not c.
be as kindly treated as they were at home. ii
bonds for the accused men, and tt
hey are now out on bail. The trial of in
'hese cases, is set for September, and in
he meantime the Richmond, and other
mining companies, are working men in G
heir mines for $500 per day, and the n,
MO is making no objection to their &C. a.,
ion. The moment the Union will ATTEMPT d.
o do anything in the matter, the officers IL
'll pounce upon their twelve leaders and lie,
gain place them in the custody ofthe sher.
4. The Ruby Hill Miners Union, as scores
Old Eureka miners, who are now
n Butte, now full well, has "
DR. years been conducted in the interests of va
certain political clique in that county. ~
apart from every consideration. ex- IL
ept the keeping up OF miners wages, there W.
re not twenty members of the Union but let
'ould be glad to see that organization
lsband. There are not ten men working
the entire county Of Eureka that are Cd
'ttlng the regular standard OF wages-$4 OIL
er day. And it is a common thing for the II.
OF the Union to make a candidate va
initiation, swear that he will not work Ell
# less than four dollars a day, when he oil
he Presidency is working in the mine for
30 and even less than that, It does not l
Ike a very wise man to predict what will OIL
'%entually be the fate of the Miners Union. qu
'nducted on the above principles. What oy
areka, and nearly all OF the Miners Unions sol
Nevada want, is a few of the sensible. &c
'nest, consistent miners of Butte to adj =
Sc and direct them in their proceedings. !.
Austin there is only one mining company. RI
e Manhattan, and this company, backed POI
all the local railroad companies of the swe
ate, also the Central Pacific Company. =
made an assault upon the Miners bol
hon which has resulted in a decision upon 40,
e part OF the miners to disband. The
ly place in Nevada which has a Miners =,
hon that is worthy of the name is Vir- mo,
ia City. That organization is conducted Low,
the same principle as the Butte City
ion, and the members, by their wise and D
Greet actions, always succeed in getting Ora
cooperation OF the citizens of Storey liant
lnty. While there are many men on the
mstock who would like to see the VIr- r
"a City and Gold HUI Miners Union dis pat
nd. or see the miners work for q lees COM Mt,