Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-08
NINE WORKERS WIN.
Five Of the Big Operators Have
Already Signed the Scale.
TWO THOUSAND RESUME AT ONCE.
There Is Yet a Chance That the River
Miners May Strike,
SOME GENERAL INDUSTRIAL GOSSIP

Nearly 1000 miners will go to work this
morning at the advanced rate. -Four lead
ing firms granted the additional 13 cents
yesterday, making five in all who have
granted the advance. They are Cherry
Run mines, Steen & Co., Joseph Keil-
ing, the Castle Shannon Railroad and
Henry Floersheim. There were no new de-
velopments in the Floersheim case yester-
day. Mr.. Floersheim has concluded to pay the
advance no matter what may be done by the
others. Some of the other operators are be-
ginningto feel as did Mr.. Floersheim and'as
aconsequence the men are counting now on
being sure winners.
There was a big mass meeting of miners
yesterday at Smithson. President Costello
addressed the meeting. 1t was reported
that all was quiet and all were just as firm
as the day the strike was ordered, with the
exception OF about so men at Scots mine
No. l. They went to work yesterday morn
ing despite the earnest plea of all other
strikers. They are expected to be kept
from work this morning.
MINERS REFUSE To GO BACK
The feeling among the striking miners is
still a decided determination to fight it out
to the end. In order to learn the exact in
tention of the 1en, several of the heaviest
mines in the district were visited yesterday.
The Catsburg mine was the first
entered Several miners were met 60
ing down on the "dilly" trip, and in answer
to questions they said they would remain
idle for months rather than go ba1k to the
cent rate. ''There is no reason, 3" said one,
why there should be two prices for mining
the same COAL in the same rooms, and
weighed in exactly the same manner. 1t
takes Just as much time to get it out, and
just as much energy as it does to send it by
rail as by river, and vice versa. If the
operators receive two prices it no more
concerns us than it does factory man when
his employer receives different prices for
the same goods, as he does in localities
where competition is close. The Joneses,
who run these mines, are all right, but there
is many an operator who knows nothing of a
miners life or his hardships, and doesn't
know what he is talking of when he says
there must be two prices for coal, and that
the miners must pav for the lesser one. We
will stick until we get the 315-cent rate.
When the dilly had reached the end of
the parting" II miles from the pit
mouth, number of grimy-smoked drivers
crowded around to remove the wagons on
which the river coal was to be loaded. The
drivers were in sympathy with the miners,
and said they also had decided to strike if
the miners did. They were also puzzled as
TO the two prices for mining the same coal,
and though they were well paid themselves
and well treated, the drivers would strike
in justice TO their fellow workmen.
DANGERS OF A MINERS LIFE.
After leaving the parting, and ascending
an entry, a miner was found who was will
ing and able to talk on the situation. Pull
ing oUt two blocks of coal, and reflling his
lamn, he sat down.
"Do YOU think he began, there
are many persons who would be will
ing to work two miles from day.
light, and with 800 feet of ground over them,
even though by supreme exertions, they
might earn 81 per day with the fear staring
them in the face that any moment thev NAV
strike clay vein, unloosing blast of gas
that would explode and kill both him and
friends: or perhaps to hear the ominous
crash Of falling slate every day, and only
thank his stars he was not MANNED by that
fall at least.
''It takes Just as much time, force, and |
energy if YOU will, to get out bushel of |
coal for the railroad, as it does for the river,
and IN the name of simple justice, why not |
pay as much for one as the other. Did not |
the operators consider our claim Just, thev |
would never have granted them to us for |
running coal on the river. The truth is |
that the price of mining coal is fixed bv |
men in PittSburg, Cincinnati, and the East, |
who have no knowledge whatever of the |
justice of their decision, except that they |
make them because they can. 1t was Just |
this state of affairs which caused the |
anthracite region to become abodes of hor- |
rors and aversion to the miners.
NOT AS VALUABLE AS THE MULES.
"At one time the anthracite miners could |
make more than the men in the bituminous |
regions, but look at them now-starved, |
ground down and degraded, they are forced |
TO accept what mite they can get-their con-
dition is such they are looked upon as the |
scum of the earth, and not one-half so valu- |
able as the mules, which cost the operators |
quite a sum, and whose loss they mourn far |
more than half dozen humans crushed to |
DEATH
II do not think the miners of this region |
who are of high class-will ever allow
Huns and foreigners from the anthracite |
regions to be brought here TO take their
places and degrade their positions to an
equality with their own miserable lot, |
working for little or nothing, and living on
less They do not seem to care for the dan
gers of mine, and in their dense ignorant
and stubborn way are hard workers These
Huns and Slavs would drive us out like a
lot of sparrows before hawk, once they OBJ
tain a foothold, and lower our wages until |
they would he nowhere near on a par with
English and Welsh miners earnings. On
the other hand the negroes and Italians are
all with us, and would not raise a pick at
the three-cent rate" !"
RIVER WORKERS THREATEN WAR.
A committee has been sent to Pittsburg
to ascertain the truth of the report that
operators are running coal to Pittsburg on
fats and then loading it on cars. If so, we
will all strike, as we would not take the
bread from other miners mouths, whose
work does not front on the river If the
operators are doing this it is one of the best
and greatest arguments that the mining for
river and railroad should be the same
The bringing in of even the few imported
miners, has caused the most bitter feeling,
and the miners are outspoken of what will
be done should the importation continue
Even as it is, there are those loud in their
demands that the few imported men be sent
back, quietly if possible, but by force if
necessary.
FREIGHT HANDS STRIKE.