Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1885-02-16

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SATURDAY AFTERNOONS SESSION.
Cecil Brooke Palmer sworn: Is
superintendent Of the Minnie Moore
mine; been such since March 7, 1884;
knows of the Broadford Miners
Union. FEBRUARY 4, 1885, received a
letter, which is produced. 1t is a
copy of that sent to Captain Lusk,
but worded little differently. 1t is
signed by the President and Secre-
taty, and authenticated BY the seal Of
the Broadforl Miners Union -REp. I
Mr.. Palmer resumes: Here is
notice taken down from the corner of
Mclfvine hall, in Bellevue, in my
presence, by Deputy Sheriff Fat
Furey.
Notice offered in evidence. Oh.
jected to by the defense. 1t is read,
as follows:
Notice - The Broadtord Miners
Union wish al! parties to understand
that 1t is against their wishes for any
parties to go to work in the mines,
either on contract or otherwise, until
the existing troubles betrern it and
the mine owners shall be settled.
The notice is unsigned, but bears
the seal of the Union
Witness resumed: l saw several
Of these notices. They were stuck
up the same morning l received my
notice.
The notice is admitted for the
present, but the prosecution will be
required to connect it with the Min.
ers' Union.-REr.
Examination resumed: Prior to
the 4,h Of February, since the month
OF July had not received any notice
On the 4lh of February notice call
ing meeting of the Union for 2
O'Clock that afternoon was posted at
the mine by Dan Donahuc and Hugh
Niece, SO he was informed. Did
not take the notice down. Does not
know what has become of *.
l wish to say that l never had any
difficulty with the Miners Union pre-
>ious to the receipt of their letter. l
never shut down the Minnie Moore
mine at all; it is not Shut down to-.
day. discharged all men working
on day work between the 18th and
18th Of January. discharged them
because l had no further work for
them to dc, the levels having been en-
tirely cleaned out of orc. In the
commencement Of January | requested
+ number Of my employees to meet me
at my Office, in order that I might ex-
plain to them fully the result of the
working of the Minnie Moore mine
tie past year, the influence which the
falling prices of leal and silver had
upon our power of making profits, and
to- ask them, in a friendly spirit, to
meet the company little in the ques-
ton Of reduction Of wages. l told
them that in the five months ending
November Both, the company shipped
ore to the value of $4,000, the net
return from which was $1,000, and
that during that period the Company
spent *2U, 900 for machinery. further
told them that the fall in the price Of
lead and silver from the day we took
charge OF the mine up to that time
made difference to as of SIS ton. |
offered to make IA sliding scale of wages
with them, based upon the price of
lead only, ignoring the heavy and
probably permanent loss we were
suffering from the depreciation of sill
yer. l expressed my readiness to
discuss the matter with them in all its
BEARINGS, at any time, hu: to this day
| have received no answer aud no re.
ply from single employee Of mine,
except that he would not work for
less than 81 per day and that only
incidentally from one or two. wish
to state this were in December ,and not
in January. Frank Burt was one OF
these men. Substantially during tn I
interview l told them tina, the CON
pany would continue to work the men
at present in their employ, and to pay
them 81 day until such time as all
the ore then N sight was worked out ;
that we should continue to develop
the mine by contract, and that pro-
viding we opened fresh ors.bodies we
should be willing to give the men
now working their places in the mine