The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-05-10

probable duration and It's expected ter
mination, ware the topics of CONVERSE
tion held yesterday by Edisor w. w.
Brennaman, Of the Pocahontas Head
light. with q reporter OF THE TIMES.
Mr.. Brennaman was in Roanoke yester-
day on business and pleasure trip. and
while hers several interesting points
concerning the strike were elected from
him.
In the first place, everything is per-
fectly quiet in the coal fields, more so,
perhaps, than usual; there is no riot or
anything approaching to unla wful dis
turbances. There are only two opera
tions, the Southwest Virginia Improve
uent Company and the Browning Coal
and Coke Company, at work and these
corporations are operating their bust
ness with comparatively small force.
This force of men, however, is daily In.
creasing and all OF them are old miners,
no new men being imported. OF these
men who are at work quite number
OF them did not 20 out and have kept
steadily at work all the time.
There seems to be disposition on the
part of some Of the men who went out
on Monday, especially the Hungarians,
to come back and resume work. They
had no personal grievance against the
company and merely went out throu zh
sympathy, although they were not or.
gaoized and had never teen union men.
The position these returning miners
take Is this, that II the work has TO 10
on, and they are convinced that 1t will,
they feel that they would as we'll con
tinue to work as to have new men put in
- e.
are returning TO work, yet at the same
time had the strike entirely succeeded,
and all of the miners gone out, they
probably would have remained out with
the strikers.
The Southwest Virginia Improvements
Company is showing determination to
operate their mines, and they will do so
as long as men can be employed who
will work. 1t Is reported that o number
OF men will arrive at Pocahontas from
other points within the next day or two
to take the PLACES Of some Of those who
have gone out, but mono have arrived in
the city yet. 1t is hard to say what eff
feet such an importation of men will
have upon the miners when they see
the positions that were theirs passing
out OF their hands. 1t may have the
etfec. of causing them to 60 to work, or
1t may have the contrary effect of en-
raging them and melting them to vic.
lercs. This substitution of new men Ia
the place OF those who have gone out
would undoub tedly produce trouble but
for the presence OF the troops.
many people in Pocahontas look upon
the sending Of troops in.o a quiet town,
by the governor, as being ridiculous,
yet, on the other hand, there are a great
many conservative people who look
a
very wise precautionary measure. Ger
tain it Is, however, that should tho
troops be Withdrawn al this juncture,
trouble. violence and bloodshed would
be imminent. There is no way of de-
termining when the end OF the struggle
will come. The Southwest Virginia IN
provement Company, backed 10 Its de-
termination by State troopsgand large
resources, will carry on the contest IN.
definitely, and the termination of the
strike will, in largo measure, depend
upon the means OF the strikers. II she
statement be true that the striking
miners are receiving substantial, as we'll
as moral support, from the thirty two
operations which form the Flat Top
Coal and Coke Association, the struggle
may be lengthy one and the end is
not yet.
1t was also stated that the Southwest
Virginia Company had notices printed
yesterday to be distributed among the
striking miners to the effect that sll
miners who did not at once return to
WORK would be forced to vacate the
houses in which they live. This, it Ia
thought will have very great effect
upon the men and will cause many OF
them to return to work, as they are mar
ried men and some Of them with large
families who would find 1t very incon-
venient If not almost impossible to
move.
To show what little cause for grieve
ance the strikers had, it Is stated that
on Thursday night eighteen Hungariane
returned to work in the Southwest
mines, and in the one night dug enough
coal to net SO. 90 each, at the regular
rates they had been receiving.