New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-21
GOING BACK TO WORK.
PARTIAL RESUMPTION AT THE MINES
MANY OF THE STRIKERS REFUSE TO OBEY THE
oRDrR OF MASTER WORKMAN LEWIS
srRiNGENT RELIES AT TIE COILIRRIEe

MANY OF THE STRIKERS REFUSE TO OBEY rHf
oRDrR OF MASTER WORKMAN LEWIS
STRINGENT RULES AT ThE CoLLIsRIKs.
(Br TELKGRArH To THE TRIBUSE1.
READING Feb. 2O-Affairs among the strikinR
miners of the Schuylkill regions are IN compli-
Gated statc tonight. After an dleness OF seven
weeks, they got Master Workman Lewiss orders to
GO back to work. The result is that to-day about
one-half of the Reading Company's coiieres were in
operation and the strikers who contemplated gong
back TO work at the remainder are in an unsettled
state Men who have resumed and men who are
still on strike saw that the company has induced
them TO 60 back to work by a trick and
that Mr. Lewis was q party to it. They
now feel that Mr.. Lewis has made n complete
and unconditional surrender. Immediately upon
returning to the coleries to-day the strikers found
themselves confronted by rules in substance as
follows:
The striking miners and laborers would be take n
back diuOnally, but the company could not
guarantee in all cases 10 restore the TO their
old pos tions some cases, where the collieries
had been running, these places had been taken by
other men. The engineers who remained on duty
after he strike began and who were usrended for
refusing to do work outside OF their legitimate
duty. and whose places were supplied by
Others. will be taken back as soon as
the company can find places for them
Engineers who remained on duty after the strike
OF their legitimate dnties and for that dlsobedence
OF orders discharged from the company's ser
vice. will not be taken on again in any event. The
company docs not regard them as strikers because
they did not go ont as strikers but re-
mained on duty and refused TO obey orders which
the COMPANY deemed necessary for the preserva-
tion OF its property.
Before noon there was already an open revolt
among some of the mon. In accordan = with the
stringent rules the officials began making dis
elimination at some of the collieries OF men who
have shown themselves most active in the strike
There was general dismissal of engineers and
Others who refused 10 hoist OF handle coal during
the late effor N work the coeries with non uniOn
labor engineers and Others we're so ,l,scharced at
Ran and Kohiroor and other collieries. THIS
greatly lncenSed the miners and some te Y stopped
work Others hnlsned the dav Tonight Shenan-
doah is hlled bv an exclted body OF men
Mr.. Lewis nav be asked to order a new strike. but
il will never be generally Obeyel Some are salts
fled to remain ar work, while Others favor joining
the sinking railroaders. aud this division shows
that the strikers are hOpeleSsly beaten.
In some port ols OF the SchuvlGill regions the
men are shll out. This is true around fremont and
IN the lie X .oh 'rvllle Valley, whore the men at
collenes refu >ed TO go to work Around Donaldson
the are bitter At It. CLAIR the mine hands
refused TO 90 to work to-day Around Mahanoy
CITY, Shamotin. Locust Gap, Frackvllle. Snenan-
ally at work. This is tho situation to-nieht
The raj roader, led by John l.. ZEE are still trying
10 STIR M the dissatisfied miners.
Mr.. Lewis says: " The men have not backed
down. but on the contrary they have occurred a
recognition of organized labor ami full under
standing that laIr cOneren ;e shall be held on the
question of an advance OF wages
Neveri heless no conference about wages has been
arranged for. and The company refuses 10 receive
committees OF working nen for tins purpose.
To-day every individual crilierv which has been
announced that they would only pay the old
wage.