Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-07-21

a. m.-Ed Hale and James Elbright, of
the Lookout Mountain guards, have been
put on an engine and their guns taken
from them by the miners, They are now
on their way home.
About two hundred and fifty miners
from Jellico, many of whom are drunk,
have just arrived. The peaceful miners
fear they will attack the camp. They
are yelling and cursing, and say the
soldiers and convicts must go at once.
Trouble is feared.
CINCINNATI, July 21.-The Post pub
lished the following Monday evening
from its special correspondent at Coal
Creek, Tenn:
The clash which is taking place in
this vicinity between the convict labor
contractors and the free miners has
stirred up the mountaineers of Ander-
son and Campbell counties, Tenn, as
has no other event since "the wah."
Shooting just for Fun.
The aimless popping of Winchesters
was frequently heard along Coal Creek
valley today, as a sign that the people
are greatly disturbed and want every
body to know it. Several militia officers
riding from the railroad station up to
the stockade were electrified by shots
from the mountainside, which, as they
did no execution, are supposed to have
been fired into the air in fun, in order to
scare the city blue coats.
There are plenty of sharp-shooters in
this region, and 1t is said that the noun
tains contain many moonshiners and
desperate men, who, If they chose, can
make it hot for the soldiery from noun
tain ambushes.
Preparing for More Convicts.
Out at the convict stockade near
Briceville, FIVE miles up the valley from
here, the men in stripes are pushing the
completion of the tall fence under n
guard of sixty soldiers. 1t is expected
that 200 more convicts will arrive soon,
provided that nothing occurs to prevent.
Strict military law is in force at the
stockade, and no one is allowed to enter
or leave the lines without a pass from
the colonel in command.
Coal Valley Excited.
Not only are the 700 miners of Coal
Creek valley excited, but also the store
keepers and farmers, whose prosperity is
threatened by the importation of con
victs to supplant free men of labor.
Mining is almost the sale industry. The
dilemma in which hundreds of men find
themselves is as to whether they shall
obey the laws and emigrate, or shall re-
sist by driving the convicts out and com
pelling the mining companies to employ
only free men, The situation is hard
one, Many of the miners are thrifty,
and have built small homes in the val
ley, which it now appears they must de-
sert for lack of work.
The Miners Houses.
Coal Greek valley is picturesque
opening in the southern slope of the
Cumberland mountains. AS one ad
vances up the muddy little stream that
pours down the valley, keeping on the
ties of the coal railroad, he sees con-
tinuous string of small houses, most of
them unpainted and uncarpeted, not q
few upholstered. These are the homes
of the toilers in the mines. The rail
road track is also the highway for pc
destrians, as it forms the only avenue
n struggling settlement five |
miles in length. A few of the miners !
have small gardens about their houses,
and cultivate corn and vegetables.
Robbed at Company Stores"
Company stores" are scattered along
the valley, and in most of these the |
company script" is accepted for goods,
on which an overcharge of 20 per cent. |
is made. The small metal disks which |
the companies issue for money are regu-
larly discounted 20 per cent. when the |
miners sell them TO outside tradesmen
and farmers.
"Check-weighers."
This system of profit is supplemented |
by two others to further reduce the |
earnings of the miners The laws of |
Tennessee specify that the employees |
may have a ''check-weigher," whose |
business it is to see that the company's |
weigher gives the men honest credit for |
every pound of coal that they mine. |
The operators are kicking at this law
and it is the source of the present |
troubles in the valley. Several COM
panies shut down and threw their men |
out of work because they insisted upon
having "check-weigher."
IL is alleged that the stealing" by GER |
tain companies under the old weighing
system amounted to 300 pounds on every /
ton mined. As each miner is able to |
take out fro'a five to six tons daily, the
steal amounts to nearly ton from each
.aan.
When the miners demanded their legal ,
rights recently, they were promptly |
closed out and convicts were imported. /
Enormous Rents-
In addition to the script shave" and