The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-06-28
ON THE BLACK LIST.
Gilman Strikers Say Their
Names are i'm the Book.
COAL COMPANY DENIES IT.
Violent Inscriptions Denouncing Peace
Onfcers-Home Guards Keep Sharp
Lookout for Blacklsgs.

municatlou to the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
In reply to Mr.. Wilson's demand for prosec-
lection from the county commissioners we
wish TO assure both him and the commissioners
that there will be no destruction of the prop
eriy OF the Seattle Coal and Iron Company, and
that the expense of keeping large force OF
IDENTITIES in the town is entirely uurecesssry
They need not fear that any damage will be
done TO any property. The bes, evidence that
We contempls;e no destruction of property is
that twothirds of the miners of Gilman are
property-owners, and il the county were to be
held Liable for any damage TO the company's
property we should have to pay additional
our chance of employment here until the dam
age was repaired JOHN DRYLIE,
LUKE LUKEs,
G. WIZ. PATTON,
Committee.
In regard to the matter of blacklistjug the
miners contention may be thus summed up:
In every single instance where man who has
gone from this place and has been miner here
for any length of time, has asked for work at
any other mine in the state, he has been victim
lied. We can prove this and defy any man to
prove the contrary. Two men went to all the
camps and applied for work. and at last OBJ
tanned il at Roslyn, but soon their names
were learned on their receiving their checks.
they were discharged. This Is good enough evil
dence that blacklist does exist and is in the
hands OF the mine owners
The miners disciaim any i'll feeling towards
John Reinschmidt. They say that he 10 con-
sidered of so little moment that they do not
what he says OF does, and he is at liberty to
shoe all the company's horses without interior
enee
John Drylie says:
When Mr.. Parker says he has no blacklist. he
is liar, and will prove II in court OF justice
when the time comes. Last August he declared
that there were twenty-five men here who could
not get work at any other place. He has me on
his blacklist know it.
Whether it is by means of a blacklist or not,
the miners of Gilman are certainly shut out
from employment elsewhere, not only at mines,
bur other places They are convinced that it is
by means OF the blacklist and one of them thus
stated the position:
''We cannot get work anywhere else in the
state because Mr. Parker has Dlacklisted US, and
we are driven back here, where our homes are,
to starve. If Mr.. Parker drives me to starva-
ton" then came a pause, as If to choose
words carefully, aud with an earnestness which
gave the words deep meaning, the speaker con-
cluded-"he will be sorry for II"
The idea seems to be firmly rooted in the
miners minds that Mr.. Parker has picked out
about 100 men whom he will not employ and
there seems to be good grounds for believing it
to be So though he describes it as fight for the
right to hire and discharge whom he please,
and in effect the right to run the mine. When
pressed on the point whether man has not the
right to employ whom he please the miners ad-
NIT the general proposition but deny that 1t is
Our trade is coal mining, and most of us
have worked at nothing else. We have made
our homes here, have bought property and built
houses here. If we have TO leave here we can
not sell out while this trouble continues and
probably shall not be able TO sell for what our
property is worth Even then we are shut out
from getting work elsewhere. This man is in
hicting personal wrong on us, for he is depriv
ing us of the opportunity of working at our
trade at the place where our homes are, and
even depriyes us of the opportunity to work
elsewhere at our trade We are forced to stay
here and fight it out.
This state of affairs is making the miners des-
perate, and increases their determination not to
allow the company TO bring in blacklegs. They
deny any disposition to do violence to any man,
but proposal that they should guarantee pro-
lection to any men that the company might en-
ploy was bluntly rejected by two OF the leaders.
They assert that the home guard is lawful or
ganization of citizens, as they obtained legal ad
vice on the subject before forming it. This
morning this body drilled and marched to the
music OF the band. When the passenger train
came in the guard formed a line facing the
track at a short distance from the platform and
stood at attention" with arms grounded After
the train had gone the guard marched through
the town with the band, parading every street
No backlegs came, and therefore there was
nothing to provoke disturbance. For the last
two nights the miners have had detail of
armed men posted under the railroad trestle
near the bunkers, and also under the bunkers
themselves.
The railroad track which leads to the mines
leaves the main track at the depot in the town,
and Tegains the main track short distance be-
yond the mines. The strikers seem to fear that
blacklegs will be brought in by train, either the
regular train or special unloaded at the second
junction of the mine branch with the main
track, and taken right up to the mine. The
pickets were placed az these points at night, re-
lieyed about sunrise and renewed shortly before
the regular train went up in the morning. On
the timbers and woodwork of the water tank
near this point number of inscriptions have
been made. Here are some of them:
Beware, blackheads and blacklegs likewise
you internal thugs, that we are on your track,
and hot at that"
81 am going down town. but remember have
got my eye on you, Gilfoy."
Thug Gilfoy, you had better square up your
accounts Leave all your goods and ammunition
70 me- Yours truly, DEATH"
thugs
beware, S-7-77 and White Caps"
beware, 3-9-77. Now take notice once for all
that we are prepared for business"
'PInkerton thugs retreat In this direction ("
Ian arrow points the directonl
picture OF "a grinning face has this legend.
ma, ha ha! am he, sullivan"
While the writers of these loving messages
are probably not the kind OF men who carry ont