The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-04-02
Residents of the Ceur d'Alenes
Trying to Settle the Wage
Question.
Joint Committees From the Va
rious Towns Appointed to
Meet the Owners.
More Shut Downs Unless the Differences
Are Adjusted-Strike in the Blaine
Mine in Jefferson County.

The wage question is fairly on, and it is
the absorbing subject i'll all the Cnur
d'Alene camps. The statement published
in the Spokane papers Sunday morning
last, of the Mine Owners association of the
Coeur d'Alenes, was read eagerly. Miners as
a class condemned it. A few of the moro
conservative ones saw forciblo argument IN
some of the views presented. The opinions
expressed by those in other occupations
were generally favorable to it. Every one,
however, criticised the mine owners for
going to a foreign city to hold their meet
ines, and to publish their statement. A
meeting of ths association has never been
held in Wardner; it occasionally meets at
Wallace.
A public meeting was held on the evening
OF the 2Sth inst. and the following resolu-
lions we're adopted:
Weereas, There exists ce tain difficulties
between the Mine Owners association Of
the Occur d'Alenes and the miners, over the
wage question. and
Whereas, There has been published in
certain newspapers. and a general report to
the effect that the citizens OF Wardner are
in sympathy with the Mine Owners asso-
citation in the pending difficulties, now
therefore be is
Resolved, That it is the sense Of this
meeting that the sympathies Of the citizens
and business men Of Wardner are with the
miners and laboring men; be it further
Resolved, That u committee be appointed
by the chair Of five representative citizens
or business men OF Wardner to meet a sim
liar committee Of five from the towns Of
Wallace, Mullan, Burke and Gem, IN the
town of Wallace. The consolidated COM
mittee composed OF these several commit
tees shall appoint 4 committee OF i've fiom
their number, in which each Of said towns
shall be represented, to confer wish the
Mine Owners association i'll behalf of the
parties, and to use their united efforts to
arrive at a compromise Of the existing diff
fculties between the miners and the Mine
Owners association.
The chair appointed as such
G. Z. F. Bass, r. L. Toner, W. +. Goddard,
}. A. Tilley, W. w. Contriss. Harmony
and good feeling prevailed. The mine
owners were not arraigned and found
guilty Of capital offenses, they were not
criticised. nor was the Miners union or its
individual members condemned or APP
plauded for their acts. The sentiment was
for peace, a wish to adjust the differences
and see the mines at work and the owners
accommodating wealth. The committee ap-
pointed hope that their efforts may not be
required and that an agreement may be
reached by the parties mutually. but in
the unfortunate event that no such arrange
ment shall IL made, they viii be pleased to
use their best efforts in behalf Of the oppos-
lite parties, and to exert their unbiased
efforts toward an arrangement that will not
humiliate or injure either party.
The Sierra Nevada mine will close April /,
in the absence of an agreement on the wage
c1n{Ar%Snow IF HNhav Ara ~ f1rr3r,r Shnu+
ssvsnty-ive men.
The Tyler company is shipping high
grade ore to Tacoma. The Argentine mine
is making daily shipments of eighty tons of
ore to Helena. They have just commenced
work on the erection OF a co%ncentrator. 1t
Union and Northern Pacific roads, and at
the lower terminal of their gravity tram
way.
The Trenton Iron works, builders of the
Blelchert tramway In use by the Bunker
Hill d Sullivan company. has commenced
the work of changing the plant. 1t has
given the company great trouble and ex-
pense. In passing over the town built in
Milo gulch, toWe1c were built at uniform
distances apart. the highest being ninety
four feet, the high divide west of town
being much above the summit of these
towers. The buckets made a raise up a
sharp incline. It was here that several ao-
cidents occurred by buckets becoming de-
tached and falling, in one instance killing
q woman. They will now raise some of the
towers above the town. to give the cables an
elevation OF ninety-four feet higher than
the present position, or 1888 feet above Main
street. Other changes will be made west
Of this divide, and q uniform grade will be
secured trom the ore bin to the concen-
traitor. The towers heretofore supporting
the cables IN town are being taken out, as
well as the b AXE station, and the stretcn
from the summit of the divide to the oppo-
site side above the Last Chance mill viii
be 1900 feet long, with no support under it.
1t is believed that with a unlfo N grade it
will do all the work demanded, and with
little power. T. G. Savage. Of New York, is
on the ground directing the work for the
iron works.