The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-03-21
xzruHx OF sHERrvr wooLrnr.



Uo Does Not Think There VIII he Seri-
Gus Trouble at Gilman.
Sheriff Woolery returned from Gilman
yesterday evening, where he had gone to
Inquire into the trouble among the miners
who are employed in the Seattle Coal and
Iron Company's mines at that place. He
places no credence In the rumor that seri-
ous trouble 10 about to result, and says
that he went about the mines and talked
with the miners and found them in no way
Inclined to using force should the company
continue to refuse to accede to their de-
mands. Everything was very quiet, and
there was not the slightest evidence that
would indicate trouble.
When Mr.. Woolery got OF the train last
evening at Seattle he was met by William
Ross, John Abrams and Moses Ryan,
miners from Gilman, who had been sent
from Gilman to Seattle by their brother
miners to present their case to Wesley
Wilson, manager Of the Seattle Coal and
Iron Company. The committee were not
at all surprised when they heard that the
company had not yet made settlement
in favor OF the miners, and they concluded
to remain in the city until over Sunday,
IN the hopes that something may turn up
that will benefit their cause.
AT meeting of the miners held We'd
nesday night last" said Mr.. Ross to q
Posr-1NrELLI0EScER reporter yesterday,
I'VE three were sent down as q committee
to wait upon Manager Wilson and present
TO him our grievances. We arrived in the
city yesterday and Immediately found Mr..
Wilson. We told him who we were and
what we wanted, but he refused point
blank to listen to Us; he would have moth
Ing to do with Us, and he refused to recog-
nize US a. . committee. He said: You
must settle your grievances with the local
superintendent The local superintend-
ent lives ct Gilman; his name is J. Par
ker.
"Sincc Mr.. Parker had previously refused
to entertain US or listen to our requests we
knew It would be waste of time to again
appeal to him, so we will remain in the
city for few days and see what else we
can do"
When asked what was the cause of the
trouble in the first place, Mr.. Ross, in the
presence of Messrs. Ryan and Abrams, re-
piled:
'sThe trouble first began four weeks ago,
or thereabouts, when the company stopped
work in one Of their tunnels. That threw
thirty-four men out of Job. We asked
the local superintendent, Mr.. Parker, to
be allowed to share our work
and pay with these thirty-four men. and
he agreed to that. Though we all did not
get as much money as we were previously
getting, still we all had work and every
thing went along lovely until q week ago.
ut which time the company shut down
work on another tunnel-No. L. This
threw over 100 men out of employment
and, as many of them have large families
to support and were in need of money, the
miners that were yet employed in the re-
manning tunnels asked that they be al
lowed to still share up the work and divide
the pay. Although this would no.,
have been an additional expense to
the company and would certainly
have greatly aided many man of us. the
company, through their local superintend-
ent, fatty refused the request. We went
back to the boys in the tunnel. where thew
were at work. and told them the result of
our mission, and they Immediately sus-
pended work until the company should ac.
cede to our demand. Time went on. and
as the company took no action in the mat
ter and as many man with family was
In need of money, meeting was finally
held and as q result we were sent 10 Sc
attic TO confer with some one higher in au-
thority than Mr.. Parker. So far we have
met with no success
1.-The miners are not on a strike: thew
have only suspended work. They have
not been at work since Mr.. Parker insisted
on paying the released miners of. About
SO men and boys, all told, are EMPLOYED
about the mines"
Speaking of the cause of the stopping OF
work on two of the veins, Mr. Ross said:
"When Superintendent Parker shut
down mine No. 4. he said that he did il
TO curtail expenses. That could hardly
have been the cause, although it is the
only one advanced to US. 1t costs them
more, % cents a small car more, to operate
the shaft that the miners quit work on
than it did TO work mine No. 4. When
the company shut down mine No. 4 they