The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-07-12

* mill, then from behind rocks on q hill
overlooking ths mill had fred into y. TAX
number Of them. Late in tho afternoon
another dispatch was received saying II
vas tho Helena d Frisco mill and
mot the Gem that had been destroyed, and
THAI nix n,en had boon killed by tho explo-
sion. This dispatch added that It was the
the marshal and his force were besisged
Ia the new mill. surrounded by 800 rioters.
The Helena n Frisco ia 0wned by Helena
people, those most largely interested being
6. r. Hauaer and A. M. Hotter. A. n.
Esler 10 also a part ownor, and ~ the gen.
eral manager Of tho company, and has had
entire charge of the company's business, SO
far a. related to the running OF the prop
srty for several years.
While the news OF tho trouble WAS not al
together ~unexpected, II was received In
Helena with great concern. The Coeur
d'Alene mining country was opened up and
brought to the attention of the world by
Helena capital, and residents Of this city
are largely interested there. For some
time negotiations have been on foot for tina
syndicate for $500, 600. and the feeling
was that the outbreak there, il it proved to
b. ~ serious as reported, would result In
the failure of the negotiations.
Tho story of the events that led up to
yesterdays outbreak had it's beginning
s. AA1t6 q WIN ukos w oV SiAh W
the Coeur d'Alene mines became settled be-
yond doubt, hundreds Of thousands of dol
lars were invested IN the mines, and several
thousand men were given employment.
There are several mining caEps i'll tho
country, Wallace being the center of the
region. and then there is Wsrdner. Burke,
Gem, Mullan, Osburn and Frisco. Local
MineFs' unions were organized at all these
camps. and these were afterwards CONSOLE
dated in one union, n the body incor-
porsted. The first serious disagreement
between the owners and their employees
arose over the hospital question, n this
resulted in a victory for the union. Pre-
vious to that the miners and the owners
had got along without any great friction,
but thereafter there was more or less lack
Of harmony. Last year the mine owners.
who had previously acted Independently,
formed m association known as the Occur
d'Alene Mine Owners association. Pre-
vious to 1891 the scale of wages in the COur
d'Alsnes had been 50 a day for carmen and
shovelers and $3.50 for underground miners.
~ that year a demand vas made for $s.ao
tor all employees, both miners and carmen
and shovelcrs. The owners were given a
certain time in which to grant the demand,
and this they did.
When the price of silver dropped last
year, the Mine Owners association asked
the railroads for a reduction of freight
rates. This was denied, and Jan. II, the
mining companies that owned mills shut
down. In March the trouble with the rail-
roads was settled, and on the 26th of that
month the Mine Owners association issued
tho following:
Cnur d'Alenes takes this public method of
informing all former employees of the vari-
oas mines and mills, as we'll a. the public
generally. that having reached satisfactory
settlement of all differences with the rail-
way company relative to freight rates and
- \ ~oaAAnrn Ah.A III ntr~ ill IH sad.
10 resume work IN or about April l, or
soone il a sufficient number of old hands
can get back before that date. In order to
give them time to get back it il probable
shat not more than one or two mines will
resume before the date stated, and prefer
ence will be given to all former employees.
Believing most earnestly that the ad-
vance OF wages Of carmen and shovelers
which was forced upon the mine owners
during the last year was unreasonable and
unjust. for obvious reasons, to both en-
ployers and miners, the association begs
wages: For all miners, $3.50 per day of
ten hours: for carmen and shovelers, three
dollars per day of ten hours. except shaft
miners, where car men and shOvelers will
be paid $3.50 Der day, or carmen working
in wet places in tunnel mines where gum
clothes are necessary, will be paid $3.50 per
per day. Where miners or carmen are put
on a special eight hour shift the wages will
be the same as for ten hours.
"This scale of wages, after much consid-
GRAFTON. has boon determined upon as lib
eral and fair by the association, and it is
hoped that it may meet the approval OF all
old employees az we'll as the public generally.
The association also announces that in all
TUNE mines where a majority of the men
desire to avoid working Sunday and Sun
day night they may, on giving expression
OF such desire to the manager, have Sun
n n ~ nn6 SrrHar Oyrvht Nff oonh uon1 -
The miners refused to accept the scale.
lint asked tor a conference. This the own-
ers refused to grant, and the contest be-
gan. The unionlsts appealed to labor or
ganizations generally, and responses from
all oves the northwest were prompt and
generous. TIT Butte miners union sent its
secretary into the Ceur d'Alenes to inquire
into the situation, and the result OF his re-
port was that the Butte union sent S., 900
in one lump to the Cuur d'Alene miners.
Later Secretary Dallas, Of the Butte union.
was given charge Of the interests of the
paign, in conjunction with the president
of the Cour d'Alene union. When the
mines we're shut down in January there
were $500 men employed, but when they
they we're ready TO open in
March there were not to exceed 700 union
said, has also dwindled awav SO that there
are not now more than 800 unemployed
union men in that section.
tlndlnG the unionists would not accept
the scale OF wages offered, the Mine Own
e1G' association sent agents cast to secure
Two non-union men were first put
to work on a mine at Wardner. They were
driven out Of the country, it was alleged,
by union men, and then the owners asso-
applied 80 the United States court
at Boise city for an INDUCTION restraining the
mlnerB' union from interfering with them
in any way. A temporary restraining order
was gtanted and soon afterwa1d the men
hired in the east began to arrive. The mi
nsrs induced a number of these to Join the
about three weeks ago the shipment of ore
was begun.
Meantime the miners' union determined
to have the injunction dissolved, if posi-
bic. They employed Judge Frank Gsnahl
Us their attorney, and last Tuesday he az
peared in the United States court at Boise
City, the opposing counsel being Judge Hey
burn. After extended argument the case
was submitted, and Saturday last a desi-
sion was rendered. the judge refusing to
the Injunction. The United States
is now. and has been ever since the
against the union was granted,
in possession of the mills and mines in the
Ctnur d'Alenes, through his deputies.
The mine owners also called upon the
sheriff for protection and upon Gov.
Wiley. The latter visited the county, spent
days there, and on his return to
Boise City issued a proclamation, calling
upon the people of the county to preserve
the peace, and warning them if they did