Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1892-07-12
Fatal labor Fight.


and the Gem mine, at the town of Gem,
Idaho, yesterday morning, between flve
and six o'clock, between union miners
and non-union miners. The fight last
ed for several hours.
Both the Gem and Frisco mines were
guarded by men behind barbados arm
ed with Winchesters, and as the canyon
is narrow where the mines are located,
the men behind the barricades could
sweep the two railroad tracks and the
country with bullets. The Gem mine
barricade is within 800 feet of the cen
ter of the town of Gem. Yesterday Il
miner from Gem started for Burke
When opposite the Frisco mine he was
fired upon. He ran back several hun
bred yards to Gem, where the shot had
been heard, and soon the miners in the
town gathered with arms. They march
ed in body towards the Frisco mill,
located directly in front of the mine.
When scarcely within rifle range a
volley from the Frisco men greeted the
miners and lead whistled all about them.
They scattered and a regular battle en-
sued. One miner and one non-union
man were killed and six wounded dur
ing the engagement The miners in the
meantime went around the hills up the
canyon above the mine, loaded a car
with $50 pounds of giant powder, and
sent the car down the track toward the
Frisco mine. Directly in front of the
mill an explosion occurred, SCATTERING
the mill to splinters, making it q COM
plete wreck.
The non-union men then showed
the white flag and surrendered They
were marched down to the Miners
Union hall and guarded. While the
fight was going on at Frisco, the guards
suddenly began firing volley after vol
ley into the town of Gem, Kidding the
buildings with bullets. John Ward, q
citizen, was shot through the arm, and
Gus Carlson, union miner, was shot
and killed. Attempts to recover Carl
ston's body were met with volleys from
the Gem breastworks, and when the
body was recovered, an hour after
wards, it was lifeless, another bullet
having been sent through the breast.
No shots were returned from Gem until
the armed miners from Frisco, half a
mile above Gem, returned.
At eight o'clock 4. m. truce occur
red and the sheriff, district attorney
and deputy United States marshals APP
peared on the scene The train was
stopped by armed guards at the Gem
miues. The sheriff took the mail on
his shoulders and passed on to Gem.
The guards leveled their rifles at him,
but dropped them when they learned
his identity. At Gem several hundred
men were huddled in the street with
rifles and revolvers. Peace negotiations
were Immediately set on foot, and at II
o'clock the mine force surrendered to
the union men.
The number ofcasualties, so far as can
be learned, is four killed and about ten
wounded, though there may be bodies
under the Frisco mill. Two of the
killed are Gus Carlson and Harry Cum
mings, union miners. The other two
are non-union men, names unknown.
The cause of the strike was the de-
mand of the union miners OF the dis
trict for $3.50 per day for every man
working underground. The mine own
ers held that unskilled laborers should
be paid only So. When the miners re-
fused to accept the scale the mines
were closed The owners declared OK
cessive freight rates were the cause OF
the reduction. The lockout was begun
April LIST by the Mine Owners Associa-
ton, and 5000 miners were thrown out
of work. Since then the mine owners
have been making struggle to run
their mines with non-union men and
aguard.
Governor Wiley has ordered three
companies of militia there to preserve
order