The bee., 1894-06-21
Down in the Mines.

Mr. Newbold, agen, for the ST. Bernard
Coal Co. at Louisville. made friends and
relatives here brief visit on Tuesday
Supt. Salmon. OF the crabiree mines.
made business trip here this week. Mr..
Salmon does not hesitate TO say that the
past few weeks has been a prosperous one
for his company,
Jonas Craig who had one OF his feet
badly crushed few days ago. while work
ing in the mines. was compelled last week
to have his leg amputsted just above the
knee in order to save his life
The fact is, that IL men would ignore
labor organization entirely they would be
better of, and as an illustration we point
them to the condition Of of the miners in
Hopkins county, who believe 10 remaining
free men.
An amusing sight il must have been to
have seen that boyish looking civil engineer
in his night costume and armed with a
Winchester. searching for that dog that
made the night one long to be remem-
bered
A conference OF the leading coal opera
tors in this section Of the state took place
one day this week. Business Of importance
was transacted and we suppose mutual
agreement was entered into that here
after harmony will prevail on all questions
of interest to the mining industry Of Hop
kins county.
The Coal Trade Journal says "a note
from Darlington, Ky. states: The miners
Of the State who have not struck are those
of Hopkins County. Fully 500 men
have been at work every day. and large
tonnage OF coal has gone to Chicago and
St. Louis. There is no question of wages,
or grievance, in this county, and our min
ers have more sympathy with their wives
and babies than with the U. NJ. w. of.A.
The result has been and is that many rail-
roads are kept running; many factories at
work that would otherwise be idle The
people Of this community believe men have
a righ, to work il they wish. and win. toll
crate no invasion" or interference from
outsiders surely am proud TO live in the
only county in this g-sss West where the
-0orkino M .sreally free, asd fully pro-
tected in his rights
Mcbride the leader OF the miners asso-
citation, says he saw the "hand writing on
the wall. and SO the best and only thing
he could do TO save themselves from total
defeat was to accept the compromise agreed
upon at Columbus. Ohio. He has come
in for much censure from many quarters
and in his defense among the reasons given
why he accepted the terms referred to is
that the treasury was several hundred dol
lars worse of than empty and that many
thousand OF their organization had already
deserted them, while many more thous-
ands were preparing to do likewise Now
in this case il can bs plainly seen that he
wisely decided to take half loaf raIher
than none. Would II not have been much
better to have held on to the whole loaf
they had In their possession before the
strike took place. than to have thus sur
rendered2
The Philadelphia Press. in the article
here republished, gives some idea OF the
magnitude and damage DOPE by the strike
ordered about two months ago by Boss
Mcbride, Of the Miners Union, and plainly
shows the evil result OF the one man power
o order hundreds Of thousands Of men to
luit work when they we're, in most cases,
making fair Lying wages; The strike
which Is now closing began two months ago
n the order for a general strike. due in
ome parts Of the bituminous coal field to
! reduction of wages and in oihers to
sympathy" In -the-spring Of 1893 CON
racts we're signed by a large number Of
'perators aud acquiesced in by the rest
which accepted for year, ending May I.
so3, the scale for several years in ase
,ased on 10 cents ton for Ohio and 70
ents for Western Pennsylvania The
ear proved one Of panic. and precisely as
n the past miners have broken their CON
ract In years of rising prices, and in the
resent strike miners whose pay had not
'een reduced did the like by sympathy
irikes before MAY 4, number Of Western
pennsylvania operators broke their con
racts lastwinler and reduced to 90 cents
ton
This was met by counter reductions in
)ho, and. reduction succeeded reduction.
oal was being mined this spring on basis
I 90 and so cents and In some cases even
0 and IS cents ton in various parts Of
'ennsylyanla and Ohio The present
Irlke was ordered the middle Of April I,
eeNpe general May D. when I35 oco min
rs we're out, and. men thrown cut Of work,
sing added. the total number Of persons
Ut Of employment, directly aud indireelly
as reached 2aS 600.
The total number Of men employed IN
luminous mining Is about aIo, 900. aud
% about one-,hird hays bssa oal in this