The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-05-18
TROUBLE FEARED.
Bitter Feeling in Washington
Mining Districts.
COlOred Men Engaged to Take the Places
Of the White Strikers.
The Negroes Guarded by Force Of Plnk6F-
toms Mel-IntelSe Excitement
Among Labor Organizations.
Special to THE MORNING CALI.

SEATTLE, May 17.--At 1 o'clock yester-
day morning 400 negro miners, with their
families. making in all $50 persons, arrived
at Stone Siding, small station on the
Northern Pacific, two miles west of Palmer.
They will be Immediately marched across
the mount ain trail into the mining camp of
Franklin, where they will be put in posses
sion of houses and tents owned by the
Oregon Improvement Company, and will bs
guarded by Pinkerton men, who will pro-
tect them from the white miners If they at
tempt violence. These negroes were re-
cruited at Hannibal, Mo-. by T. B. Corey.
superintendent OF the miners, and have
been brought here secretly TO take the
places of white miners, with whom the
company has had great deal Of trouble.
About six weeks ago Superintendent
Corey attempted to force an obnoxious con-
tract on the miners employed in the mines
and strike was the result The company
then withdrew the contract and Corey re-
signed, Ostensibly for the purpose of going
East to take a railroad position. A new
Superintendent named Williams was ap-
pointed and the men returned to work on
the old terms.
About two weeks ago dispatches from
Illinois stated that Corey was there secur-
ing laborers. and distrust was aroused
among the miners, but their fears were
afterward allayed by the announcement
that Corey had taken the position of Super
intendent on a Georgia road. While the
miners were thus feeling secure, Corey was
getting negro laborers together in Missouri.
He took them quietly to ST. Paul, where
they were put on a special train and rushed
through.
Yesterday morning the Seattle papers
contained a dispatch from Helena saying
that $50 cOlOred men had passed through for
the Washington coal mines. Then Tie eX-
oltement became intense in labor circles.
Delegations were rushed to every mining
camp in King County to warn the miners.
As soon as the news reached the Newcastle
mines the miners went out, refusing to
work longer for company that would EN-
pOy negroes 10 crowd out white men.
The Knights Of Labor held meeting last
night, but refused 10 disclose what was
done. 1t was not known where the negroes
were to be taken until late last night, when
it was made known that Franklin was the
objective point AS the matter now stands,
every mine of the company is closed down.
AT Franklin there is intense excitement and
very bitter feeling. An effort is being made
by conservative men TO hold the cars
back, but II Is thought there VIII De serious
trouble. Committees will first endeayOr to
persuade the negroes to refuse TO go to
Work, and if they fail they may in despera-
ton take the most desperate measures.
Manager G. j. Smith, when seen last
night, said that the Oregon Improvement
Company had determined TO rid itself of the
necessity of bOwing to every caprice of the
labor unions; that the negroes would be put
in the mines and they would be protected, if
it took more guards than miners for their
protection. Detective NJ. c. Sullivan now
has a large force Of Pinkerton men at
Palmer and will march them to Franklin
with the negroes. Deputy SheriffS and
United States Marshals are also said to be
there.
A special to the Post -Inteligencer from
Franklin. Wash, says the negro miners
who arrived early this morning to work in
the coal mines of the Oregon Improvement
Company started on their march from the
station to the mining camps soon after their
arrival. Including women and chill
dren there are 675 in the party. Seventy
five guards armed with Wincnesters met
the train, but before the march of the army
of labOreTs began many of them were sup
Piled with guns. No attempt to modest
them was made, and they were soon placed
in possession OF the houses and tents pro-
vided for their use near the mines. Many
of the miners wives gathered around the
colored people and shouted derisiYely.