The Portland daily press., 1888-01-09
THE COAL REGIONS QUIET.
Assemblies of Miners Renew Their
Pledges to Stand Firm.
Wyoming Miners Will Avert the
Threatened Coal Famine.
They May be Ordered out, but Prob
ably VIII Not obey.

READING, Jan. SIT has been quiet day
throughout the coal regions. Nearly ali the
local assemblies have held meetings and re-
newed their pledges to stand firm. The COM
pany will make another effort to start up
several collieries tomorrow morning 1t is
not believed they will secure enough nom
union men. The strike on the railroad has
collapsed. and 1t is doubtful whether the
miners will continue to champion the cause
of the discharged train hands mucn longer,
especially if Corbin shows dlsposltlon 70
pay the advance asked by the miners. A
considerable quantity of coal Is now being
mined at individual collieries and sent to va
rious furnaces and rolling mills in the
Schuylkill valley.
A district assembly of the knights OF La
Reading Railroad employees, as well as the
miners, will be permanently organized sun
day next.
wyoming Miners Ordered Out.
New YORK, Jan. S.-A conference was
held Saturday night, in Jersey City, between
representatives of the various trades involv-
ed in the Reading strike. 1t was decided that
the men be ordered out of the Wyoming
mines. 1t is thought that this action will
practically stop work in the anthracite re-
gion. A prominent member Of District AS
sembly 40, said that the Knights had fully
made up their minds to fight to the end. and
will make no attempt to secure arbitration.
The closing of the Wyoming mines would
result in thousands of men being thrown out
from want of fuel to run factories and mills.
Poor Men with Large Families.
READING. Jan S.-Two thousand shop
hands in this city have refused to strike un-
less greater care is shown. In many cases
in the mining region the husbands were luke
warm, but their wives urged them to strike.
1t is estimated that the miners work only
half the working days in year, and aver
age between $500 and 5000 per annum, but
many not more than $3.50. Nearly all have
large families.
Good Words for the Men.
NEW YORK, Jan. SIN an interview today
George W. Childs said he believed the labor
er was worthy of his hire. The advance OF
Sper cent asked for by the miners should be
granted and added to the price of coal, II
there is no other way for the companies to
meet it. 1 am told it would make differ
ence of S750,C00 in the miners wages. am
of the opinion that the Reading and most OF
the other companies are ready to pay higher
wages if they could feel assured that other
componies not subjected to this increase
would not step in and undersell them, be-
lieve in organized labor and in paying the
highest price to the wage Garner possible to
leave fair margin OF profit to his employers
mot Organized.
WILKEsBARRE, Jan. S.-The miner la
borers in the Wyoming region will not be or
dered to strike. If ordered. they would re-
fuse to obey, as they are not properly organ
lied.
Profiting by the Trouble.
PHILADELPHIA. Jan, iS.-The Ledger to-
morrow will say that the anthracite coal
trade is taking advantage of the strike in
the Schnylkill district to further advance
prices for coal. Last week shippers ad-
vanced prices at the breakers from 80 to rs
cents per ton, and local retail coal dealers
increased the prices from S625 and $3.50 to
$3.50, with tendency to go still higher.
The past week shippers refused to quote an
thracite except from day to day. subject to
delay. The Pennsylvania railroad notified
its operators shipping bitumen0us coal from
the Clearfeld region that. until further no
tice, the company'S cars cannot he used In
transporting soft coal sent outside OF Penn
sylvannia or New Jersey. excepting TO NIL
existing contracts.
Saturdays Developments.
READING, Jan. 7.-Six hundred and fifty
five loaded coal cars were brought through
from the mines last night and today. OF
this number, 265 contained soft coal from the
bituminous regions. Two weeks ago today
the Reading Company transported over its
main line through this city $500 cars, or A.
600 tons of coal. The freight business has
not been affected in any way, and is about
as heavy as it was at any time previous to
the strike. Avery large number of railroad
men have been laid off by the company. The
Reading railroad officials have sent beds and
bedding to Shamokin, where the hotels and
boarding house keepers have refused to ac-
commodate non. union men. Superintendent
Lawler, of the Shamokin division, said to-
1--WE intend to get square with these peo-
ple NY men shall be fed, housed and fur
nished with comfortable quarters at any
cost"
There is no practical change in the coal re-
gions. The company has only succeeded in
starting mp three collieries, all of which are
in crippled state, only few men having
reported for duty There have been no dis
turbances reported thus far.
The Reading Company is not mining near
ly enough coal today to supply the demands
of the residents in and about the mines, and
at many places the striking miners are re-
fused coal at any price. The annual meet
ing of the company takes place In Phliadel-
phia on Monday, and it is expected that 1t
will take important action respecting the
strike. The company has determined to cut
down operating expenses. and the 1900 men
in the shops in this city will probably be cut
down to eight hours day next week.
Probably $4,000 has reached the strike COM
mittee by this afternoon, and this will be dis
tributed among the most needy miners. The
result is that the men are filled with more
determination than ever. The men say that
the stories of outrages on the company's
property are started by officials themselves.
The situation tonight is that of the forty
four company collieries, the Brookside, Lin
coin and Tunnel Ridge were alone in opera
tiop today, with about one-fourth their usual
hands. Statistics taken today place the
number Of idle miners at 21,7S3.
Coal Enough for Month.
WILKEsBARRE, Jan. 7-There is no change
in the great mine strike. The Knights of
Labor of Lczerne, the largest county in the
anthracite field, have issued an appeal for
aid for the strikers. The miners who are at
work in the Wyoming regions are asked to
contribute to the support of the Lehigh min
ers, who have Deen ON strike more than three
months. When the Schuylkill miners were
at work they contributed largely to the Le-
high strikers, but since they themselves have
struck they cannot give aid to their Lehigh
brethren, but will have their hands full in
keeping the wolf from their own doors.
They profess to be able to do this for some
months. al
Ali the collieries iu the Wyoming valley
are working day and night. Miners are
making as high as $3.50 day. If the pres
ent strike lasts a week longer it win not pc
felt to any extent in the coal market. The
Wyoming and Lackawanna valleys can mine
enough coal to prevent famine for at least
a month to come. After that, especially If
there should be real cold weather, it is hard
to tell how the situation will be. One thing
is certain; that is that there will be no coal
famine. Coal may go away up in price, but
there will always be lenough in the market
for those who are willing to pay for it. The
miners in the Wyoming and Lackawanna
valleys, who number 10000, can mine enough
coal to supply the domestic demand in the
Eastern States.
Governor Beaver Talks.
uApprcpupn pa Ian. 7-(1Oy. Beaver