The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-04
Manufacturing Towns Threatened with
aFuel Famine Within Few Days.
Chairman Lee Proceeds to Scranton for the
Purpose of Securing Powderly's Approval,
and Coal Dealers Mark Up the Price.
THE HEADING STRIKES.
The Coal Miners Generally Obey the Order
and Most of the Coliieries Are Idle.

READING, Jan. 3.-Had the strike on the
Reading railroad proven successful and traffic
been entirely paralyzed. there could not have
been more genuine alarm throughout the great
industrial regions of the Schuylkill valley than
there is to-day. The proprietors of the large
furnaces and iron works in this section predict
that IL the mines are shut down for two weeks,
the majority of the large establishments will be
obliged to close, owing to the lack of supply Of
coal, and most of them have less than weeks
supply on hand. They gave the railroad
panies orders for coal over a month ago, but the
officials have not been able to fill them. If the
strike continues any length of time, many smaller
establishments in this city and vicinity will be
compelled to close. All the industrial cities and
towns in this section, such as Reading. Birds
boro. Norristown, Pottstown. Hamburg. and
smaller places, receive their coal over the Read
ing railroad, and with the stoppags of work at
the mines trade will be entirely paralyzed. The
Pennsylvania railroad ships very little coal to
these places. 1t is estimated that in this city
alone from 1000 to 5000 men are employed in
iron works which are in urgent need of coal.
Not one establishment has over a weeks supply.
The time between sundown and daylight is u.s.
ually the busy time for the shipment of coal over
the Reading road. The average run of cars
through this city during these hours is 1000
Last night but 1,000 wero run
down, and to-day only a few short trains
went down the road. Reports re-
ceived to-day show that of the sixty-eight
collieries in the Schuylkill region forty of the
largest of which controlled by the Reading
company but six at work. The members
of the Knights of Labor in this city. while
fusing to strike. have promised the Schuylkill
miners financial support the same as they are
giving the men in the Lehigh region. There is
a movement on foot among the business men of
this and of the Schuylkiil valley to hold meet
ing in this city and bring such pressure to bear
upon President Corbln as to cause him to con-
sent to arbitration of the miners strike, az
least It is argued that the immense Industries
of this section of the State cannot afford such
fearful paralysis of business and trade. The
strike will not only throw 10000 miners out OF
employment. but 30 900 iron-workers as well.
Reports from the coal regions through special
dispatches tonight say that while nearly all the
company collieries are idle, nearly all the indi-
vidual operators have made arrangements with
their men to resume at the advance but it is
stated that the men will now refuse to mine the
coal because it will be taken to tidewater points
by non-union train hands 1t is also believed
that the company will refuse to furnish
the individual operators with cars. Very few
in anticipation of a general shutdown of the
co'lieries four hundred railroad hands employed
il the coal-carrying trade were discharged here
tonight until full coal shipments resumed.
Reports from all over the Schuykill regions
show the strike to be very general and the
men are walking the streets attired in their
Sunday clothes They say sthat they are able
to stand long siege. The number of men and
boys thrown out of employment is estimated at
fully 10000, and with at least three long months
of cold weather ahead the outlook is anything
but cheerful, and with the strike of the Lehigh
miners it will be difficult. indeed. to prevent a
coal famine. The Reading Coal Company ex-
pect to bring down very little coal tonight,
probably 600 cars, not more. Two weeks ago
they brought down $500.
PoTTsvILLE, Jan. 3-Each hour seems to
strengthen the strikers. Now that the decisive
step is taken, the conservatives are fast becon-
ing bigoted. The war promises to be long, Bit
ter and costly. Two companies and about fif-
teen individual collieries worked to-day, but to-
morrow scarcely half this number will be in
operation. This is rather a small proportion
out of the hundred usually busy in the Schuyl-
kill region. The labor leaders jubilant at
the almost unanimous obedience to their man
date to strike. Chairman Lee, of the rail-
readers committee, to-day went to Scranton
to to personally linpoTtune f Powderly,s support;
know no bounds. The joint Knights of Labor
and Miners and Laborers' Amalgamated Asso-
citation executive committees have been in con-
tinuous session to-day. They prepared lengthy
address for the benefit of the workingmen and
the general public, to be issued in circular form,
o
olutions designating Pottsville as the head
quarters; that each local assembly is
requested to appoint or elect
responsible person in their respective localities,
who shall act and be the source of communica-
tion and business between this committee and
themselves, ana no report, rumor or publication
shall be considered authentic unless signed by
the above subcommittee, the person to be ap-
pointed by each local and branch assembly.
Each local or branch assembly shall forward to
this committee credentials for the person ap-
pointed elected
the press particularly, and the city press gener-
ally. because. as they declare. no paper yet has
openly espoused their cause, but on the contrary
all are working against the strike
The joint committee of the Miners Amalga-
mated Association and KNIGHTS of Labor met In
this city to-day and promulgated a couuter-state-
ment to that issued by President Corbin, of the
Reading road, few days ago. They declare
that the agreement for four months from last
September, signed, differs materially from
the made public. They point out that Mr..
Corbn said in his circular that the Reading
would never pay less than other companies,
and say that already eleven COMPANIES have
conceded their demands. The manifesto de-
clares that the die is cast, and that a general
strike at all the fifty five collieres of the Reading
company, and at all other collieres in this re-
gion except those conceding the per cent. ad
vance, will be inaugurated tomorrow. In addi-
ton to the Reading and various individual col
sylvania railroad} operations In the Shamokin dis
trict have gone out
SHAMoKIN, JAN 3-The miners strike went
into effect this morning at all the Phiiadelph q
& Reading company's coieries in this section,
with the exception of the North Frank
lin Nos. and g. In addition to those
at the Reading company's co!lieries, the
miners went out at the Pennsylvania, owned
by the Union Coal Company; the Enterprise,
owned by the Enterprise Coal Company. and
the Garfield owned by the Garfield Coal
Company An arrangement was entered in
to at the Nelson shaft, the Excelsior. the Hick-
ory Ridge, the Hickory Swamp and the Lam
caster collieries, whereby the propretors agree
to pay the old rate of wages until the strike is
settled The coieries idle in Shamokin
gave employment to $500 men
The Enterprise Coal Company has agreed to
pay its miners the s per cent advance demanded.
The miners at the Nelson shaft having failed
to reach amcable settlement with the pro-
prietors will strike tomorrow.
SHENANDOAH. Pa, Jan. 3-The Reading c,-
lieries are all idle here, is also the Thomas
Coal Company's mine. The proprietors Of the