The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-05-19
THE DAY IN CAMP.
Negroes Take Possession of the Mine
Scenes in the Town.


FRAsKLIa, May 1s.-[Special. THE me-
groes are not only in possession of Frank
lin, but have begun work in and around
the mine. This morning Superintendent
Williams sent forty-two miners and nine
drivers into the old stope, and put three
engineers and twenty outside hands to
work, making total of sixty-four men
employed. Of this number eight or ten
are white men, one being new engineer
to run the hoisting engine. the former one
having refused to haul "niggers." The
engine will not haul out any coal for day
or two, as it will take that length of time
for the new miners to get enough coal
ready to make it worth while to run the
engine. A gang of the outside hands is at
work grading for the tracks leading out of
the new slope. These tracks run to the
bunkers at the old stope on the gravity
principle. The loaded cars will run down
one track by gravity, to be dumped, and
the empty cars will be hoisted to an ele-
waited track, on which they will run back
to the mouth of the slope.
Superintendent Corey said this morning:
lam very well satisfied with the way matters
are running OF course there is good deal of
confusion at first, but things soon settle down
into order I know how 1t is, because i have
been through this sort of thing before. We
shall gradually put the negroes to work, and
then matters will settle down. We have about
we shall put the green hands to work with them
in order to learn the work.
All was quiet and peaceable through the
night, and the only signs of anything un-
usual were the presence of the guards,
their challenge to any passer-by who at
tempted to cross the lines, and the pres
ence of negroes in occasional groups on
the railroad tracks. AS it is not possible
10 close the road to the whites, the ne
sroes are kept off it as much as pos
sibie, but the whites are kept to the
road strictly. The only exceptions are
where they occupy houses away from the
road, in which case they are allowed free
access. The negroes with their carbines
are like boys with new toy; they want
to shoot-not at any person or thing, but
inst to shoot for the fun OF 1t. The guards
do their utmost to prevent this. but sew
eral random shots were fired during the
night and when the suspected shooters
we're accused of it they hid their guns and
denied the deed. Some of the most trust
worthy of the negroes are employed as
.uards. but this duty is principally con-
fined to the men of Sullivan's force.
Mr.. Sullivan said to the Posr-IsTEILr-
GENcER reporter to-day:
We are here In great force In order to prevent
snv trouble and we are doing all we can to pre-
vent il. If we had come here with small body
OF men, the miners might have tried to run us
ont. but, seeing us in such overwhelming force,
tbav recognize that il would be useless. The
danger would be in the whites and negroes
gathering in groups and getting into an argu'
ment which might end in quarrel and then
cause a fight To prevent this danger we Try to
keep then distinct and to prevent such gath
erings.
The guards are under command OF Cap
tain Foley, who las had experience IN sneh
affairs a. this 10 rennsyivantas HIS usen
have orders 10 ~ old alterations and dis.
eussicns with ths whits miners and havs