The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-12-16
Mortgaging Their Homes for Food and Cloth.
ing with the Intention of Carrying on
the Strike TO the Bitter End.
Federation President Gompers on the
Eight-HOur and Other Labor Questions.
Telegraphers' Strike Assuming Serious Phase
Proposed Combine of All Railway Or
anizatiOns-Printers Locked Out.
dORTGAGING THEIR HOMES.

Striking Miners Forced TO This Alternative
to Obtain Food for Their Families
Special TO the Indianapolis Journal
BRAZIL Ind. Dec. 15-The strike con-
tinues without any perceptible show for q
settlement The miners declare they will
remain out and fight the battle 80 the bit
ter end, alleging that should the operators
succeed in freezing them out this time
there would be no prospect in the future Of
receiving an advance. Several miners are
scattered here and there in the block-coal
mines, working at the old price. When ac-
cused of ''black-legging" they bitterly
deny the charge, claiming they are work
ing in accordance with a contract they
made with the operators last May. The
report that an Austrian was taken
from o mine near Perth and
rope tied around his neck and
severely punished is denied by the citizens
of that locality. The AustrIans are very in
dignant over the affair and claim they will
not "black-leg" under any consideration.
Harry OConnor, q prominent miner of
Perth. was in the city this morning. In an
interview, he said the men that were
"black-legging" were Americans, being men
who owned farms. They farm In the sum-
mer and dig coal in the winter. lie said
they were not forced to work as they wero
In good circumstances. The strike already
has lasted six weeks, and many of the
miners had comparatively nothing when it
was lnaugurated, and as the distri buttons
from their association have been very
small, many families are in a destitute
expected here to-day, but has failed TO
materialiZe and fear exists among the
needy miners, who are aDxiously waiting
for their scanty share, that IL will not
reach here for several days. Just what the
outcome OF the present trouble Will be Is
hard to conjecture. The miners who have
homes. which took several years OF hard
labor TO secure. are mortgaging them TO
merchants for food and clothing. Those
who have no homes are in bad shape.
dispatch from Terre Haute says: The
main reliance of the miners In this strike
has been the ability TO remain idle longer
than the operators might be able or willing
to let their capital be still When the
strike had been formally iDdorsed by the
authorities of the national organization OF
the United Mine-workeTs. three weeks ago,
an appeal was made &c all miners at work
for financial aid. Those IN other Stats
and miners who were at work in this State
to stand an assessment OF cents ton on
all coal they mined. thus giving
to the strikers the cents increase
asked and obtained in some mines. More
than one thousand miners are at work in
this State. To-day $50 was received from
the miners at Washington. Ind. the first
from the State, and 1t was much less
than was expected by this time that it
caused feeling of regret. not TO say dis
cOuragement. The miners have been COM
paratively cheerful up TO this time. though
they are on short rations. but that was only
what they expected when they unani-
mously voted to strike. Much of the
cheerfulness however has been due 10 the
hope of financial relief through the sources
of the organization. The national organi-
zation was short of relief funds when the
strike was endorsed, owing TO the pxo-
longed strike in the PIttsburg district,
which followed closely on the disastrous
strike for eight hours last May.
War TO the Knife at Crested Butte.