The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-06-12
THOUSANDS ARE HUNGRY.
More Than Five Thousand People Are Ask
ing for Means of Subsistence.
DAILY Sentinel Juoe 81

ing for Means Of Subsistence.
daily Sentinel, June 81
The great Conemaugh disaster and the urgent
appeals for immediate aid evoked by il have
so far overshadowed every other claim for
charitable assistance that the meeting held lsst
night in the criminal court room in behalf of
suffering Clay county miners was almost for
gotten. Yet about fifty big-hearted men gath
cred there and everything possible TO be done
under the circumstances was accomplished By
them. Among those present were the Rev. o.
c. McCulloch, the Hon. William P. Fishback.
Congressman William d. Bynum, Mr.. David
P. Porter, Senator Byrd of Clay county, Mr..
James Smith, l. P Custer and Messrs. Hors
ford and Gallagher, the soliciting committee,
who have been in the city for several days en-
deavoring to procure aid FOR the unfortuBats
miners.
State Senator Byrd Of Clay county was then
introduced to the meeting, and IN a short, bus
clear and forcible statement, fully set forth the
grievous causes which have led 70 the presens
deplorable condition OF the miners in his
county. No one could have heard Senator
Byrds remarks without feeling that the Clay
county miner has been more slnned agalnst
than SHINING; and the shocking Tact that hum
dreds, perhaps thousands, are starving TO DEATH
must impress the ordinary citizen with the
idea that there Is certainly a screw loose
somewhere. Senator Byrd said that the strike
in which the Clay county miners are now en-
gagged began on the lst day of May OF this year
''What induced the miners to resort 10 their
present attitude against the operators
Hitherto" Mr. Byrd said continuing bis
remarks, ''the miners and operators from the
states OF Pennsylvania ILLINOIS, ONO ana In,
diana have each elected representatives and
annual meetings have been held at which the
next years scale OF wages was agreed upon
The contracts entered into between the mlneu
and operators have lasted from the lst OF May
TO the LIST of May each year On last February
q meeting of this kind was held IN Indianapolis
for the purpose of agreeing upon the scale fot
the year from the LIST Of May, 80 to the LIST Of
May. 1890.
''rhe scale proposed was s. cents for 0itumin'
Gus coal ard 20 cents for block coal 1t has
been generally considered that the minina
of block coal is worth 10 cents more on the ton
than that OF bituminous. The operators are
right in this particular on account of the differ
ent kind of viens in which the two Goals run
The block coal runs in veins two feet eight
inches 10 four feet in thickness, and
the bltuminous from FIVE feet to eight
feet Ii can thus be seen that sD
unskiled person could easily blast out largS
quantities of bituminous coal with powder AND
n drill, but cannot do tins with block coal, 80
the VEINS are smaller. and block coal receives
large pieces Therefore one can not blast block
coal, but the laborer must lie upon his side on
the cold. damp ground, and slowly pick 1t ont.
Thus, il is clear there are potent reasons Tor
fixing the difference in price Now, the scale
OF prices for block coal for the FIRST SIX months
in the $3.50 wear. was SIC, and the last SIX
months 90c, representing a difference Of Is cents.
Therefore, when the operators at the In
dianapolis meeting offered a scale OF % 70 ~
cents on block, reduction, OF 70 cents on
the ton, the miners were unable 10 see good
reason for the reduction. They discussed the
matter for two DAYS. and finally adjourned
without reaching any agreement, to meet on
the LIST OF March at Columbus, o.
AT this latter meeting the operators with
drew from the convention without making any
proposition, thereby leaving the scale for the
present wear unfXed. The operators finally
said that they would pay 20 and IS cents
a slight increase over their previous
offer The miners would not accept
this, however, and they came home.
One mine near Knightsville said its men could
go 10 work at so cents, but the miners said that
was not fair as they had a contract until the
lst of Nav. The operators then agreed TO pay
90 cents until the LIST of May. There then en-
sued a general discussion between the miners
and operators the latter finally offering an Ill
timatum of 10 cents
"The miners then said that they would agree
10 leave the difficulty 10 an arbitration commit
Tee. proposing that they should select two men
and the operators two representatives, the four
TO select a fifth and ii this committee made
the scale either so cents, 20 cents or 50 cents,
they would stand by IT, The operators rejected
this proposition as unfair claiming snat they
couldn't get an honest fifth man and fatty re-
fused to thus settle the matter The miners
then voted to strike
These are the general causes of the strike"
said Mr.. Byrd, continuing. The bitumuous
miners and operators have adjusted scale and
the former have gone 10 work on basis OF %
and 20 cents. In consideration OF the great
difference in the mining of the two Goals there
is a great Displacement IN the operators scale
Just think OF ii, only cents. / can say frankly
and truly, from my own personal knowledge,
the miners of Clay county since the last day OF
January have not made on an average OF over
81 per week When il is said that the miners
spend their substance in riOtous living, Just
think what monstrous lie II is. just tell me
how much men can spend in this manner who
make such magnificent wages! We have 20.
600 adult miners in the block coal region and
over 900 men, women and children are at
fected bv the strike OF this latter number
5.O52 have applied for relief and they are on
our lists to-day crying and pleading for assist
ance"
ooh. I tell you, my friends" said Mr.. Byrd
in deeply earnest tones, There Is greater SUI
fering among those poor people tnsn feeble
words of mine can tell. These 1000 people
are not asking Tor the luxuries of life, but are
actually dependent for the actual necessities OF
existence. We are doing everything our
meager resources will allow us to do, but we
have now come to the point when We must ap.
neal TO the broad sympathy Of the brotherhood
of man. The wolf is at our door and his lace
is TayenOus.
eve have ten places of distribution" con-
tinued the speaker, "where we apportion ouk
daily the ratIons at our disposal-bread, coffee,
dried meat, etc. These relief districts are as
follows:
Dependents.
T.. -ai...s.A C..h.r "a