Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-01-24
arr. nrcLanohlnn,s Ren1r-
GORDON, PALO PINrO COUNTY, Trx.,
To the Gaz,

To the Gazette
SIRs-I notice in your issue of the 21st
inst lengthy article in regard to the
trouble at these mines which misrepre-
SCENTS the miners. We are not now, and
never have been, pursuing an arbitrary
course. We are willing and ready TO ar
bitrate with the company, and have sig
nitied our willingness to arbitrate the
trouble on several occasions. Mr.. w. f.
Farmer of Mineola, Tex. master work.
man of District Assembly No rs, TO
which body this assembly is attached
tried to settle the trouble for us. The
company informed Mr.. Farmer that they
would not settle with us, and has said on
several occasions that they would not
employ the old miners if they would work
for 10 cents per ton.
The employees of the Palo Pinto coal
company made the following offers TO
that company: The men were TO select
one man, the company one, and those
two third, their decision to be binding.
The men offered to lease the mine from
the company and put the coal on the
railway cars for 81 40 per ton
until the output reached 100 tons
per day, as the output increased the price
for putting the coal on the railway cars
was to decrease in q stated ratio. The
company rejected both offers. The min
ers at the Texas and Pacific coal COM
panies mine are willing to settle their
trouble in the same manner, but the
company will not listen to US.
The vein of coal at this place will not
average over twenty inches in thickness,
and is worked ON the long wall plan.
The vein at Lehigh and MeAlister, 1. I.
is about four feet thick and is worked on
the room and pillar plan. The price paid
the miners at those places averages about
80 cents per ton, the vein being higher
and worked on the room and pillar plan
a man can mine more than double the
quantity of coal at those places that he
can here, consequently the price paid
here should be over double that paid at
those places; the same is true of all the
places mentioned in THE GAZETTE. This
coal being thin and hard to mine cannot
be produced at the same price as thicker
veins. The National Labor Tribune OF
Pittsburg, Pa, under whose directions
the Investigations of Mr.. Rennie was car
ried on, is not the organ of the Knights
of Labor, but on the contrary ia
one of the bitterest enemies of that order.
And the action of that paper in regard TO
our trouble is being condemned by the
VI u.
No threats of bodily harm has been made
to any person. Five of the nine Young
men whom Mr.. Rennie claims left here
for fear we would do them bodily harm
are at work in McAlister, / 4 =, they all
say they never signed the statement Mr..
Rennie claims TO have in his possession.
Not one man concerned in the strike
participated in the shooting there has
been so much talk about, the shoot
ing was done by few men
on spree, and the deputy
sheriff knew very well that he could have
gotten plenty of assistance to arrest all
parties concerned in it. No one de-
precates lawIessuess any more than the
miners themselves.
The men who came here from Penn
sylvania were practical miners, and after
a thorough examination of the mine con-
Guided we were justified in holding out
against the company, as man could
not make living at the terms offered US.
The statement that the average earn
ings of the miners under the Johnson coal
company was 81 10 per day is untrue, and
1 defy any man TO prove that it is true.
IF there is camp or bivouac of Vi
dettes here know nothing OF it, and
do not belong to any organization of any
kind but the Knights of Labor.
Efforts are being made by certain par
ties to get public opinion against Us by
circulating false reports of lawlessness,
etc., and l would advise THE GAZETTE
to send a reporter out here to ascertain
the true state of affairs. Hoping yOn
will publish this and give us far hear
ing, am yours respectfully,
DAN MCLAUGHLIN.