The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1892-07-23
ORIGIN OF THE BIG STRIKE
An Account Of the Trouble Between the
Miners and Mine Owners.
How the Row Started Which Now Re.
quires the Presence OF the Idaho
Militia and National Troops.

lasted just about six months. Thu
reason assigned by the owners fo
the suspension was that the rates
charged by the railroads for trans
portation were exorbitant. A con
ference with the railroad people fol
lowed, and it was announced that
a satisfactory schedule had beer
secured. Then the mine owners
proclaimed their determination to
to reopen the mines on April 1
paying $3.50 per day to miners and
So to car men and shovelers. The
previous wages had been $3.50 per
day for all underground. work.
The union men rejected the prof
fered wages. They said that,
taking into account the dangers at
tendant upon underground work,
$3.50 per day in country where
the cost of living is SO high as it is
in Montana and Idaho, is little
enough for any man. They be-
lieved that this action of the own
ers is step preliminary to reduc-
ton of the wages of miners
themselves. In view of this cir
cumstance especially, they regard
ed any cut in wages at the present
time as dangerous in the extreme.
MAGNITUDE OF THE STRIKE.
The amount of property tied up,
the value of the Coer d'Alene mines
that is estimated at from $12,OOO,-
600 to SIS, 100000. Future devel.
opments in this amazingly rich
region may increase the valuation
Of mining properties in Shoshone
county to double or treble that.
The ore is of higher quality the
deeper it is taken. At the beginn-
ing of the strike the total number
of men employed in the several
mines exceeded 1000. The mine
owners said that when they resum-
ed full operations there would be
employment for $500. The cost of
supporting the miners and their
families is about $4OO day. This
expense they seemed to be prepared
to carry indefinitely, so literally
and so cheerfully have other labor
organization, particularly the Butte
Miners union, responded to the
3alis for aid.
What the strike is costing the
mine owners cannot be estimated
with any degree of precision. They
admit that they could operate their
mines at present at a very hand
some profit; for, while silver is still
low, lead is SO much higher than it
was year ago as to leave a sub
stantial margin in favor of 1892 as
compared with 1891. The cost of
importing new men from distant |
states and the salaries and main
of the guards has been verv |
heavy.
April l, came without any solu.
ton of the difficulty. On April 5, the
owners held a meeting and an.
nounced the following ultimate:
We desire to announce that, in
view of the fact that the proposition
offered by the Mine Owners
association, on March 10, to the
miners of the Occur d'Alenes, has
has not been accepted, and the first
Of April having passed, we now
1eclde as we cannot work our mines
% reduce expenses as much as pos
'ible and allow our mines to remain
die until June l, after which date
We will take certain speedy means
o resume business.
During April and May several
Ittempts were made to adjust the
controversy, but both sides remain
d firm in their position, neither