Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-07
ACTING LIKE VETERANS
Maryland Soldiers at Frostburg Win
Credit by Their Bearing.
Striking Miners Say That the Men
Will Not Go Back to Work
Until They Win.
Stan Correspondence Of The Evening Star

FROSTBURG, Mds June 6, 1894.
Nearly two thousand soldier boys of the
Maryland National Guard are spending to-
night it, a highly uncomfortable manner in
the thirty-one cars which brought them
up here last night. Most of the men were
thoroughly dreuched by the mornings
operations, and it has been impossible to
dry out the wet garments That the young
soldiers are cheerful under it all speaks
highly for the efficiency of the Maryland
guard, and that they marched out this
morning on empty stomachs, through the
drenching rain, to guard little roads and
big paths, with hardly a murmur even
among themselves, speaks we'll for their
good temper.
The men on duty here, as has been stated,
consist of the fourth and fifth regiments
of the Maryland troops. with H. Kyd Doug
las, adjutant general Of the guard, in
command of the department, and Brigadier
General Stewart Brown in command of the
brigade. The fourth has nine companies,
and the fifth twelve companies. Both regi-
ments have turned out with remarkably
full ranks. The fourth has 431 men in line,
which is "a IL per cent Of the regiment,
while the fifth has 523. nearly the same per
cent.
This does not include the staff or the drum
corps of the fifth, which is also here. About
twenty-five horses were also brought up, as
well as tents. camp equipage and one gat-
ling gun.
Camp.
No effort has as yet been made to fix up
camp formation. the rain-soaked ground
and uncertain situation having rendered a
stay in the cars much preferable. If camp
is pitched 1t will be between Frostburg and
Eckhart, on property belonging to the Con-
solidation Mining Company.
The Fifth Regiment.
The fifth regiment row here is one of the
most famous military organizations in the
country. The regiment stands at the front
rank. both for social and military ideas. 1t
was organized in 1867 and since then has
steadily held in it's ranks a large element of
the best manhood of Baltimore. 1t has al
ways been prompt in its response to calls
for active service. aid during the great rail-
road strikes in 1877 the organization did
great credit TO itself and to the state. The
regiment is commanded by Col w. A. Boy
kin. who, however, is not with the organi-
cation, the command devolving on Lieut..
Col. Frank Markoe, who is a well-known
business man of Baltimore, with long and
highly creditable war record behind him.
He served with distinction during the war
in the confederate army.
The Fourth Regiment.
The fourth regiment is another of the
crack organizations of Maryland. being COM
j. Il.
Phipps as lieutenant colonel. Col Howard
is In command of the regiment He is an
ex-Unon officer and a soldier Of marked
ability.
From present prospects the troops here
for the present will find little to do except
turn out in the mornings and keep open
the entrances to the mines. Under the
present conditions there is no chance of
any trouble between the strikers and the
troops. Such trouble, II is thought would
,lxy with he int oe at
side men, and then would come through
efforts to protect such labor.
What the Strikers Say.
The strikers here. as a body, are not
bitter against the soldiers and as yet
seem to feel confident that the men will
not go to work. even with the troops here
Said one of the strikers to me today:
I'VE intend to stay out until the last
COW comes home If necessary and the men
will not go to work even if the country is
dotted thick with soldiers. The few men
at work today will not stay working long
Why, look at it: there are no more men
working in the mines today than there
were yesterday, when there was not a
blue coat in sight Tomorrow there will
be less"
The striker was correct in his figures at
any rate.
Today there are about 125 men at work
in all the mines, and about the same num-
Der were on duty the day before. Working
On full time, the mines in this neighborhood
employ over 5000 men. These men are all
out. and are scattered between here and
Homecoming. There are also in the region a
number of miners from the Pennsylvania
and West Virginia fields. who are gcner-
ally looked upon as an exceedingly danger
Gus element. These men work with the
younger element Of the miners, who are
the head and front of the strike, the older
men, who remember the disastrous lessons
of 1852 and 1887. looking on the strike with
distrust. T. c. n.