The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-05-21
The FLAT TOP COAL FIELDS.
Four More Mines to Start To.
day.
The Situation VIII Turn on This-If No
Trouble Is Experienced There 1t is
believed the Backbone of the Strike
Will be Broken-SsntineI at the Brown
Ing Mine Shot at Sunday Night.
Special 10 THE TrnEs.

Special 10 THE TrnEs
PocAHoNrAs. May so.-The situation
here seems to be more and more com.
plicated IS each days proceedings ar
brought to light. but on the whole,
viewing the situation as 1t stands to-day.
she strike seems balanced in favor of
sne operators who made no reduction in
wages Tomorrow will witness the
starting up OF the Houston, Grocer
Upland and Pulaski mines on the Elk
horn. They will not work a full force
In the beginning, but will resume
operations gradually, and increase their
FORCES as they can until they have their
full number OF men at work again.
Ihese operators claim that plenty of
men are available snd they have agreed
60 take back number Of their old en-
ployes, and as fast as the mines can be
cleared up and prepared the men will
Do given work. They are led to believe
that great many OF their old employees
will want to go to work in their mines,
out are not prepared to say for sure
that these men will all break awav
from minor influences.
Under the circumstances upen hos
Utilities are not likely to occur, as Laws
lsss and Webb have been notified by
Governor MacCorkle that any ATTEMPT
at violence or intimidation would be
promptly quefled, and II necessary, the
west Virginia militia would be called
into the game.
Tho strikers whose wages were cut
had the full sympathy of the mon be-
longing to the four operations named.
the latter not going out because thew
mad any grievance OF their own. but
simply to help the miners, who would
DO compelled 60 accept o reduction or
stop work. The feeling OF friendship
existing between the miners is not
likely TO be ruptured to such an extent
that the strikers will forcibly interfere
with those who return to work. The
county and Stats authorities are fully
ADVISED OF the situation, and adequate
protection will be furnished.
The four operations which are thus to
be started are among the largest and
wealthiest in the whole district, and
can add, without special effort, $50 cars
per day to the output OF coal. The two
Pocahontas mines and these four West
virginia mines can put out 400 cars per
day easily, and Coeburn and Russell
Creek on the Clinch Valley are already
putting out three times as much per day
as usual.
This ia all very significant, and If It
be possible, and every tendency Is in
that direction, for the these mines to
operate, 1t seems that the Norfolk and
western might be out Of it, as the ton
mage OF coal will be sufficient IL the
other operators do refuse to 80 to work
without q reduction OF freight rates.
The knowledge that these mines will
reaume operations does not a. all chanpe
the tone of the thirty or more other
operators in this field, as most of them
are still very positive In their declara-
tions that they will not yield particle.
Lawless and his men, of course, will not
sanction the return OF the miners to
work at these mines, and DO not .ail
to say SO.
He adheres to the plan OF making the
Shutdown as complete ss possible, and
says ne will enter Virgins tomorrow
to induce the miners to come out and
that Governor O'Ferral and his mis-
sioners cannot prevent him. |. Is not
believed that be intends coming INFO
Pocahontas, but that his idea Is to so
into the Coeburn and Toms Creek dis
trics and organise the miners there. 1t
10 understood that organizers and labor
agitators would have warm reception
IN the Clinch Valley at this juncture
Your correspondent interviewed Mr..
j. b. White, private Secretary of Gov
ernor McCorkle, to- day on the situation
and he does not apprehend any special
danger OF violence by the strikers. He
has talked to tho operators on both
SIDES OF the question; also Lawless and
Webb, and the concensus OF opinion Is
CONTINUED IN BIRD COLUMN 4TH rAGE.l