St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-15
In the Black Hills Resulted in
Favor of Labor for the
Time,
But 1t Is Believed That the
Figures Of Other Places
Will Come.
A Fine Opening for a Demo-
cratic Paper in the
Hills.
Three Times Elected to the
Council and Candidate
for President.
Special to the Globe.

Speclal 10 the Globe.
DEADwooD, OAK, Dec. 14.-Within
the past week Deadwood has been con-
frODted with real labor difficulty. For
some months the question of wages has
been burning one, and has been the
subject of much discussion among the
laboring men here, and of not a little
thought on the part of employers. Here
tofore wages and prices have been gov
erned by the rules, if rules they may be
called, which prevail in all new mining
countries. Laboring men asked and re-
ceived big wages for their labor; mer-
chants and employers get big profits on
their goods. In short. high standard
prevailed in everything. But recently,
in many particulars,
PRICES HAVE BEGUN
to adjust themselves to the standards
country. Thoughtful men regard this
as the inevitable, and are rather in
clined to hope for the time when things
will be governed by the same standard
here that govern wages and profits else
where. Such state of affairs cannot,
of course, be brought about unless the
laboring men are willing to submit to a
like reduction in the scale of the wages
received by them. A disposition has
been manifested of late on the part of
employers to reduce the standard, which
at present is $3.50 per day. The labor
ing men have resented this movement,
and seem in fact to resent any tendency
toward Eastern rates. The beginning
of the
PRESENT DIFFICULTIES
was in the month of September last
when Supt. Clark of the Deadwood Re
duction works, advertised for men to
work on the plant. The company began
paying the men at the rate of S225 per
day. Mr.. Clark was waited on by rep
resentativeS of the labor union of LeOd
City and requested to pay the men g. so
a day-which, after some parley, he con-
scented to do. No further trouble Oc-
Cured until work began on the Dead
wood Central railroad, when Contractor
Deon advertised tor men at 1926 per
day to do the grading. Men eagerly re-
sponded at this rate, and more than 200
men went to work, the company agree
ing to board the employees for S4.25 per
week. Shortly after this the Miners
union, of Leod City, sent representa-
tives down here to form
organization. Most of the railroad men
were got in and then began an imme-
diate agitation of standard wages-S2.50
per day. Contractor Deon, of the Dead
wood Central, agreed to pay the men
$3.50 a day, but insisted on charging
them Sc a week for board. The men
preferred the old rates. Then the mi
ners' union of Leod city determined to
interfere in behalf of the railroad men.
They held meeting and came down,
inducing the railroad men all along the
road to throw down their tools and quit
working. Contractor Deon met them
and peaceable settlement was accom-
plished, but the knights won their
point. The company agreed to pay the
men $3.50 day and board them for
1915 week. 1t is but just to say that
the laboring men resorted to no violence
to accomplish their end. and cOmtem-
plated none, but what might have re-
suited had the company refused to grant
their request, no one can tell. The re-
suit was victory for the laboring men,
but how long it will last is question.
Wages will have to come down if prices
do, and the tendency is in that direction
at present. Many look upon this as the
beginning of long struggle between
labor and capital to keep up wages, and
from difficulties of this kind the Balck
Hills have been remarkably free. How
ever, this will not interfere with the
progress of this county.
Things are moving at such rate now
that nothing can prevent the county
from a speedy development. Capital is
pouring in and enterprises of every
description are under consideration.