Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-11-20
THE MINERS MARCH.
Over Two Hundred Diggsrs of
Dusky Diamonds
Invade Bridgeport at the Dead Hour Of
kight---The Sheriff Meets Them
With an Armed POSSE
No Trouble.

Between midnight on Wednesday and
daylight yesterday morning the citizens Of
Bridgeport were disturbed by a peaceful in
vasion of the town by from two hundred
to two hundred and fifty miners from Bell
sire and elsewhere, but under circumstances
which gave rise to grave fears in the minds
Of many that some overt act Of violence
was about to be committed. For q week
or ten days past there had been rumors
afloat to the effect that q committee Of
one hundred from the Hooking Valley was
about to pay the town visit for the pur-
pose Of influencing the men at the Wheel
ing Creek and Maynard miners to 90 out
for 60 cents ton, and when, about dark
Wednesday evening. it began to be whis-
pered about in Bridgeport that
THE VISITING STATESMEN
we're on their way, q considerable degree
Of CONSERVATION prevailed among the local
preservers of the peace.
Word was sent to Sheriff Sedwick that
trouble was imminent, and that official at
once set about gathering up posse which
should be large enoug ii to repel any pos
rible attack upon the creek coal works.
The Bellaire miners he'd exed. Wednes
dey night for their nocturnal visit to their
brethren of Bridgeport who persist.
ed in welding the pick in consideration
Of nifty cents per ton, and although the
road was several inches deep in mud, and
rain IVES
POURING DOWN IN TORRENTS,
they resolved to carry out the programme.
About o'clock in the morning over two
hundred miners from the Hooking Valley
formed in line in Bsllsire, and after being
reinforced by so or 60 miners from the
Glass City, and armed only with lanterns,
theyset out on their long and extremely
disagreeable tramp.
The column arrived at Bridgeport about
o'clock, without event, and passing
through the town they started for the Creek
mines. Here they were met by Sheriff
SedgWick, Marshal McConnaughey, of
Bridgeport, and posse of men sworn in
as deputies tor the occasion, armed to the
teeth, and ready TO defend the property
and lives Of the operators from violence.
This party had all evening been haunted
by visions OF deadly combat, and by the
time the strangers had arrived they we're
mostly in quite frame OF mind.
About ; o'clock the miners reached Q
point on the pike about one hundred yards
| from the mines where they we're met by
Sheriff Sedwick and Marshal McCon.
naughey, who informed them Of the ad.
vices they had received of an attack, and
began to reason with them TO desist. The
miners informed the Sheriff and Others that
they did not come to
no DEEDS OF VIOLENCE;
that their only mission there was to pre-
sent to the miners at WORK for so cents
ton the real situation, and to
persuade them to come out and
stand With the other miners for the sd-
vance to 60 cents per ton. They explain.
ed that the advance had been granted in
come sections, and they had reason to be-
lieve it would be granted in this distric.
coon, but that for the Wheeling Creek
miners to work for 90 cents q ton had
tendency to prolong the strike and keep
hundreds Of other men from work at the
advance, and it would give that company
an unfair advantage over other operators.
They also assured the Sheriff that they
were, and would continue to be, law-abii-
ing citizens, and only wanted an inter
view tor the reason given. After some talk
the Sheriff and men. agreed that commit
tee tron the marching miners should be
granted an interview, and this was done.
The committee had
QUITE TALK
with the superintendent, who assured the
men that the Wheeling Creek Company
would pay the advance as soon ss any 9TH
er operators in this district, and that he
thought it was only q question of few
days when it would be done. Upon learn
ing this the men were ready to retire.
EVERYTHING PASSED OFF ORDERLY,
and the visiting miners were given a ride
part OF the way home by the mine opera
tors or superintendent, and they got back
to Bellsire in time for breakfast.
A Bellaire Independent reporter talked
to q number of them who had been there
and they had no hesitancy in talking about
the matter, saying their only object was as
stated--to get the men there to Join them
in the strike tor the advance.
horse Blankets Horse Blankets
VIM. Scbwer,feger.
Horse HiankeisI uorsa QIorLo.,,