The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-07-04
MORE MINERS QUIT.
Illinois Galleries Forced to
Close for No Cause.
FOSTER REPLIES TO PoWDERLY.
He Hints That q K. of l.. COMMITTEES
Stole a Letter OF His Desk When He
Was Absent From the Room.

PEORIA, H., July Sixteen hundred
miners in the Peoria district Joined the
strike today. There are eight railroad
mines in this district, and the rest are
owned by private corporations. All the
operators have plenty of coal on hand.
The strike would not affect them for sixty
days. They have been anticipating trou-
BILE since spring, and all the dealers have
stored up heavily. No cause for the strike
is assigned by the men here, except that
miners elsewhere went out.
WASHINGTON CRY, July 3.-The secre-
tary of the treasury received letter this
morning from General Master Workman
Powderly, of the Knights of Labor, re-
viewing the case of the discharged plate
printers in about the same tone as his
statement to the public, and, in addition,
intimating that the K. of L. will appeal
the case TO the president. Secretary Fos-
ter, in speaking on the subject, today
said that the letter which Jor-
dan, one of the discharged men,
claims to have received from him,
offering him his old position in the bu-
reau, was not sent by him 1.-THE secretary.
He explained that he was discussing the
case with Messrs. Cavanaugh and Devlin,
and had submitted several propositions to
them which did not seem altogether salts
factory. He SAID he was willing to ap-
point the seven men to places in the bu-
reau, with the understanding that Jordan,
who is making good living, would not
return to work.
They wanted more than this. continued the
secretary, and said they were afraid if Jordan
were offered q place with this understanding
and il should get TO the ears of Meredith he
would crow over them and boas, that they had
been defeated. went so far as to draft q letter
to Jordan. There had been several papers writ
ten during the conference, in about these terms:
Places were TO be found for the other
six men, and would he aecept a
position in the bureau? I agreed to
give them this letter TO be given TO Jordan if
they should promise on their honor as men
that they would either return il or hand me
Jorian's declination. This was to soothe Jor-
dams feelings, as IL were. All This was contin-
gent on our reaching an agreement When
showed Deylin and Cavanaugh this letter they
declined my terms, and / showed the
letter TO one side with the rest of the rejected
manuscript We were discussing the situation
further, and endeavoring to find another solu-
ton, when received the card OF a delegation
representing the Federation of Labor. Leaving
Deylin and Cavanaugh few minutes went
over TO talk TO the newcomers, who told ne
some facts didn't know before For instance.
they informed me that there are now about q fteen
apprentices in the bureau waiting for presses
who, under the rules, entitled to presses
ahead OF chance men. This would so reduce
the available new work that the men who ara
now on the "chance" roll would not all get
presses in the new building. Thus, to put ON
seven dismissed men, would throw out printers
Who are ahead of them Alter some further
talk on the subject / returned to Devlin and
Csvanaugh, and soon sfterward the conference
broke up.
The letter 70 Jordan, though signed. was but
q draft and was not intended 70 be sent III he
received It, the delegates from the 4. Of L must
have taken IL from my desk. II had previously
been rejected by them l do not accuse them of
Sealing The lstss<, but Do say IL