Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-07-14

requested a conference with the officials OF
the great labor organization, and it was
granted. About 10 o'clock Sheriff Nc
Candless, after having had talk with the
representatives of the firm of Carnegie,
mated headquarters
He just Jumped In.
Here he found President Weihe, Secreta-
nv Martin, Trustee James H. McNutt aud
and several other leading members of the
organization. The situation was discussed
for time, and the best means to prevent
bloodshed were the main features of the
conference. The Sheriff asked what the men
really considered essential, and President
Weihe informed him, in very emphatic Ian
guage, that the scale as arranged by the
firm was unfair, or at least was so regarded
by all the workmen, and that their men
would not and could not work at these
wages under any circumstances.
''Tell me what 1 can do; 1 will do any
thing you say-anything if it will prevent
trouble" said the Sheriff
The firm has denied us q conference, and
issued what its members term their ulti-
matum," said President Weihe. eve
have nothing more to ask. The scale is un-
fair, and we positively cannot accept it."
''If they will consent to a conference, and
agree to modify the scale, will you agree to
meet them and try to arrange scale that
will be satisfactory to both sides?" asked
the Sheriff
"we =. tainly will; but, understand, we
do not solicit any conference, but ii they
are willing to meet us and talk the matter
over we will not refuse to do So" was Presi-
dent Weihe's response.
Why They Were TO Wait.
After some further discussion of the mat
ter, the Sheriff said "Wait here few mo-
ments, and will bring you an answer"
He ran down the stairs, and, jumping into
his buggy drove to the offices of Carnegie,
Phipps & Co. on Fifth avenue, and laid
the matter before Chairman Abbott and
other members of the firm. The conversa-
tion that occurred cannot be given; but
the result was that the Sheriff drove back
to Amalgamated headquarters and invited
the officials 10 accompany him. They went
with him to the Carnegie Office where very
earnest and grave consultation was held
about midnight The company agreed to
make some concessions, and to hold another
conference. This was, for the interval, sat
isfactory, and the time was fixed for 9
o'clock in the morning. When this had
been accomplished the Sheriff departed,
hoping that matters would be satisfactorily
arranged, and that the mill wonld soon be
in operation.
One of the most startling and important
4bo4 Iod 20 ba = h.
part OF the Carnegie firm occurred, but was
kept an absolute secret, on Friday after
noon. The firm is evidently crowded with
orders at the Homestead mill, and some of
them must be filed at once. The firm has
signed the scale for the upper and lower
Union Iron Mills at Twenty-ninth and
Thirty-thIrd streets and they are in opera
tion at the prices fixed by the'Amalgamated
Association.
Won't Roll Pound of IL.
In order to clear up the pressing orders
at the Homestead mill, the boss rollers in
the 2O-inch mills of these two works-Sam
Waitneight and John Mills-were ordered
to go on double turn Monday, presumably
on Homestead orders. These are the only
men IN the mill who are competent to do
this work, and, as they are good Amalga-
mated men, their answer was:
1--WE will not work pound of steel on
Homestead orders, or on work to relieve
Homestead, until the trouble with the men
there is settled
This, in addition to the exertions of the
Sheriff. had much to do with the granting
of the conference which was held Yesterday.
h. II
the best skilled workers in the Amalga-
mated Association, and it will be almost
impossible to fill their places.
But there is one more fact, that started as
rumor, but was confirmed and clinehed by
THE DISPATCH Friday night, namely:
The Twenty-ninth and Thirty-third street
Union Mills of the Carnegie firms, with
their nearly 900 workmen all told, were to
be ordered out, and the preliminaries of the
edict lad actually gone forth. The Anal
gamated officials were as earnest as any of
their subordinates in determining that, if
this was to be fight to the death, one side
or the other would have to "die game"
How They Looked Upon IL.
The Amalgamated leaders considered it as
much a release from their union mills
scale for Carnegie to refuse his other Am al
gamated employees justice, as it would have
been had he broke faith or refused to recog-
nize any single department obligation in
mill where the scale was actually signed
They had, therefore, arranged to have the
5000 Pittsburgers come out and join their
Homestead brethren for "a fight to the
finish"
All this, be it borne in mind, had taken
place prior to Sheriff McCandIess suggest
ing and seeking the conference which the
Amalgamated Association leaders did not
feel at liberty to solicit. That midnight
conference resulted in an immediate truce,
pending further parley-so great and COM
plete truce that the Philadelphia thugs
and Pinkerton guards en- route-some of
them at the very doors of Homestead-were
halted and told to await further orders
before moving another step.
What happened yesterday is we'll and
completely told in other articles in these
columns. But the facts plainly narrated
in this article-facts entirely in the possess
sion of The DISPATCH Friday night-are
what brought thewhole truce about They
would have been fully published yesterday,
but that the Sheriff and Secretary Martin
insisted the publicity would constitute such
an obstacle to a truce as must result in a
conflict and slaughter before night That
danger has been for the time removed.