The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-04-10
TTT COKE REGION RIOTERS.
,yp nuyoARIAN LABoBERs-
foi ao. THkr WORK AND LITE.

,.,.. NJ the Rrees-nssesrs ard
os.c,r, OF Their CsiiirR-Their Geese,
p R.d., and Fonsue-s for Beer
Lite, Reiigioa, and wsddinr -
,s,o,erce should accompany the strikes
las' oss regions OF PennsTlvania IL not sur
~ "a those familiar with the conditions.
p.,ou. strikes have occurred there since
M"",o.ownsrs abandoned the hone OF induc-
,h. native population to do their work
AI,mported foreign labor. ana thoy nave All
nv ...,np,nied by riotinG. In the resort
U,s the masters have invariably won.
.on litlons In that section are very dlf-
.,,,om those existing at the other coal
a. the same state. In many respects
rSr. direrent from those found anywhere
m, ma, country The miners are ignorant and
m.,..dv TO resort to violence. The Huns,
w. lathe leaders in all riots. arc also cow
'T,Io, willing to shoot and stab and club
w.. ,hey have the ADVANTAGE OF numbers
-, oniek 10 run when opposed.
"a. seenes of tho rioting are Included In
-, 4. known as the Connellsville coke re-
w., which IA 10 southwestern Pennsylvania,
y, MANY miles from Pittsburgh. 1t covers an
..,o, atoIt 10 square miles. and extends
80 poiut near Latrobe. on the PennsylvRnia
\ S.p,oad through West mo reland and Fayette
.a,,.s distance OF ifty miles. almo st to the
S,,t,r OF West Virginia. lite average width
A,ouahout is about two and a half miles. In
a.. rsclon coal mines cluster thickly. and che
A., NJ the coke ovens can be seen In every
| T,..tIon. The traveller who roams by night
"a, little difficulty in imagining himself In
| .,in,erno. for he Is constantly encompassed
S,the fiery ovens. whose flames often extend
dozen leet lnto the open; aud against these
. lrllsn, backgrounds the dark figures Of the
hborers appear like eilhouettes.
In all the reports OF the riots I'D to date men
sou has teen made only oil the Huns. As
natter Of fact there are as many Poles In the
axe district as Huns. Both are very unlike
n hslr countvymen on thu east side Of Now
lOrk. They are sturdier and physically more
/ Impressive than the men who peddle In the
srests or work in the sweat shops OF the cities.
they are also more inclined TO violence.
among tho Huns OF New York there are many
rry excellent people, but those OF tho mining
regions como from the very lowest classes,
The roles who work in the mines are. on the
sther hand superior to those In New York.
II 10 less than tweuty years ago that those
mtlonalities became prominent in the Con-
,ssyille district. The Alien Contract Labor
NV had not yet been framed. and the mine
oSnsrs. who were unable to get sufficient
ntofers from the native population. went
abroad In search OF such as would answer
their purposes. The nrst that came over
found their new life so much better than the
Old that theSsent for their families and noti-
fed their friends Soon many hundreds ar
rived. The laborious and disagreeable work
i,d small wages. which had repeled tho ma
ives were then extremely satisfactory to the
Poles and Huns. who found that ihey could
have meat every day instead OF having it only
90 Sundays and holidays as had been their
previous 'experience. In many other ways.
TO- they found their condition Improved.
1t looGsd then Is though the problem OF So
the employers soon found that they would not
cable TO hold their new workmen. Zach OF
So a' To- save sS,IeiCpt money to buy i:ttle
iirm In his native land so all lived very
scOnomicnlly. buying nothing that was not
ing cent OF their earnings. In two or three
Years they saved enough 10 answer their pCr-
poses. Then they returned TO their homes
Many efforts were made 10 stop this, some Of
Witch. II reports be truo. were rather arbi-
hary; Iut any difficulties that might have re-
very lew had neen successfuI. and all had
Ts Yves after their experiences in This country
l9at least soven or eight years the Poles and
h h the Sse IA many a
iilageS there are u dozen OF them TO one Of
lay other nationality. At times they have an
condition. Again they have teer ready TO re-
sIond to the call Of every ngitator, and have
'hovn favor to anarchists septim ents,
Its true that their lot Is not Ideal. The men
work six days out Of tho week. barring holi-
DAYS Their hours are long. and as most Of
ovcrS perform ed they cannot afford to shirk
much. Whether they toll In the dark ~ Ats OF
tho mines or at the liery mouths Of the coke
want to make living income. The prices
paid are reasonable when IL is remen Dered
S ,bs sa u r., the S wSs
earn between 81 aud So per day. The level
era or men who keep the coal level In the
earn Il - and the engineer in the mine
Iard and the charging engineer s2.d! each.
Inc engineer in charge Of the mine elevator
saco ' l DON, si.o4 The laScrefs. si.55; the
ieamstrLs the same: common laborers, sl.31;
the upplers who dump coal. Sl.U5. In the
mines he wages OF the salaried men are Ross
Ioadasa, y; boss rcSdmsn, 81 50; inside la:
me doors 70 the different roads in the mines
earn from ~ cents Ia 81.
The coal mins.s are paid 10 35-l00 csnta for
each ear load ?. coal they take. out Of nm ordl-
harI sean. The ear contains forty-1ye bush
Is aud an expert miner can take out between
hoars In the dry headings, as some OF the
snlerGTound ehambers are called the work Is
more ditGult and dangerous. because the
heJ or 10 buried 10y cave In. He is paid
s .s.i GEMS more for car load In consid-
grafton Ofthe extra hazard. In the wet head
ags. where the danger Is even greater. the
Hesls Increased by three cents more.
~ some Of he rooms where the men are
10y .s norS'ng all day long the air Is very damp
~ nesIY IN act were II not 70! the outer
nmuodueed ! means OF great electric fans.
neHNes OF men and beasts would be speedily
Le,no}ed Tho miners are not allowed to
Ele lheIr posts for any cause during work
- hours The supplies OF Iood and water
suhkh lhey carry with them when thsY enter
she morning must last them ali day. They
s VA haAed 10 the waist. and tho noTes Of their
an ~ ueeome lmpTtgnated with the coal dust
sstt lhey seem TO he covered with shining
49, 49, Nlnor, Tho visitor to the mines FREE
yTuH stuuhles across n halt-naked man
.ooks Ike negro, except that his skin
nass an glisteHs. As though studded with a
vi ,UM 81 lril!lants. The choking OF the pores
H"u IhlS irritating dust would doubtless
.,-Atlehln. 20 an Amateur. but these
20 nor seem to mind IL much.
wen tleir DAYS work 10 done and they
saashed away tho dirt they show lew
$50 TIE hard lauOr which they we're en-
S1.Vlln The miners work only by dAI. but !
s.iVi Tue coke men work Rt night and rest |
s.n 81 va ms account there are always some /,
~ around the homes
A..hs houses occupied by the workers and |
~ lAhiles are all owned by the Employers,
t5"im 'iea!lY control the government and |
49, ~ the men. In most villages the |
.,ssa are rented NJ from s.. 80 to 81 a month, |
FB,Ie IAN twO-stOry wooden structures