The sun., 1891-11-03
OLIVER SPRINGS TAKEN
TENNESSEE MINERS HOLD FAST THE
HOMES OF THEIR FATHERS.

HOMES OF THEIR FATHERS
Tho Storn,ing or Briceviiie and Coal
Creek, BurninE or the StockaJes, and
flight OF the 45O Convicts In the Noun.
tain Forests-A Great Army OF sharp.
shooters that Springs Up and vani.hes
in q Night-Constcrnation ana Helpless.
ness OF the State Authorities.
Kyoxv1LLs. Nov. AT 12:45 o'clock this
morning tho guard Of the convict stockade at
the Big Mountain mine, nvo miles north OF
Oliver Springs, heard knocking and threat
ening voices at door at tho southeastern end
of tho fertilization. At o'clock 165 MUIR
dercrs. thieves and highwaymen were flying
over tho mountains. guided by tho great blaz-
ing f1re Of tho wooden fort. Thus the minors
fulfilled their threat Of five months ago
Tho last convict has left the Walden's Ridge
mining region. Tho stockades are disman-
tied or burned. and more than 45O desperadoes
roam tho mountains and valleys Of northeast
ern Tennessee. Through the acts OF these
minors violating the low when the law re-
fused to did them. the Government and the
people Of Tennessee and themselves facod by
q complicated and rorilous situation. Gov
buchanan has confessed TINT he does not
know what to do. and for once mon OF oil par-
ties arc in sympathy.
The situation is this An armed and organ
izcd body Of men has marched unopposed
through considerable part Of the State has
demanded and received tho surrender Of the
States property. has released the States pris-
oners-convicts OF the worst stripe-yct it is
impossible to pursue or face this small army
Of revoutionists, because this army melts
away as completely as II It never
existed when It has struck blow. and
then rcassembles silently. ready to strike
tho ncxt blow It is fully armed and organ
lied. perhaps the best equipped corps Of
Eharpshooters ever got together: yet the
names and homes and identity OF the leaders
md privatos are unknown. The whole Incl
dent is unique. even in the history Of labor
agitstons. 1t was set on foot by workingmen
for the lives Of themselves. the living OF their
families. and this phase Of the affair makes
the other side OF o question which at first
seems to illustrate only their recklessness In
freeing criminals.
From Knoxville q railroad runs northward
through the widest part OF the Tennessee
Mountains Twenty miles from Knoxville 1t
branches. One arm continues thcasterly
along the base OF Walden's Ridge. On this
branch lie the mining camps Of Coal
Creek and Bricevile. The other arm
crosses n gap in Walden's Ridge and
extends along q spur through the viii
lage Of Oliver Springs A small railroad.
like that from Briceville. in tho heart OF the
range. to Coal Creek connects Oliver Springs
with the big Mountain Mine. four miles north.
All this lonely region OF steep mountain and
deep and narrow valleys is inhabited by a
mountain people. Their fathers and grand
fathers and greatgrandfathers lived there be-
fore them. Daniel Boone and James Robert
thnp FROM, Nor IN,
1850 with few followers. Robertson re-
NAMED and drew others about him. while
Boone and his friends pressed on into Ken
tuoky These mountaineers aro tall and
gaunt They are believers In the argument of
shotguns. and are trained to wonderful skill
in the handling OF weapons. They are not i'm
moral. their addiction to corn whiskey being
their chief vice. Above all. they bclieve In
freedom. Most Of them are miners. and they
make struggle at farming. necessarily
weak struggle because of the steepness and
stoniness Of the ground. which hardly allows
foundation for their little cabins.
When the Knoxville Iron Company intro
duced the first convicts into this region little
was said aboutit It Mines were developing on
all sides and work was plenty. but as the years
passed. the relations between the lessoes OF
the mines and tho independent mountaineers
became more strained Convicts were intro
duced at Oliver Springs. and tho force Of con-
victs at Coal Creek was doubled. Last spring
the FREQ miners OF Briceville struck because
the company refused to accede TOT a reasonable
eemand OF theirs. demand guaranteed the
nha miners ny the lays un,nr q the State
aanracted s sS the hs N the osssgs
S1 SHnyes M e. for coHEet a6oreEs to be
were set to building u stOckade. Then the free
miners ,Isbellsd:. ed. They Said that ,iree an and
port 4 hey hey pcinted to tho I@ct that the min:
SSssonc SS =; piass 8 assradatiop: % thaf ffss men
DOWN below the % pcnt ' q s0 har" !vins % the the
s shse sonlt aRS hi am ~
drawn It once. This demand was refused.
as pStPs s S as s es 81 kns4 kssSy
U,, upon the stekads at TIE BrYsyiIls mine: The
ST |i;:.v,I Ssd THRUST tho sonStcts o,s ont i
Iicts and led them buck into tho mountains
ibs H. h no deRa%a than hs tia
GomPany,s mine were @ sent tu.mbingg qneere;;
upon him and his advisers. ali OF whom hail
ir from the western and level parts Of the state.
aye no % tn
in very diilicplt affair. He looked about him
and saw that he had no power to coerce the
miners: that it was impossible to coerce peo-
ple 80 numerous. so determined. and so happily |
situated for self defonce. Then the Governor
aud tho nonplussed State OFFICIALS treated tho
world to n rare spectacle. Tho State OF Ten
nesses negotiated with those who had dso-
GGeyed Its laws and insuted its officials. The
agreed TINT the eonyicts should be allowed to
s,rS 9 70 sioyil meet and chanGe laws which all
., The Legislature was called In September
Ihe miners had kept quiet and had in no way
Violated their part OF the agreement. Tho
ll;egl stature refused abruptly to carry out what
Z !ho Governor advised. even implored. It to do
been blutfed, frightened. Iy the clamoEIs Of
sald that the convict system was
and that tho state could not get along without
J. T. The eest @ Tennessee members argued n.
Interest OF western and mlddie Tennessee lay
= !. Keeping tho convict lease system and
fnrm.rs' Alliance Legislature crushed .all