Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-08-03
MAJOR SIM0NS BACK.
CONDITIONS GREATLY IMPROVED.
The virginia Mines Running run
n,,., md with More Native Ope-
west virginia SITUATION

nj pocahontas during the late disturb
ances IN that quarter
Ne,or simons was seen by Dispatch
,.no,,er shortly after his arrival, ana
said that he received orders TO wl'ho'a"
NIL troops from Pocahontes last "eoiies
dov He left the affairs on the NHein"
side I'm splendid condition, he asser'eu'
oil the mines in full blast. and the NINE
owners taking steps 20 increase 'he ca
&c, of their workings Great satis-
faction is universally expressed al the
o,,t.,,,r state Of affairs; the men are re-
ceiyins: good wages. and are peiiis 'ea'-
cd with every consideration anu "n'
commissary department is supplying p'o-
visions and other articles al very reasoh-
able rates.
oNventv-two hundred men are employed
On the Pocahontas mines at the present
time and 30 in Colonel Brownings mine
These are the only TWO mining prope
ties on the Virginia side OF the S'a'e
line. ~. Acton e,-
,oons said. the outlook Is stili gloomy
The operators have lateiy chahHeu
from the system OF paying by the ga; p"
The old method Of paying by the h'i'le .
car at CO cents per car. Inc Issu'
of this has been that the me" n"s
oil gone out on a strike AGAIN anu ~"
condition is virtually the SAINT % IT.
The beginning of al the trouble. Inc
u, Virginta operators are bringing up
fresh men TO work In their mines p"'
those are persuaded 10 leave the mlheS
almost as soon as they reach them'
AFFAIRS IN GOOD CONDITION.
I-uor the whole. Major, Simons con-
anned Pocahontas and its environments
arc in a far better condition imam
they have ever been. The people are more
reconciled. and there is less cause lot ais,
turbance. The Hungarians, italahs, anu
negroes who worked in the MINES nav
for the most part. been ousteo' anu oN.l
twelve hundred native Nirsihlans
now eTnployed in the Southwest mine
n,ono and the proportion of natives IN
other mines is correspondingly large.
far hetter element has been employed
and the possibility of strikes Is CORE
spondingly lessened
The mines, he declared, are mus IN
portant factor in that quarter. IheE u9S
vas. amounts of all manner oil prouuCe'
and II is propOsed-and. indeed Is ahcaus
,eing put In operation-that the Ies
sopts and miners shall confine themselves
tity OF meat has been shipped 10 y
cabon.as from Chicago. but the meat IS
,o,v beinc purchased. 20 a large extent
from the surrounding farmers, as Is aiSo
Tho greater part of the hay, corn ana
grain used in Pocahontas
ENDORSE THE GOVERNOR.
tn. course adopted by the Governor in
sending troops 10 Pocahontas, sara MAJOR
SInong. is very cordially. heartiY' anu
fully approved by almost every man VI
any standing in the community resaIu.
less Of politics. me popular ',,,I.n
90 all I'm favor Of Governor OFerraiI'
land in my opinion" ne continued, there
,sn't a man in the country that
could heat him in an election In that
ouarter | moved all over that coun-
nv and went amongst all classes ana
the sentiment was everywhere the same
.sThe reports circulated by several
newspapers that the soldiers were useu
IN compel men to work is absolutely
soIso " ne continued. Il was sent to Po-
,abontas to protect the men from being
imposed upon, and / extended to them
INV protection. and say that they were
,ronerly treated. There was not single
nan forced to work against his WILL
'In my opinion. had it not been for
Governor O'Ferralrs action in sendihS
troops to Pocahontas, the consequences
would have been most deplorabie. Inc
mines would undoubtedly have been
Obliged to shut down: the railroads and
business generally would have been para
lived. and the town might possibly have
been destroyed. That is, indeed, the
general sentiment. end the statement
would I've endorsed by all thinking per-
sons In that community. The military
were more respected and more highly
thought OF by the miners themselves
than by any other class Of people III
would have been impossible TO imagine
a more cordial or better reception IMAM
was accorded by the better element OF
the people to the military. They ex-
messed themselves in full sympathy win
us and during our stay became much at
tached 10 the boys expressing great
regret when the time came Tor us 10
cave"
IL has not been campaign OF play
continued Major Simons; the Dogs nave
seen much hard service; but they nave
derived immense beneht from lhili,aIy
standpoint. and have learned that whlch
u,iu nrove of incalculabe beneht 10
them"
NEARLY EIGHT HUNDRED MEN.
Thor were ZIG men used during the three
,oorths that the military were in occu-
nation of the town. The greatest num-
her stationed at Pocahontas at one time
was o.: but when they broke camp. last
Thursday. Company G. Second Regiment
from Harrisonhurg. comprising hfty-thfee
men under command of Captain ii.
ROLLER. was the only force In occupa-
tion With the exception of this COM
many all the troops employed at Poca-
hontas have beer paid off The pro-
liable cost of their maintenance viii be
between $4,000 and $4,000. The men were
on duty the same length Of time as the
men used by the State Of Pennsylvania
during the great Carnegie strike. the
cost of which was 100000. After that
strike the Legislature of Pennsylvania
was compelled 10 give the regiment
new uniforms and equipment. The ma
iority of the uniforms of the men who
saw service at Pocahontas are like
wise. very badly used up. said Major
S!mons. and many Of them are quite
unfit for further use.
There has been some little talk. Major
Slmons said. that the employers of some
of the volunteers would discharge them
for continued absence from work but
IN every case brought to his notice. ne
had written TO the employer or en-
ployers and ne did not know OF single
case where the threat had been carried
out
HARDLY HAVE TO RETURN.
Replying 20 the question as TO wheth-
or he thought there was any proba-
bili,y OF the troops having to be sent
back 10 Pocahontas. Major Simons said
that there was not the slightest proba-
blity as far as he could see,
unless the West Virginia people came over