The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-05-16
STARVING.
Terrible Plight of Miners at
Scranton, Usage County.
A Estate Journal" Reporter
Visits the Scene.
ThirtyFamilies Now Absolutely
Without Food.
81 AND S5 A MONTH.
That's All That Many Earned
A9TApril.
Number of Destitute Will be
Doubled
BEFORE A WEEh EN- US.
No Demand for the Scranton
Coal
Because of Unjust Railroad
Rates Say the Miners.
DEFORE A WEEK ENDS.
No Demand for the Scranton
Coal
Because of Unjust Railroad
Rates Say the Miners.

The four hundred coal miners and
their families who live in the little town
Of Scranton, twenty-one miles south of
Topeka on the Santa Fe, are suffering
for the necessaries of life because they
can't get work.
A STATE JOURNAL reporter, who spent
yesterday among the suffering miners,
found that the reports of destitution and
the stories of the deplorable condition of
the people of that mining camp had not
been half told.
About 1900 people live in Scranton
and all are dependent on the mines for
support.
Since the first of April the demand for
coal has dropped off in such a manner
that the miners are now unable to earn
but SO to So a month, and only a very
small number are able to earn the latter
amount; the great majority having re-
ceived an average in pay for the month
of April of but 81 40.
The last year up to the first of April
was the best years work the Scranton
miners have had for several years, and
from $240 to $270 for the year.
Now that there is no market for Scran-
ton coal, the mines are all shut down,
except one to three days in the week,
and the men are then limited in the
amount of coal they shall get out
Looking for Relief.
Last Saturday night the miners held
mass meeting to consider their situation
and if possible arrange for some way
out of their difficulties. AT that meet
ing a committee was appointed to make
a canvass of the town and learn exactly
how many families are now without food.
That committee has not yet com pleted
its work, but last evening the chairman
of the committee, Mr. J. W. Curley. as
sured the STATE JOURNAL reporter that
there are now between twenty five and
thirty families absolutely without food.
In talking about the situation Mr.
Curley said: 1--WE find the situation is
much worse than we supposed, for
while there are between twenty-five
and thirty families suffering for
food today that number is sure to be
doubled within a week, as our hard time
has only commenced.
"We have had fairly good work up to
two months ago, but now we are earning
practically nothing, and the situation is
The demand for commercial coal is al
ways small during the sumner, especial
ly with US, as our coal is almost wholly
bought for domestic use.
"Our people refuse to acknowledge
their need until driven to it by the sEf-
fering of their children A large num-
Der OF. them would rather starve than
accept charity, aud have dis
covered that several families
we visited where we were assured
they did not need aid. actually
had nothing in the house to eat at the
time. The merchants are doing the best
they can for the miners. They have car
ried the accounts of the miners from one
pay day to another until now the mer-
chants have been forced to discontinue
the credit they have heretofore given. in
self protection. We do not blame the
merchants for this because we know thew
are doing the best for Us they can"
In HoSeless Plight.
Mr.. John F. = lng, an examiner who
now is in the grocery business. and who
is member of the general relief COM
mittee which was appointed to Law the
condition of the people before Governor
Morrill, said: "Our people are honest
and industrious and will pay their bills
as long as they have a dollar but .thav
get the dollar and the Nor
chants are forced to withdraw the credit
they have heretofore given. IF there
was prospect of the miners havinc ali
the work they could do in the future the
merchants would most surely carry the
miners but the miners nav is so small
even when he has work that he can
hardly keep his family, let alone paving
old bills. R"' '"s
"Our miners are not asking charity
now; they are asking an opportunity to
earn their daily bread. "
Bad All Over Usage.
"our town is not alone in this deplor-
able condition, as matters are as had and
even worse at Usage City and Peterton ,u,'
The reason for this is that this Ossga
county mining district is discriminstss6
against in freight rates.
e'Since the railroads have gone into tho
coal mining business every sta stst;nr ;oo
agent along the road is az
agent for their coal, which 81 =
not strange, but what we complain of i i