Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1896-04-16
MINERS WILL DECIDE.
Representatives of the Lake SUI
perior Union to Meet in
Ishpeming.

The meeting of the delegates from the
various local branches of the Northern
Mineral Mine Workers union in Ish-
peming, which is the birthplace and
headquarters of the order, on Tuesday
next promises to be an affair of great
Importance to the iron mining industry.
On that day will be settled the question
of peace or war for the season of 1896
between the miners and the mine owners.
The local branches have all voted on the
question of demanding an eight hour
day. and the vote will be canvassed on
April IA. AS the mines at 1shpeming
are already working on the eight-hour
plan, the miners there would not be dl-'
rectly affected by the demand, but in
case of refusal to grant the shortening
of the hours of labor by the employers.
and the consequent strike by the min
ers, the mines and miners here could
hardly hope to escape being drawn into
the controversy, for the same reason
that certain small mine owners south of
Negaunee were not allowed to resume
work during the strike of last summer
and fall, although they had acceded to
every demand made by the men, who
We're determined that every mine should
remain closed until an agreement was
reached with all.
Conditions Which Followed the Strike.
found in the starvation of the men, who
were compelled to accept work at any
price. The employers were generous
enough and wise enough not to take ad-
vantage of the necessities of the men,
and not a single miner was refused work
ten weeks strike. While the miners
resumed work at the same wages as be-
fore striking, the rate of pay was add
yanced by small amounts frequently, the
first advance coming but few weeks
after the end of the strike, and conces-
sions have been made to the men on
many points. In fact, the companies
have yielded on every point and the min
ers have scored many advantages. The
policy of the mine managers has been to
keep the peace at any price. Since the
end of the strike last September there
have been a number of minor walkOuts.
none of which have lasted week. and
most of which have been settled the
same day. or the day following, the min
ers in every instance obtaining their de-
mands. This has made the hOt-headed
members of the miners union confident
that all they have to do is to make de-
mands. and they shall be acceded to.
There is, however, a line beyond which
the owners of the mines will not pass.
and in preference to stepping over which
they will pull the pumps from the mines
and starve their employees into submits
sion, a proceeding, however. which is
most expensive to both employer and en-
ploye The wiser and older among the
miners recognize this fact and do not
misconstrue the policy of the managers
their influence will be sufficiently power
full to hold the more radical in check,
though this is sometimes most difficult
thing to do.
Eight-hour Day at the Lake Angelina.
The eight-hour day was first put in eff
feet in an American mine east of the
Rocky mountains at the Lake Angelina
mine of Ishpeming four years ago. The
superintendent of that mine, Capt.
Thomas Walters, is a Englishman who
began at the very bottom of the ladder,
and worked his way to eminence and
fortune by indomitable pluck and real
merit. Himself a miner born and bred,
he was in position to view the eight
hour shift from the standpoint of the
miner as we'll as that of the owner of the
mine The eight-hour day was tried first
as an experiment, with the understand
ing that if at the end of ninety days the
tally sheets did not show as much work
| done per man as during the past three
months. the ten-hour day should be re-
sumed. In place of the two shifts which
had been worked formerly, the men
were divided into three shifts, beginning
work at 4 q. M, L m. and 4. p. m. BY
so doing the four hours which had been
lost daily were taken up and not mo-
| ment of time except on Sundays was the
big mine idle. The miners worked eight
hours without stopping except for light
| lunch. To the surprise of everyone ex-
cept Capt. Walters and the miners, the
| men accomplished more working eight
hours than they had ever done before
in ten To those who thoroughly un-
derstand the miners this is not surpris-
| ing. The miners from Cornwall are the
| ~, %ho fhnra 9
a mining camp there will be found Corn
| ishmen. In Ishpeming there are several
thousand of them. The Cornish have
been miners for 5000 years. When
Caesar landed on British soil there were
old and deep mines of tin and copper
in Cornwall Many middle-aged miners
! of the present day began underground
work at 10 years of age or under, while
among the older generation there are
plenty who went into the shafts at 5
and 6 years of age, employed, at two
pence or three pence per week to do
some trifing work. Whatever may be
thought of the barbarity of putting such
made miners of them. They know the
obscure recesses of the earth as the
pilot knows the harbor channel. They
are skilled workmen and they are thor
oughly British-therefore with back
bone of some little strength. In England
the miners IOT UldHy SeilS udNC WIZ NCu
eight hours only for day. When they
are compelled to put in ten hours else
where the time is consumed but there is
considerab BILE soldering. The cry of
''Taper off bit" is frequently heard,
and the '.twister' shouts mud" at fire.
quent intervals. Much tobacco is CON
sumed and many stories are told. The
Cornish miners work eight hours and
soldier two.
"Cap'n TOMS Plan a Success.
This was known to ''Cap'n Tom" and
his experiment proved that eight hours
work was equal to ten in former times.
This meant a positive gain to the mine
inasmuch as the efficiency of the ma
chinery was increased just so per cent.
and the eight-hour day became fixture
at the Lake Angelina. The other mines
have followed suit, one at a time and
eight hours now constitute days work
in all of the Ishpeming mines.
The same experiment would be found
true on the other ranges, were the hours
of labor shortened, but the managers as