The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-05-16

RICHMOND, VA, May l5.-Govesnor
0Fesral returned from Pocahontas to.
day more than ever convinced tha.
,asre would have boon trouble OF the
mos, ssriou, character at that place,
bu, Tor tho presence Of tho military.
"Juu look at the situation" said he.
There uero from four to six thousand
striking minors from Welt Virginia,
composed largely OF Hunrarians. Poles
and other foreigners coming into Poca.
honla, to force the mon in those mines
to 30 out. OF course tho authorities
would have been powerless and that
,hstc would have been rio.ing and de-
.uuc,ioa ol property and loss OF life, Is
certain"
~ have great sympathy with the
We.t Virginia miners," he went on.
"They have been badly treated and they
are being made the cat.paw OF the coal
operators, for this 10 coal operators
strike"
He then reviewed tho situation. say.
ing:
"Prior to April the coal ia tha. sec.
,ion was sold by the operators to tho
Pocahontas Coal Company, all the stock
OF which belongs TO the Norfolk &
Western Railroad Company. Under
tho contract then in iorco tho coal pro-
ducers received for their coal in cara at
the mine, an average OF 72l cents per
gross ton, aud the Pocahontas Coal
Company disposed OF tho product to
the beat advantage and paid to the rail-
road company the net balance for the
freight charges.
The price OF coal went down to such
low figure during tho panic that while
the coal operators received regularly
their minimum price OF 72t cents per
gross ton, the total gross receipts OF the
railroad company for the transportation
was leis than three mills per mile. The
result was that while many OF the oper.
a,ors earned % per cent on their capital
invested, the railroad company was
forced into the hands OF receivers. 1t
vould have been impossible, therefore,
for the railroad company or the receiv-
ets 10 have continued 10 guarantee so
large price TO the operators, but part
from this the law was enacted by the
last session of the West Virginia legisla-
sure prohibiting railroads from selling
coal. and this Of itself compelled the
Norfolk & Western to retire from the
business.
"On April l Costher & Curran were
sh kp hn tar a h AZ nj
agents. After conference between the
receivers OF the railroad com papy and
the committee Of the operators, an ir.
rangcment was agreed upon which
would have netted the operators al av-
erage oil sixty.four cents per ton at the
mines. At tho time that this arrange
ment was made the operators were ask
ed by the receivers Ii they intended to
reduce tho wages OF the miners and they
replied that they did not. But without
notice to the receivers they subscquent-
II cut wages to take effect May !"
The governor ia satisfied that tho
operators forced tho West Virginia
miners to strike, to force the railroad to
reduce freight charges. He added:
"All this trouble IL In West Virginia;
the operators At Pocahonsas have stood
by their agreement and the men are
entirely satisfied with the treatment
they received. Many ininers would
hare returned TO work but for fear
growing out OF tho fear that the West
Virginia minors, who are backed by the
West Virginia operators, are threaten
ing them with violence if they work,
and II is to protect these men tha.
troops are kept at Pocahontas."
When Governor O'Ferrall lei. there
we're three hundred men a, work in tho
mines OF the Southwest Company. Six
moro were to 20 on last night, two hun
dred moro were expected this morning
and four hundred more on
tomorrow. The company is taking
back its old men, upon application,
except in tho ca.e OF few obstre porous
leaders.
[Governor O'Ferra!Ps recital OF tho
inside history OF the strike in tho Elk.
horn region Is contirmatory uf the story
published In tho lSTELLrGEScEG May 8,
IN llrnost eyary pnrticular1