Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-05-05
THE MINERS STRIKE.
Practically 10 0nss n The Coal.
Fad Situation.
INTERVIEW WITH IR. LAgLEss
lo-Days nsstil6 Looked Forward to
With Apprehension.
rRooPs MAssED AT GRAHAM.

usso nyRtVAVuoAVAs
TnooPS MAssED AT GRAHAM.
uay oe 60 PocaAontas This Moraing.
The Richmona Howitsers and
Their Trfp-Orders 70 Military 1t
Various Points to No Ready.
POCAHONTAS. VA. May <-(SpeciaD
Interest In the strike continues to centre
IN the meeting to be held near this place
tomorrow afternoon. Just what the
character and results Of that meeting
will b IL 10 impossible TO predict. J. NJ.
IAwiess, Of the Miners Union. who IL
leading the strike. has been here. but mas
made no effort TO effect the organization
of q lodge. In an interview with your
correspondent he said that the entire
region Il now organized. with the excep-
ton Of the miners here. Fully twenty
agents OF the union have been actively al
work with the Pocahontas miners. urging
them to strike. with what success IL Is
difficult to tell Apparently the sou'h-
west Pooahontss) mines are unanecteo'
The force was again increased To-Day
and the men appear TO be loyal I@wiess
and his subordinates maintain that inc
men will not work after to-day. but 'here
n nothing on the surface to indicate that
they are right
Thousands Of circulars have been as
trfbuted throughout the district ao'e''
Using the meeting tomorrow. The spear
. ers announced In this circular are ., ~
Webb. J. NJ. IAwless. w. {. Arou,on,
and o. r Yordy. 1t Is reportco '',A'
Patrick Mcbride will be here. ana ,ne III
dications now point to big demons 20
ton. IAwless says he can bring 49,
men from Elkhorn. 1t Is there that VI,
bulk OF the men are out. The long tuhhe'
senarAtes the Pocahontas mines from III
innate communications with the Wois'
AZ the strtke district. No two or thie'
niners could get foot beyond inc Jun
ael without serious trouble. anu TINS sep,
ration has been o great advantages "
,hs miners here. About 300 men have
rome over to-day from Elkhorn 70 ue
an hand for to- morrow. and as the spean
era are said TO be drawing cards. ois
crowd Is expected at tho meeting:
-THp' NEGRO PROMINENT.
large proportion OF the miners In the
region are negroes, and one feature Oh
the strike Is their prominence IN .ne
meetings and organizations. Many Vi '"o
officers Of the organization are hesioe,,
and the gentleman or color Away
his say. The negroes seem 10 De ,lnn,ms
GOOD union men and regulation s'riheiS,
hut how long this will hold out remains
On he seen. Mcbride has not been IN ,he
0eid Iawless is directing the suihe'
He came here from the ONO coa.-helu W.,
In discussing the situation to-day ne saIu az
that he was entirely satsned WIN VI.
progress OF things thus far. and cohhuen'
~ succesa He declared that miners
would not resort to force. and that tne
presence OF troops was unnecessary. ~ w.,
mission TO this county" he continued
10 see that the laws are entoreeu'
onerstors have been violating ths laws
-, West Virginia by using cars that are
not slammed. and that hold over weight
and bv charging the miners for bone OF
throwing into the cars after DOCKING
them for II. All we want IS 10 see Jus''O'
done. and the law enforced.
While tho strike was undoubtedly pre-
e,niteted by friction between the Operators
and the railroad, 1t IL daily becoming
moro Of a strike against tho opera'U'o
themselves. IL wages were restored 'he
miners would not be satishei unless d
svstem OF weighing the coal was IN
ouyurated There are other demands
such as semi-monthly pay-days. lower
commissary prices and no script. whlch
they might abandon. There Is a DIVISION
among the miners on this point, anu
many OF them would favor going back
at the old prices and under the old con-
ditions. The labor agitators are largely
r.spons.ble for the sentiment for further
demands.
FEARS AN OUTBREAK.
Your correspondent went over the entire
region to-day and found everything ex-
tremely quiet Except when trains were
arriving at stations, not more than twenty
persons were seen IN any one crowd. None
Of the operators think there is any danger
of violence to their property, though
they have the mines all guarded day ana
nigh, one gentleman, who has wide ex-
nerience with strikers said that the quiet
vas not reassuring. lie said that ms
seems 10 have been the policy OF the men
from the start They made no threats.
and said nothing about striking until
the time came. and then they quietly quit
lie is conservative. but he expressed the
belief than an outbreak was liable 10
occur any time.
The sending Of troops Is criticised by
the strikers and those who sympathize
with them. but outside Of these the opin-
ION prevails that II Is a wise preoau,ion.
II was not decided to ask for troops until
II o'clock last night. and those Interested
are satisfied at the promptness with which
the Governor responded. and the dispatch
with which the men were gotten out
Tho fact that a strong force Of soldiers
IS near by Is quite a relief TO the people
here and there Is now feeling or Sc
curity In the place OF the uneasiness that
had prevailed. A large crowd gathered
at the depot TO welcome the soldiers. ana
there was much disappointment when IL
developed that tho soldiers had stopped
at Graham
throughout the Elkhorn the Norfolk
and Western has posted notices warn
ing the strikers not to interfere with
property. and stating that interference
Of that character viii be contempt OF
court. This warning Is issued by the
receivers by authority OF Judge Jackson,
who yesterday granted the injunction.
This Is considered the firss step towards
the use Of Federal troops II necessary.
United States marshals were on some OF
the freight-trains to-day. and II they
should be unable to enforce the order Of
The court. United States troops will, 1t is
SAID. be asked for
Meetings were held to-day at Simmons
Greek. Powhatan. and Keystone. The
FIRST WAS addressed by Lawess. These
meetings were largely a repetition OF the
previous ones. number OF new men
were added TO the unlonists. and the i'm
portance OF bringing out the miners here
was urged.
MAssING THE TROOPS.