Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-01-04
THE GREAT STRIKE.
BoTH SIDES DsryRMrNED TO STAND
FIRM.
Contradictory Statements by the Rail-
readers ard strikers-Tho Probabilities
Of a Coal Famine, &C. &c.
icy telegraph to the pIspatch.l


PHILADELPHIA, January 3.-The great
railroad strike is still on and II is charac-
ierized 10y the same determination Of
both sides TO stand firm that has
marked it from the beginning. AT the
various depots and stations in the city
there IS the stereoiyped statements that
the business OF the road is proceeding rs
smoothly as could be wished, and this
statement is as uniformly contradictea
by the strikers. who state that The Reading
company do not make public the actual
number Of men on the strike and that
they are crippled in all the departments
for lack OF proper workmcn TO handle
the traffic of the road. So far as dis
cernable to the non-professiOnal OBJ
server. the work of receiving and de-
livering freight is progressing as usual
at all the depots and whaIves in the city.
The railroad officials say the appiica-
tons outnumber the vacancies two TO
one.
At Port Richmond everything remains
with little or no change. At the Knights
headquarters in tins place there is con
slant and earnest effort TO make clear
the cause of the strike, which they allege
has nothing TO do with the discharged
crews who refused to handle the Taylor
Brothers stuff, but is wholly based on the
discrimination INDUCED III by the com
pany against the Knights of Labor which
has resulted in the discharge Of hundreds
of men simply because they were
prominent in the order.
Although the stock of coal on hand
in the Reading company's Port Rich
mond yards is almost exhausted, the
agents of the company are firm IN their
expression of the belief that there is no
danger of coal famine. The yards at
that shipping point contain but 2l,5OO
tons of all kinds of coal. the largest
amounts being egg and chestnut There
is no broken or stove coal on hand.
THE MOVEMENT OF COAL FOR CINCINNATI.
PITTSBURGH, Pa, January 3.-About
half q million bushels OF coal will get
ont tonight for Cincinnati ana Louis
vile, and probably as much more will be
shipped tomorrow morning. This Will
be about the extent of the river ship
ment on the present rise. Over seven
millions bushels OF coal were ready Tor
shipment, but the operators were unable
to get it below Davis-lsland dam on
account of the heavy ice, which pre-
vented the lowering OF the wlckets'
The Government officers at the
dam worked necessarily for near
" forty-eight hours trying to low
or the wickets, but were unsuccessful.
The ice was carried in large cakes under
the dam, and about Thirty of the wickets
were thrown into the wrong direction, pre-
senting a formidable obstruction to the
passage Of boats The dam is badly dam
AGED, but to what extent will not be
known until next summer, as nosattempt
will be made to raise the wickets until
that time. This was the first opportu-
nifty the coal men have had to ship coal
bv the river for eight months, and the
failure of the wickets to work has occa-
stoned considerable grumblng.
A JOINT MANIFESTO.
PorrsvILLE, Pa, January 3.-The
Joint committee of the Miners Anal
gamated Association and Knights OF
Labor met in this city. The result OF
their deliberations was the prOmulgatlon
of a counter statement setting forth the
miners side of the negotiations resulting
in the wages agreement Of September
18th and their view of the true inter
probation OF that agreement. This
manifesto presents the manifesto OF
agreement prepared by the Joint COM
mittee and submitted TO General Manager
Whiting. and which it is claimed was ac-
cepted by him, and also copy OF the
agreement of September 18th, as already
published, in which there are important
variations and which it is claimed were
made by Whiting "either by design or
mistake"
The manifesto proceeds as follows :
"Corbin's circular ignoring both parties
TO the agreement was sent to the men
with the purpose. We believe, OF creating
dissentions. That this purpose has
failed and that the employees are as a
unit in this demand for a removal OF the
agreement is evidence that We acted IN
such manner as to gain the approval OF
those whom we have the honor TO repre-
sent. Corbin SAYS: 1T will be impossible
for this company TO pay more for It's
labor than other companies do, but this
company will never pay less than other
companies pay Up to publication OF
this circular this committee has had
agreements sent it by no less than
eleven mining companies and individual
operators who signed to pay the wages
asked for 10y us"
In conclusion the manifesto says: "ln
August last, when the demand was made
and the question was under discussion,
Whiting suggested that the men continue
at work, and that the matter could he
arbitrated, but in the present affair Cor
bin allows no such privilege nor makes
any such offer, hence there is no alterna-
tive for the men but to accept the prof
fered reduction or quit. Let the public
Judge of this whole question upon Its
merits.
GENERAL STRIKE At THE CoLLIERIES.
PorrsvIILR, PA, January 3.-The
manifesto issued tonight by the joint
committee of the Miners Amalgamated
Association and the Knights of Labor
declares that the die is cast and that a
general strike at all fiity-fve col
iierics of the Reading company and
at all other collieries in this region
exceDt those conceding the 8 per cent.
advance will be inaugurated tomorrow
morning. The five Reading colllerles
which continued in operation had barely
sufficient men at work 20 keep up "A
nominal operation, and all these will
shut down tomorrow. In addition TO
the Reading and various individual col
lieries all the mineral mining companies
- i'll. II o.,o,otC,s IN