The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-07-14
COST OF THE STRIKE.
How All Branches of Business
Have Shared 1t.
AsTREAM OF WEALTH DRIED UP
The Losses of the Miners. Mine-Owners,
Railroads, ship-0wners, Mer-
chants and Employees.

Jtisnot NECESSARY 10 do more than go among
Che business men OF the city and inquire how
Che coal miners strike has affected business In
general to learn how farreacbing have been its
effects Regardless OF the merits oil the question
in controversy, the tertimony OF all, whether
directly or indirectly interested in the operation
Of the mines is that the strike has injured bust
ness in almost nil its branches and they give
facts and figures to sustain the assertion. A
strike Is very bad thing to have. This is what
they ell -nine-owners. miners, railroad
men, storekeepers merchants, longshoremen,
coaI-handIers. shfp-owners, seanen and the
bankers who handle the money for all OF these
The present strike damned up the stream OF
wealth at its source, where il comes from the
bowels of the earth, and like the trees on dried
up rivers bank, every branch OF trade along its
course 70 the ocean of consumers has suffered
from the lack OF the nourishment which 1t had
afforded.
TO begin at the beginning. Last September
the Oregon Improvement Company stopped
working the old slope at Franklin and confined
5ts operations to the sinking of new slope and
driving of tunnels on the coal vein. That threw
out OF work about $50 miners, and the pay roll
dwfndlcd from about $4,000 month to about
one-ffth OK that sum. Then in the middle OF
March came the strike at Gilman, which threw
out about 800 men at the mines and ten or
twelve in the city, and cut off from $4,000 to
$4,000 q month from the outgoings for wages.
The strike at Newcastle began on April I, but
was settled for the time being, after week or
two OF idleness. The arrival of the negroes on
May II was the signal for general strike at that
place, Newcastle, Black Diamond. Cedar Mount
ain and the Clay mine, and over 80 men were
thrown idle. This prevented over $4,000 a
month, which would have been paid In wages at
ths mines, from going into circulation in this
community.
But wien the operation OF the mines ceased,
che business of the railroads shrank In volume.
About 100 men among the train crews OF tho
Lake Shore and Columbia & Puget sound rail-
roads were thrown idle and about $3.50
month, which would have been paid them in
wages, failed to 60 into circulation. The Ore
gon Improvement Company, In order to devote
al fts resources to the operation of its
mines, shut down its machine shop In this city
and thus threw out eighty-four men, to whom
shout IS 900 month was being paid in wages
Though the shop was put in operation three
weeks later, IL ran only hslf-time, and thus the
pay roll for June dwindled TO about s., ZOO The
game company laid off oil its section hands aud
The ballasting crew OF $50 men which was at
work on the Seattle & Northern railroad was
discharged. BY thus curtalling expenses this
company, which had been paying out about
$4,000 q month from the city office among
train hands. wharfngers, coal handlers, dock
men and mechanics. reduced its payments for
wages 10 the minimum.
The commerce of the port has suffered greatly
In consequence of the diminution of coal ship
ments aud also of the local sales to tug and
other boats which made practice OF coming
here for fuel. The Cedar River Coal Company
has two vessel lying idle, ono here, the Detroit,
and the other at San Francisco. Those two YES
sells would have taken at least $500 tons per
month. The Black Diamond Coal Mining Com
pany has two vessels idle which would have
taken 900 tons per month. The Seattle Coal
and Iron Company had been shipping at the rate
OF two cargoes q month, making about 5000
tons more. No less than two vessels per
month on an average would bs loaded
IN addition TO those six, making 1900 tons more.
Then the Pacific Coast Steamship Companys
steamers would have taken about 10000 tons pe-
month for cargoea and fuel; the Willamette
Z. 500 tons. and Getz Bros line about 1900 tons
on an average. This makes a total OF IS, 900 tons
per month and 1000 tons for tho two months
during which the trouble has been in existence.
in addition TO this. various other vessels such as
the Michigan. the Mexico, the City of Topeka
and vessels belonging 10 the Pacific Coast
Steamship Company's line would probably
have made trips for coal II they could have Sc
cured 1t, as the opportunities for cargoes up
from San Francisco have been very favorable.
The loss In local sales TO tug and other boats
cannot be estimated A large number OF those
that formerly came here for their fuel have been
forced to go to Nanaimo or Tacoma and mos, OF
Che local tugs have had to use wood, causing
she owners considerable annoyance and, most
Of them claim, additional expense
The loss to ship-owners and TRANSPORTATION
companies that have been engaged in the coal
carrying trade has also been very great, As
stated above, some OF the ships have been living
Idle and tho steamers have been going down
light The aggregate loss in this respect will
not fall much short OF 10000.
The loss to the longshorsmen who trim the
steamships when they take eargoes here Is also
large. IL costs nom Is to 20 cents per ton TO
trim vessel with coal. Then the extra wort az
trimming sailing vessels when they are in a
hurry and want to run a night crew. n. thew
usually do when there is plenty of coal aud
good demand, all taken together, would amount
20 sum close on to 5000 per month.
TWO crews of seamen, the crews Of the Detroit
and Spartan, have been idle about sir veeks
making loss to them of about 1850.
These arc but instances OF the los, from tho
time the coal reaches the bunkcrs in seattle
The loss TO the Columbia 4 Puget sound and the
eeattls. Lake Shore Il Eastern railroads. which
bring the coal TO Seattle, is a very considerable
sum.
The falling OF In coal receipts has been xe,v
marked. In October, 1880, the first month after
che shutdown, the shipments from Franklin
were LIS tons against 4,so tons in the preyiou.
month, aud from that time the quantity de-
creased 10 eight tons in April. In Nav. when
the mine was again put in operation, the shin.
nents were i,oSl tons. and in June s51I tons
the largest total since the shutdown. Newcas-
sle shipped Il, COS tons In April but in Nav dur
fkas 4xfa hsNrr
e,6as tons, and In June. when ready coal was
shipped and operation was resumed with new
men, the shipments were only ISIS tons. From
BLACK diamond the monthly average had been
about io,VoO tons, but no shipments have been
made since the strike, except of about Is.0Oo
cons, which was stored In the bunkers Cedar
Mountain had been shipping about $500 tons
mouth, but has shipped none for two months
Gilman had shipped none for over three months
until new men were pat in the mine IL had
previously shipped abou, 5000 tons month.
II is safe TO say that the greater proportion Of
the money which would have been Maid IN
wages would have been expeuded in this city
Or In the purchase Of goods az the mines which
had been bought from Seattle merchants The
coal companies purchase the bulk of their snn-
plies and goods for their stores IN seattle. This
Is distinctly policy of the oregon lmnrnys.
ment Company. which buys % per cent OF its
rupplies here, only sending away for goods
y hieh cannot be procured here The purchases
pf supplies Tor the mines and stores voald have
amounted 60 from saS,oo0 90 so0o n
month during the lsst two months. III
OF the falling OF at FRANKLIN
Iince the shutting down Of the old slope lsss
and a. Gilman from the middle of
March until the strike became general n. the
middle OF May. The strike has caused this traae
o decrease at least - per cent Purchases had
zen largely diminished because the expeeta.
ION of trouble was motive for allowing stocks
o run down at the mines The value OF busf-
less OF this nature to this city can be appreciated
,ecause il is an absolute gain. fer the money
Ices net have to be repaid like money loaned
or building purposes