Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1885-03-31
4 FINAL WORD.
The Ey.Presidcnt Of the Bullion Union
Relates How the Minnie Moore Men
Consented to OMIT Work.

CONsehteu ~ y"iS Vo'h'
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES:
Your weekly of March goth did not
reach me until to-day, and among the
many startling statements chronicled
in reference to the Broadford strike
none surprised me more than one
made by Superintendent Palmer, of
the Minnie Moore mine. | quote
from your paper as follows:
"l've got something | want pub
lished. There has been a statement
printed in the TINES that the Miners
Union men came up here last Tuesday
evening and talked to the men work.
ing in the Queen of the Hills and Min
ME Moore mines, and that they there
upon voluntarily agreed to quit and
stand by the Union. That is not true.
The men quit because they were not
protected and because Of the presence
of an armed force that seemed willing
and able to compel them to quit"
Any one reading the above state
ment would conclude that a body of
armed Union men went to the two
mines named and by force and arms
compelled the men employedto cease
work. Yet such was not the case,
and the statement as published in the
TIMES was substantially correct. The
Miners Union men did go to the two
mines named; they did talk to the
men there at work, and the men did
voluntarily agree to quit. Now for
the facts. Take, for example, the
events that occurred at the Minnie
Moore. l went to that mine in com
pany with Mr.. Atkinson, President Of
the Bullion Union, and when we got
there we found we were preceded b,
three other Union men, Messrs. Nc.
Dewitt, O'Callaghan, and one Other
whose name do not know. The work
ing force of the mine was arranged or
or about small stairway at the west
face of the building. McDevitt ant
Palmer were engaged in conversation
when we arrived. Mr.. Atkinson sug
gestcd that | address the men there
assembled. and when l asked the mel
to step away from the building, as The
noise of the machinery, which wa
then in motion, prevented my being
heard, Mr.. Palmer ordered one o
them to 60 into the works ana stoI
the compressor. After his men wer,
interviewed by the Union COMMITTEES
in a peaceful, quiet and orderly man
ner, the working force of the Mimic
Moore, with one or two exceptions
did promise, freely and voluntarily OF
their part, to cease work. During
this time there was no force used b,
the Union men-not even the sem
blance of force. The representative
of the Union went there unarmed ol
Il peaceful mission, and the only per
sons who were armed were Mr.. Pal
mer, his guards, and some of his min
ers. Under such circumstances i
will be readily seen how impossible
was for five una'mcd Union men t
in,imilate the entire working force @
a mine, its armed guards including it
superintendent. Being familiar Wi,
the events of that day as | am, l ca
not refrain from characterixing Sup,
Pa!mer's statement as one of the mos
open, Migrant and outrageous false
,, hoods that ever came under my nc
tice. JAMES GUHN.
CAMP CREEK, March 80, 1885.
P.S.-pease accept my thanks 70
; the very just statement you made re-
alive to my motives on that day, an
, think can say my associates Joi
with me in this sentiment. j. Ct.
Now that the matter has quete
down, no good can come of furthe
, discussion of the subject. We there
fore hope that the Broadford stril>
aud all its unpleasant accompaniment
will be permitted to slumber. Til
, season is now fairly open, and a
J should 90 to work at once.-ED