Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-28
Mine Operators See Their Business
Taken Away.
CUMBERLAND AND POCAHONFAS COAL
1t is Taking the Place Of the
Clarified Product.
ANTHRACITE LIKELY TO GO UP

districts of central Pennsylvania for the re-
sumption of work in their mines. So far as
heard from there has not been any re-
sumption, neither has there been any trou-
BILE Of any sort. AS predicted by men in
a position to know, when the operators on
last Monday issued their ultimatum Of 40
cents ton, the strikers have remained
away from the mines and the commence
ment of the sixth week of their strike finds
them apparently as determined as ever to
await the orders Of President Mcbride of
the United Mine Workers before resuming.
Meanwhile the coal situation. as far as
this region is concerned. grows more Sc
rious every day. Soft coal is extremely
scarce and operators are compelled to pay
almost exorbitant prices in order to fill
their contracts. Agents who are lucky
enough to have control Of coal are making
profits of from 81 TO $3.50 ton, whereas
10 cents was considered a fair profit before
the coal famine set in. Another serious
result Of the strike that promises to be
more fasting in its effect is the permanent
loss OF business because of the inability
OF operators to fulfill old contracts or enter
into new ones.
Where Miners Are mt Work.
The regions that compete directly with
the central Pennsylvania bituminous coal
operators are Cumberland Nd. thewest vtr-
ginia fields and the Pocahontas, in south
western Virginia
Information from the Cumberland region
Is TO the effect that men are going to work
every day and coal Is being turned out
rapidly Evidence OF this Is seen In the re-
leasing by the Baltimore and Ohio railroad
Of coal which had been confiscated and the
delivery of Cumberland coal in portions of
the east that hitherto depended entirely up
on central Pennsylvania for soft coal. One
reason for the return OF the Cumberland
miners to work Is said TO be the fact that
when the last great bituminous strike &C.
CURED, in 1854. the Clearf1eld miners failed
TO stand by them. and the former are at the
present time settling an old score.
In the Pocahontas region the mines and
men are being worked to their utmost Ca
pacity. The Norfolk and Western railroad
IS said to have hired all the locomotives
and cars they could get from southern rail-
roads and IS at the present time rushing
coal into Norfolk at an unprecedented rate
From Norfolk this coal is shipped by water
TO points on the New England coast. Com
paratively little OF 1t reaches New York. for
the reason that since the coal goes by water
u costs very little to carry 1t further along
the coast. whereas the prices obtained in
New England are much better.
Better for Pennsylvania Operators.
The activity Of the Pocahontas opera
tors and the gradual resumption In the
Cumberland region is bitter pill for the
pennsylvania operators to swallow. The
coal mined by them is brought in direct
competition with the Pennsylvania and
yet the miners employed by the latter ask
Tor wages at the rate Of fifty cents a gross
ton, whereas the Cumberland miners work
for forty cents a ton, and the Pocahontas
men, mostly negroes, receive only twenty
five cents a ton, or 90 per cent less.
IL is this condition of affairs that forced
the Pennsylvania operators to say to their
men that they could only pay forty cents
gross ton.
prominent shipper said to a reporter of
the Associated Press: Nothing could be
more unjust than the attitude assumed by
the Clearheld miners. 1t is an utter impos-
sibility for the men operating these mines
TO pay 10 per cent more for labor than
Gumberland, and leo per cent more than
Pocahontas."
While the scarcity of soft coal continues
the producers and shippers of anthracite
are reaping harvest
Hard Coal LIKELY to Go Up.
Shipments have increased enormously, and
II is probable that the coal sales agents at
their regular monthly meeting in New York
tomorrow will advance the price on all sizes
at least - cents a ton 1t is expected that
a large proportion of the fifty-two COL
heries controlled by the Reading railroad,
which were drowned out" last week. will
resume work in day or two. They will
be worked ten hours day for some time
TO come. One effect of the scarcity of
soft coal has been the increased use of
the fine coal formerly wasted, but which
by a patented process is now washed free
OF dirt and utilized in connection with
bituminous coal
Strikers Waiting Patiently.
WELLSBORO. Pa, May 2S-The soft
coal miners in Tioga county remain out and
are patiently awaiting orders from the
headquarters Of the mine workers organi-
zation. So far as can be learned, there
IS at present no disposition on the part of
the operators to run In new men to work
the mines.
No Attempt to Resume.
HOUTZDALE. Pa. May 2s.-There is no
question that Gov. Pattison's visit to this
place has prevented any immediate at
tempt on the part of the operators to re-
sumo operations by the introduction Of new
men, although the fact has developed that
such was their intention. Cars had been
distributed to the various mines, oil had
been ordered for several mines, and other
preparations were made to resume work,
possibly on Wednesday
Despite the rain many Osceola and Phil
npsburg miners turned out in parade this
morning at Osceola- President Bradley of
the miners organization of this district
VINO was en- route form Phillipsburg, was
induced 10 leave the train at Osceola and
speak to miners. This morning the mine
whistles in this vicinity blew loudly, but
men. ~ ~
The executive board Is in receipt Of a tele-
gram from Patrick McBryde, national sec
rotary, at Columbus Ohio. directing the
miners mere to have Gov. Pattison name a
tune and place of conference and the ma
tionai offcers Will be represented Gov Pat
tSon mas been wired accordingly
Thinks an End is Near
SPRINGFIELD. I'LL. May ga number
OF Illinois miners and operators arrived here
Today to attend the miners conference.
Wnleh met at pm. prominent operator
said to an Associated Press reporter that he
believed the outcome of the conference
would be the settlement Of the strike within
o few days.
BRAZIL, Ind, May 2S-Three hundred
miners have stationed themselves in Fon-
talnet, north OF here. on the Big Four road
and stop every freight train They thor.
ougny examine each car to see IL any coal
Is being transported. They now have ten
ears OF coal sidetracked
DfsagreeabIe Predicameut
NEW YORK. May 2s.-The steamer Fran
cisco. which hauled out from BROOKLYN on
Saturday. bound for Hull, is here still living
off Liberty island.
She has large number Of cattle on board
besides a heavy cargo. The detention is
one Of the results of the great coal strike
for when the engineers tried to get nm
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