The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-12-08

The miners OF Wheeling district No.
II, United Mine Workers OF America,
held an important meeting at Trades
Assembly hall last evening which was
LARGELY attended. The subject that oc-
cupied the attention OF the meeting was
the recent events at the banks OF the
Elm Grove Coal Company. As a result
OF the meeting the mines Of this compa-
ny are declared on 4 strike. aad the few
union miners who have been working
there were called out.
A prominent union miner thus ex-
planned the situation last evening:
"Commencin. some time last spring,
when the present company took charge
al tho mines, the general superiMend-
ent, j. J.. Chambers, demanded the dis
charge OF the miners check weighman,
whom the miners had employed for
wears 10 look after their interests. In
order to avoid trouble the miners agreed
10 select Il now check weighman. This
course was taken and trouble that
seemed imminent was ayerted. Last
July the mines were closed down for re-
pairs, and nearly all the miners were in
consequence thrown ont OF employ
Inent. Since then they have been anX-
iousiy waiting for employment ut the
Elm Grove mines, nearly all OF them
being citizens and taxpayers OF the VII
luge, and heads OF families.
THE MINERS SURPRISED.
"They are greatly surprised to find
now that the mines are working that
colored men mostly have been brought
in and given their old jobs. meeting
OF the old miners and operators, at
which Mr.. Chambers was present, was
held Saturday. and alters long confer
ence the old miners agreed to accept q
reduction OF five cents on the ton. They
then supposed that they would be given
work at once on those figures. You can
imagine their surprise now to find their
old places filed by strangers. \ COM
mittee OF the old miners called on the
president oil District No. II, Jerry Mead.
and Mr.. Fhay, member oil the national
executive board, who happened to be in
the city, on last Monday and explained
the situation. These two called on Nj.
Chambers, the general superintendent,
and asked for an explanation oil his con-
duct TO his old employees. After con-
siderable discussion over thu matter, the
miners representatives agreed to leave
thematter to disinlercsied arDitrationfor
adjustment. NJ. Chambers snid he
would call on his board OF directors ami
give an answer to this proposition on
the next day. Ho failed to meet his
engagement, and it was not until to-day
that he gave us an answer. His answer
was that his company would not sub
nit tho controversy to arbitration, and
that they would hire who they pleased.
Mr.. Chambers said he has 10 objection
to hiring his old men where ne has
places for them. We are. however, in
possession OF list furnished by the old
mine boss of twenty names OF old miners
who are, blackI!sed by the company.
As all our efforts to settle have failed,
we have called out what few union men
arc there, and have declared the mines
on n strike from to-day. We will pre-
sent the matter to the attention OF the
trades assembly Mt its meeting next
Sunday, together with list OF the
stockholders OF the concern, for the
blacklist"
This is the first strike that has been
on the hands oil the officials OF tho new
miners district recently formed, and
they say they intend to prosecute it
vigorously. II is said that the reason
for the cut ut the Elm Grove mines was
the fact that cuts have recently been
made at the lower town mines, koonts's
and the upper Riverside bank.