The Labor enquirer., 1886-01-09

up Gno entrl6S ana DallnE out tn0 water
i Superintendent Welch left on Monday
night for Denver to purchase mules, and
| ifthere is no DELAY everything will be in
| apple-pie order by tomorrow.
The Conhagration at Marshall.
i Editor Labor Enquirer.
/ By reason of being away from the city
when the last issue was published, the
readers of The ENQUIRER have not been
made fully acquainted with the facts re-
garding the fire which consumed build
ings. coal, and railway cars at the Mar
shall coal mine in Boulder county, on
the morning of the thirtieth ultimo-
Statements have been made in the city
daily papers regarding the same which
are utterly false, and no evidence what
ever has been so far even trumped up to
establish them as facts. All the items of
news have been colored so as to leave
an impression that the whole business
was done by the Knights of Labor, and
was a plot Systematically arranged to
avenge an alleged old trouble. 1t has
been further stated that the men were
requested, three weeks previous, to
strike. and that because they did not,
fire was put to the property to punish
the men for disobeying orders. Il
This story is plausible one, and is
liable to. be accepted as representing the
case truthfully in the absence of lnfor-
| nation to the contrary and for this and
other reasons I desire the world to know
that those malicously manufactured
statements are but aiheap of falsehoods
cleverly devised, calculated and in
tended to breed a spirit of public indig-
nation against the miners and the organ
ization to which they belong. The au-
thor is evidently an imaginary genius of
the first water, and most assuredly a
stranger to the truth. -
I am in a position to know, and will
positively assert, that the Knights of
Labor organization had nothing what
ever to do with the affair that the de
struction of property Is; condemned by
the order, and under no circumstances is
such practieed. And lit follows as a
natural sequence that no plot could be
laid by an order that does not even admit
of discussion upon such business. No
sane man will for moment credit tales
drawn from such illogical conclusions.
Lam not aware ofany old trouble ex-
listing at the mipe, and certainly would
know if such had been the case. On the
Sunday week previous to the fire oe-
curing, 1 visited this camp and held an
open air mass meeting, and was accom-
panied by deputation from Louisville.
As usual I found the Marshall and Fox
miners law-abidlng and peaceably dis
posed; and while for certain reasons I
shall refrain from stating fully the
nature of my mission among them, / con-
slider it due to mvself and the order to
state that under no conditions or at any
time were the miners of Marshall "re-
auested to strike" Respectfully do i
invite any Of the miners that were pres
ent at this meeting to refuts this state,
ment, if untrue, and THE ENQUIRER will
open its columns to rerord such evidense
/ gratuitously. The men themselves have
not, nor never will, make any such state
ment. And now, what about the confla-
grafton? Every man has his theory,
and is at liberty to keep it to himself or
impart 1t at his pleasure. At the best
all are conjectures, and We are more lia-
Bile to be unjust in our criticisms by in
dulging in loose talk, than by keeping
our mouths shut. Discretion is the bet
| ter part of valor.n The least said per-
haps the better, but we may be allowed
| to watch and follow the shadows of De
| tecti1e Cooks men, lest we may have a
succession Of serious confagrations. Do
ye catch onP
Let not my utterances be construed as
} rejoicing over this destruction of prop
erty, land right here | would inform Mr.
Lyman, manager of the Marshall Con
, lsolidated Coal company, that my Ian
guage against the Chinese should not be
: interpreted as approving of massacres,
3 but rather feeble effort to present, and
=.
reveal the truth in its proper light.
8 And while have ceased to shoulder
, any more official responsibility. shal
t never cease to interest myself III offer
ling vindication for my fellowmer
s when unwarrantably attacked. / shal
8 always consider 1t my duty to be evel
0 watchful for an opportunity to rende
: service in the bonds of brotherhood
8 In concluding my remarks I woul'
9 gently hint to Mr.. Lyman that inas