The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-07-17
THE FIGHT FOR CONTROL
The Field Of Action in the CGur
d'Alenes, Seen After the
. Battle
Why the Men and the Mine Own
ers Took Their Respect
i've Sides.
Differences Hetween the Rule of tho Men
and the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Of tho r0ubl

AAeAA
and the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Of tho Trouble.
WALLACE, July 1G,-[S ecial. The fight
between the miners' union and the mine
owners association makes a chapter wholly
unique in the history OF labor difficulties.
It has been q real war with more than the
bitterness and desperate determination of
men before each other in battle array. Thu
small loss of life by no means suggests the
seriousness OF the fight in this mountain
ridQed Cnnr d'Alene %conntrY; to appreciate
the conditions it is necessary to knew the
men and study the sentiment that led to
tho remarkable fight which they have in
auouratsd and which 10 by no means con-
cluded. How long it will last, no prophet
can say. The only basis Of opinion IL the
word of tho union mon that they will stay
with ii till the last n%on-union man ia
driven out of the country to stay. That
they fully mean to bring about this result
cannot be doubted. II is now only \ ques-
ton Of power. and concerning this 1t may
be said that the last union man
says he is willing to be shot to death to
win the victory. Men who build
fortresses to attack United States troops,
risk execution by employing dynamite to
destroy property and make demands that
would cause thsir extinction in a more pop
ulous country arc dangerous and desperate
opponents who never know when to quit.
Those are the Coeur d'AIens miners. They
have been stopped by troops gathered from
four government posts and the state militia.
but they say the troops cAnnCtremain in the
country permanently; and whom they 20 the
battle will be renewed where it left of, and
bloodisr fights than have yet been seen will
follow unless the owners keep ont the nom
union men or furnish an army OF guards to
protect them. Every union man l met said
that the Wholesalers will be. kept ready 80
long as the miners can find ammunition and
provisions. They will be provided with
these for a long time to come. They
are daily receiving assistance and eRcour-
agement from their brethren in Butte and
other places, and there will be enough -four.
bacon and coffee to support them 50 long
as they care to live in the country. In ad-
dition they have received and expect to re-
ceive endorsements. Within the past
week very many new faces were seen in
Wallace. Some of them appeared in the
army that captured the Bunker Hill mill
and others about the Wallace headquarters
and in Burke and Mullsn. Nobody except
those within know where they came frem,
though Montans contributed the majority.
They came here to fight and are yet in the
country.
Aside from the issues, this army OF noun
tain miners is interesting from a military
view. Their movements show them pos
sessed Of more military experimentation
a willingness to fight. Their leaders may
not know the last revised code of West
Point tactics and very likely have not
studied the possibility Of the balloon in
warfare. but they can handle their men
and know When and where to attack. On
Tuesday night they had every point around
Wallace covered. When it was known that
troops from Fort MissoulA were on the way
and near the town. the miners prepared for
them regardless of the United States flag.
The little camp of Mullan, five miles from
Wallace, ID the seat OF the outspoken agita-
ton. The Aissoula troops reached this
point Wednesday and stopped. Almost
within the town a culvert had been blown
up with giant powder. A few rods below
another bridge had been saturated with
coal oil and started in a blaze. Within a
natural fortress of brush in the steep sides
of the hill above were a dozen men with
Winchesters waiting to FIRE when the
troops advanced. Four miles ahead in a
sim liar fortitication were fifty men waiting
to pick off the soldiers who might escape.
A railway traveller can easily understand
the advantage of the side holding South
Fork canyon. II is a long narrow ravine
enclosed by high sloping hills well covered
Will breastworks of rocks and underbrush.
One hundred men at almost any point
could STAY the march OF All army in this
canyon. The commander in charge of the
Missoula troops doubtless appreciated the
situation when his men, though within an
easy march OF five miles from Wallace,
were ordered back to Missoula to enter the
town by way of spokane and the Caur
d'Alene lake. Likewise elaborate preparx-
lions were made to prevent any inter-
ruption in the attack on the Banker Hill
property. Pockets were placed all the way
from Wsrdner to Wallace during the night
and every traveller along the way faced a
Winchester before he gave the pass word.
In the absence of this he was ordered to re-
turn. The Bunker Hill mill like tho Frisco
and Gem lies at the foot of a mountain
ridge. Thursday night the entire camp of
Wardner was surrounded by sharp.shooters
in the hills and when morning came the
army that turned out At the mill would
have bid defiance to Napoleon. After the
capture they formed a double column Of
Winchesters, 800 men strong, and marched
like conquerina heroes to the camp and
d%isbanded. The rifles disappeared into
hiding places conveniently located for flu
ture use. The president of the central ex-
~ecutive committee of the Cpur d'Alsne
miners unions ia Thomas O'Brien, or Lit
tic Tommy. az the boys call him. He has
certain elements of leadership aud IL lack
ing others. He is shrewd. active and fear
less. and is also hot-headed and %impulaive.
Like some of the others he likes to talk too
much. He is immensely popular with the
men, who do about as he saws. Secretary
Poyntou ia a quiet, cool headed counsellor
ready for use at all times. He has charge
of the %headquarte' in Wallace. and has
been very active though tative
during this fight. brief study of the aver