The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-05
STATUS OF THE BIG STRIKE
Effect of the Stoppage of Coal-Mining
Begins To Be Felt in Various Ways.
President COrbin Threatens to Employ New
Men Unless the Strikers Return to Work
No Signs of Weakening on Either Side.


ners in the employ Of the Philadelphia & Read
ing Coal and Iron Company and individual ope-
rators in the Scnuylkill region has barely begun,
but the cry of scarcity of coal is already heard
here. The protracted strike of the Lehgh ope-
fatives and the cutting off of the supply from
that region had tendency to tax the output Of
the rest of thu anthracite fields severely. and the
supplies on hand in this State have in many in
stances, fallen far below the requirements of
dealers. II has been known for some time past
that the Reading Railroad Company has lately
been unable to meet the demands of its line and
city trade, and the suspicion has been
freely expressed that coal for customers on
its route has been diverted by the company o
= its own Inquiries in all quarters of the
city to-day show the retail yards either COM
paratively bare Of coal or their supply is gener-
ally below that usually carried at this season.
Many dealers announce that they will not sell
more than one ton of coal each order, and
that the price has advanced 80 to rs cents per
ton. Should the strike in the Schuylkill be an
extended it will not be long before thou
ssnds of iron-workers will be thrown out of en-
ployment for want of coal
President Corbin had a consultation with
General Manager Mcleod and General Superin-
dent Sweigard. to-day, at the Office of the Read
ing Railroad Company, and agreed upon an ad-
dress to the miners ordering them back to work.
If they refuse. Mr. Mcleod said their places
would be filed by men, who could be OBJ
tanned in great numbers from other parts of the
country. He said there was change in the
situation, and that things were working just
about the same as they were on Tue sday. When
asked If there was any danger of a coal famine
the general managers reply was, mot as YETI
President Corbin having said in his recent
address to the miners that the Reading com pany
would never pay its men less than other compa-
vasA o1~ TT.ll
the per cent advance by individual operators
In the Sc huylkili region have any effect upon
the Reading companys policyp' IL don't te
answer that question to-day said Pres ident
Corbin.
mass meeting, under the auspices OF the
Reading strikers, was held here o-night, and
resolutions were passed denouncing the Reading
management for employing Pinkerton's detect
ives: charging it with impeding the traffic of
the State by refusing to meet it's employees
amicably, and calling all merchants and bust
ness men to boycott the road.
READING. Jan. 4-The fact that there is a
coal-miners' strike in the Schuylkin regions is
already perceptible all along the main line and
branches OF the Reading railroad. There is
fearful stagnation in the coal traffic. During
the twanty-four hours ending with noon to-day.
but ZOO cars of coal were through this city,
In place of the accustomed 5000 and 900
In that time The discharge of 400 men
ployed in the coal traffic the Reading railroad
last night it is believed. will be followed by
many others in few days. The company en-
5ploys 800 men, made up into 400 crews,
points, and not one fourth of these will be re-
,Quired If the individual operators alone continue
working. It's learned at the office of the company
lin this city that il will furnish individual collier
ties for the present, all the empty they need
and haul their coal, although no contract has
been made with them. The company is mining
hardly enough coal for it's own purposes and
| all that is now sent down comes from collieries
operated by private parties, but their output
will not near supply the cities and towns, and
numerous industrial establishments in the
tSchuylkill valley alone Many
: hopeful that the Pennsylvania railroad may
fleve the urgent necessities of this section.
The superintendent of the Pennsyl vania road.
DIR. Reed of this city. says that the company is
now hauling 900 tons OF coal day, and that
pthis capacity could be increased to 900 tons.
The general impression in this city is that the
miners employed in individual collieries will
also strike when they find that it is being hauled
=, by non-union trainmen.
All the Reading company's forty-fve mines
ere stopped, and 20 600 miners at least are idle.
Some place the number of idle men high
so. 600 in the Schuylkill basin alone, which,
with 20 900 in the Lehigb, make the number
quite formidable.
.Farne. of the executive committee of the Read
ing strikers came to Scranton to-day to put
their before General Master Workman
IPowderly, but be was not well enough to con-
feider the matter. and it referred to the gen.
eral executive board at Philadelphia. Dir.
Powderly is said TO have denied with strong
emphasis, that be had at any time expressed
opinion adverse to the action of the strikers.
PoTTsvILLE, Jan An the Schuylkil region
there are twenty-eight individuals and forty
four Philadelphia and Reading collieries in work
ing order. besides number of Lehigh collieries.
-Four of the company and eighteen of the indivi-
dual concerns worked to-day, the individual pay
ling the advance, and the company continuing
che old scale. General Siegfred's Herbine |
collIery worked on Tuesday at the old rate. but |
quit to-day and will start tomorrow at the ad |
vance, likewise Lawrence and Brown. Most of |
the remaining eight individuals will |
grant the advance and start working in
day two. This will leave the |
coal and iron company to fight the labor-battle
alone. They accept the issue, and at a meeting |
of the six coal and iron district superintendents
Superin sendent Veith, it decided to await |
the return Of their employees to work, and to
who want to be employed. 1t was the opinion
of the superintendent that majority Of miners
wanted to work but were in fear of the labor
agitators' wrath and their companions derision.
1r is thought the men will come to their
senses after a few days of idleness. Most of the
individual coeries working continue to ship
TO start several other of its mines this week,
and claims that there is strike. At the Office
of the railroaders' committee it is claimed that
the miners are out in sympathy with them. At
the miners headquarters it is declared that the
strike is simply one of the wage question. "But
will the miners cut coal to be handled by seab
railroadersi" asked the reporter. THAT ques-
ton will be considered when we have got this
out OF the way. don't think that there is any
disposition to conplicate matters"
The Schuylkill men fear that the Lehigh men
viii become disheartened and go back to work,
and bring ruin on the plans of the leaders. There
10 no doubt also, that in the Lehigh region this
strike has been used as a powerful lever. 1t
has been poin ted out to the more influential
strikers there that with supplies from the
Schuylkill region cut off the Lehigh men have
no hope of sustaining the strike and that If
they will go to work they will be treated with
A Lehigh official boosted yesterday that few
days would settle the strike there, and the con-
viction is forced on the men at home, that this
meant disaster to them. They are doing what
they stop the tide, and secretary Cahill
reports that he is in daily receipt of goodly
contributions toward the Leheh men, notwitn-
standing the strike here at home.
Donaldson, Jan. THE knights of Labo
employed at the collieries in this vicinity held
elk hours session last night and adopted resoiu-
tons mot to return to work until compelled to
deyour their boot-tops soaked in brine"
1nh mia n.llrn A. hath tNa