The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-06
CORBIN'S STRIKING MINERS
Several Iron Furnaces Compelled to
Shut Down Because of Lack of Coal.
Relations Of the Locomotive Firemen and
Striking Knights-The Strike Of Miners
About Complete-General Labor News.

/ PHILADELPHIA, Jan. o.-froS1dene CorD1n,
General Manager Mcleod and Superintendent
/ Swcigard, Of the Philadelphia & Reading rail-
road. were in conference at the general Office Of
the company this morning. but the nature of
their deliberations was not divulged. MIR. Nc
Leod, in reply to an inquiry. said Mr. Corbin
had nothing disqualification. He admitted that
| newspaper men had last evening been given to
| understand that q statement to the public
| would be issued frem the Reading Office to-day,
| but said that the matter had been reconsidered
| and that no statement would now be made to-
| day. A rumor in circulation that the Read
\ ing company had agreed to arbitrate with the
/ striking coal miners pronounced untrue by
| the company's officials
| The strike Of the railroad hands still hangs On
| without any appearance of change The rum
| ming OF trains Is accomplished with regularity,
and the company regards itself in a better
position. SO far the train hands concerned,
to-day, than at any time previous to the strike.
General Manager Mcleod appears confident that
the miners strike cannot cause coal famine.
The situation at Port Rich mond is unchanged.
The strikers still maintain their ground,
although they less confident Of success than
before. 1t was reported that several iron fur
naces were compelled to shut down on account
Of scarcity of coal. The relations of the Brother
hood of Locomotive Firemen to the Knights of
Labor engaged in the strike has been definitely
explained in a dispatch received in this city
from T. s. Sargent grand master of the Brother
hood, who resides at Terce Haute, Ind.
The telegram, declaring that members of
the Brotherhood should not allow
themselves to become involved in any
way in the strike Of the Knights of
Labor, was addressed to Jeremiah ]. Leahy, who
was member of the executive committee of the
mr. oi ia K rfn0 sails x,lN~n
vention before the present strike Mr. Leahy,
as membepof the executive committee of the
the first strike of, and after that was done re-
fused to join in the second strike. For this he
was Stunned by the Knights Of Labor. He re-
ned his position as an engineer and is still at
work. In addition to being Knight Of Labor
Mr. Leahy was also a member of the Brother
hood Of Locomotive Firemen, and held the posi-
Lodge Bernard j. Sharkey, president of the
Philadelphia e. Reading railroad employees con-
vention, and one of the men discharged by the
Readine company. on account OF the Port Rich
mond trouble, was vice-m master Of the sameslodge.
On Sunday last the lodge met and the friends of
Mr. Sharkey succeeded in passing resolution
requesting the memb ers Eot TO go to work. In
consequences of this action, number Of them
went on strike. Master Leahy, who is also
tive committee of the Brotherhood, made in
quiry of Grand Master Sargent as to what posi-
ton he should take in the matter, and the
answer he received was as follows:
TERRE HAUTE, Ind, Jan. 4.
Jeremiah j. Leahy-You will remain master of La
fayet6e Lodge until you resign, and your resignation
IS accepted, or charges brought against for
violating the laws of the brotherhood No budozing
on the part Of the members beengng to the Knights
If any member of the lodge is allowed be the agent
N IN our % IN strike that we have
will SO understand it. You will attend to the duties
of master of the lodge and guard her interests.
Lafayette Lodge has about go members
There are seven eight other lodges in the city
hat Will be affected by the grand masters de- |
ision
READING. Pa, Jan. 5-The coal shipments |
down the Reading road for the twenty-four /
hours ending with noon to-day were the most |
meagre of the week. and will barely cover 800 |
carloads, nearly all OF which came from indi- |
vidual collicries. B. j. Sharkey, Of Port Rich |
mond. the chairman of the Reading convention |
which ordered the railroad strike, passed |
through this city to-day. He said that the stu
alton In the coal regions such that within
twenty-four hours there would be total sus-
pension; that it was doubtful whether Mr.. Corbin
could bring about a settlement now even IL he
desired. and that he found the miners in full |
sympathy with the raIlroaders
At the companys office in this city it is
stated that the leaders of the strike entirely
mistake the temper of the miners who now
out; that many of the latter are middle aged men
who went through the long lockouts Of 1864 and
1874 and that they decidedly opposed to
sanding out in the midst of the winter. At the
Office of the company everything is reported
quiet north and south of Reading.
A telegram from Postsville says: "The
miners' strike is more complete than ever.
Hitherto the number of idle and working col
lieries has been willingly stated at the Office of
the coal and iron company To-day the officials
there said that they had been instructed not to
the reason is that there are no Reading coieriss
working at all. The best information. however,
and the Brookside, at Tower City, are stili
working. =, but with crippled forces. The
Henry Clay. Reading colliery near
because the shaft running the machinery of the
breaker broken. Two Reading collieries
the Richardson. at Glen Carbon, and the North
day, but are closed to-day on account of the
strike. One Of individual collieries, William
Penn, near Shenandoah which has been work
tinue to pay on the advanced basis pending
settlement. shut down to-day The reason is
that the miners refused to cut coal to be loaded
on cars handled by non-union men, This is the
first instance of the kind, and it goes to show
clearly that the STRIKE of the miners is not alone
also intended to help their striking brethren of
the railroad"
The fact that the managers of the miners
strike are in thorough sympathy with the rail.
readers is also shown by the following kilograms
between John III. Davis chief manager of the
miners strike, and the editor of Bradstreet's:
NEW YORK, JAM 5.
To Chairman Davis. Chairman Joint Committee of
Miners Organization, Pottsville:
Will you kindly wire what is the total number of
Reading railway employees who haTe struck. Tbs
here is that the miners promised to
give up the 8 per cent advance on Jan. i unless |
miners wages elsewhere had been advanced. Is this
sol Please telegraphsns briefly your position in this
matter. We desire to publish the facts.
ALBERT c. STEVENS, Editor Bradstreet's
PoTTsvILLE, Pa, Jan. 5.
Albert G. Stevens. Editor Bradstreet's:
Twenty thousand Reading mine-workers and about |
Is, 600 railroad men, The miners did not promise |
by implication, to give up the per cent ad. |
vance Jan. 1. Our position is, railroaders and |
miners in a common cause of right and justice.
JOHN H. DAVIS. |
Chairman Davis is in consultation tonight
with several individual operators, and while the
result of the consultation is kept secret, it is
believed that nearly all of the twenty eight in
dividual collieries will be in operation to-mor-
row. At several of their collieries the miners |
have already cut coal for cars to be run by men
have taken the places of striking railroad