Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-21
THE MINERS APPEAL.
Silver Men Give the Causes of the
Depression.
SENTIMENT WEST AND SOUTH
In Regard to Silver and Tariff
Legislation.
THE AMBITION OF FRANCE.

ASPEN, COL, July 2L-The Aspen miners
have addressed letter to Terrence V. Powderly,
master workman Of the Knights Of Labor of
America, stating that in this time Of our great
misfortune and distress we look hopefully and
trustingly toward you and ask that you raise
your voice In our behalf. We wore . happy
and prosperous community few short months
ago. Over 1000 men were at work in our
mines. This without doubt is the largest and
most important eight-hour working district in
the country. The rights Of the laboring men
are respected Today the mines are closed
down. Idle men fill our streets who are almost
hopeless with despair. They have been brought
face to face with the problem Of how to provide
their dependent ones with the common neces-
saries Of life. The immediate cause of all this
misery is attributable principally TO the domi-
mating influences of a merciiess plutocracy that
has firmly established itself in the money CEN
ter Of the world You know these causes You
have wisely instructed us upon the labor prob
lens Of the day. and safely guided rs by your
excellent counsel.
From the Miners Standpoint.
You live in different surroundings than your
knightly followers of the mining camps and
may not be in possession of the facts and data
to refute the false representations OF the gold
bug agents, and therefore may find acceptable
the following statement, which we solemnly
aver to be absolutely true:
/. Silver cannot be produced at so cents an
ounce. We may only cite As proof Of the fact
that when the price dropped below so cents the
mines and smeters were compelled to close
down.
2 1t is possible for such wonderful bonanza
mines as the Mollie Gibson, Aspen and Snug
gler, in this camp, to take out ore found In
limited quantities at q remarkably low cost per
ounce of silver, but the great ore body of their
mineral cannot be produced with the price OF
silver in the eighties or nnieties.
s. These mines are extremely rare exceptions.
The great majority Of over-producing mines
have been profitable or improbable as skill and
economy may have been practiced in their
management.
L. Many properties with promising indica-
tions of good bodies of ore have been un-
touched since the price of silver declined below
81 per ounce because the risk was too hazard
GUS to undertake their development, which
| might lead to deposits of greater value.
s. The amount Of money and labor expended
| in prospecting for mineral and wasted upor
mineral claims that utterly failed to yield any
| considerable quantity Of valuable ore or that
expended for machinery and labor in the de
velopment Of mining property 10 largely in ex
cess of the value of silver at 81 20 per ounce
We do not believe that Il Is an exaggerated
statement TO say that $2 or even S2. so is ex
pended in search for the metal and in gettin,
it. when discovered, to market, for every ounc
that is produced
| G. Invest silver with the rights which 1t wa,
secretly and unjustly deprived of by the
infamous demonetization act Of 1873. and the
| mountains OF Colorado and the gold and silver
producing states and territories will TEEN with
life and activity. Here would be an inviting
field for thousands Of idle men Of this country
at fair wages. We cannot now offer employ
ment and good homes to thousands Of honest
Isboring men who know not what to do OF
| where to turn.