The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-05-16
Six Hundred Southern Darkies on
Their Way to Washington
Coal Mines.
Farm Hands Gathered From All
Sections to Take the Places
Of Strikers.
~ R,duced Rates to tho Knights of
Pythias Meeting at M~fssoula-Gen
eral News of the Railways.

arNnraion train OF ten cars Woulo arrive ~
1000. and with the news came orders to
have at the depot q lot Of eatables. Fol
lnv,nU tho instructions, Bach, Cory d Co.
ssnt down q lot of tea. coffee and tobacco,
vhile Owen Evans, proprietor OF the
Vienna cafe, loaded a big wagon with 6oo
leaves Of bread and was at the depot with
q when the train pulled in. Both at the
mr.. town office and at the station the I'M
rreusion was that the excursion was II OF
homeseekers, on their way to Washington.
Yardmaster McDermott had everything
claar for the train, which was bulletined as
= double header, and which left st. Paul on
Wednesday. Th news had become noised
abroad that q big excursion was coming
through, and quite a crowd had collected
on the platform to see the people. Promptly
on time the excursion pulled in, n to the
surprise of every one it proved to
be made mp entirely of colored people.
There we're ten car loads of them, n the
instant the train stopped there was a rush
al 900 or 400 to the nearest drinking places.
INQUIRY among the men developed the
fact that they we're in ignorance OF their
destination, some saying they were going
n work on farms, others that they hired
for railroad work, and still Others hat they
did not know just where they were going.
The party was organized by a man named
Cory, and we're in charge OF j. Is. Trout
man. Asked as to the destination of the
marty. Troutman refused to say or to give
any information whatever. Later an INDIE
representative joined a group of
the men and was asking one of them about
the trip, and what they expected to do in
the west. Troutman, noticing it, came up
and said the newspaper man must not talk
TO the men; that he would not have 1t. he
ply being made that ne was powerless
10 prevent it. he became very much ex-
cited. and rushing off, brought up a big
DARCY, wearing a cap with a red ribbon on
Il. on which was printed in gold letters,
ssPolics." Troutman ordered the 'police-
mnn' not to allow any of the men to talk
70 white people. This the men resented,
one Of them saying they had no sold
themselves. and for a little while it looked
rs though serious trouble would ensue, but
the s.policeman" pulled the man away, ano
that ended it.
81 this time there were fifteen or twenty
white people on the platform. and the peo,
pie in charge of the train could not watch
them all. There were between $50 and 7U
of the negroes, most or them young. strap.
ping fellows, and for the distance they hac
travelled. presented a very decent appear
ance. There was a lack of hard-lookino
cases among them, and this was explained
by a ~cleanly young fellow, who was thu
most intelligent of IN OF the men. dc
said that the men came from various sec
tons; from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas
Missouri, Indiana and Illinois. Light car
loads had been made up at Hannibal, Mo.
composed of county lads, who die
not need much persuasion to come ives
and try their fortunes, as a free ride ant
free meals were thrown in. Two cars hal
been made up in St. Paul and Chicago
fsThere are between thirty and forty womel
in the party" he said, land. take them al
together, it is a very decent crowd. No
over a half dozen know where they are &C
ing, and l am one of that number. nj
Cory advertised for men to work IN tn
think they are going whore there is a lac
of help, and not to take the places of strll
ers. | know differently. We are bound
the koslyn coal mines, in Washington
where there has been a strike and where tt
mines are now idle. 1t may be that the o.
hands have all gone away and there will
no trouble, but it not it will be pretty tons
on these black fellows, who come out he
without a dollar and will either ha
to work where they are told
starve. None are coal miners, me
of them being farm hand.
Beyond the fact that they are not alloWt
to talk to white people, the men said tn
were we'll treated on the trip. Some hs
dozen were sick, and all the attention pc
sible was given them. After a lay over
half an hour the train pulled out, expects
to be at it's destination Sunday mornir
Quite a number dropped off on the road
tween st. Paul and Helena, six of th'
slipping away here.
That the destination of the men is
Roslyn coal mines there ia no question. I
nearly a year there has been trouble tn
between the workmen and the owne
Last summer an attempt was made to We
Cinnamon in the mines, and the result
a riot in which q number of people were
iured. After that Italians were employ
but not q sufficient number could be
cured. These 600 colored men are undou
eddy to be added to the force now at VIC
Cannot Get Reduced Rates.
Despite the best efforts of Jacob Lie
Grand kaaner of racordS and seals of