The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-07-14
THE STRIKE GROWING.
More Men Join the Ranks Of tho
Idle Miners.
PREDICTION OF A GOVERNOR.
wcst Virginia's Chief Magistrate
Thinks tho Trouble WIN BE Speedily
Settled by Arbitration Debs and

Settled by Arbitration - Debs and
Sovereign willing to Take a Hand.
Pittsburg, July 14.-There Is lull
in the miners strike in this district,
attributable TO the fact that nearly
every mine in the district is idle. To
keep UP the enthusiasm and prevent
the strikers from becoming lukewarm
in the cause, however, the officials have
arranged for series of meetings in
different sections every day. Three
meetings were held Monday at Ban
ming. Fayettc City and West Newton.
and at each place resolutions were
adopted not to return to work until
the officials gave the order
Yesterday u large meeting was held
at Snowden, on the Wheeling division,
and the men were unanimous in their
determination to stand firm for the Gl
cent rate. The miners on this division
fear that the company will soon begin
evicling them from their houses and
intimate that If this Is attempted there
will be trouble.
News reached the miners headquar-
gers In the Camel, Warner and Morgan
mines, Beaver county, had thrown
down their picks and Joined the strike.
The three pits employ about 800 men.
The strike has also spread to Mercer
county. Five mines are idle in that
region. The men struck for an ad-
vance of ten cents per ton. An effort
was made yesterday to resume work
at the Eagle mine at Monongahcla
city. 1t is a cooperative concern, but
the sentiment Of the majority of the
stockholders was against resumption.
and it was decided to keep the pit
closed until the strike was settled. a
delegation from Brownsville says the
Knob, Beaumont, Umpire and Albany
mines have closed down, and the min
ers have Joined In the general strike,
with q determination to remain out
until the question of wages is salts
factorily settled.
National President M. d. Ratchford,
of the United Mine Workers. is cx-
pected in Pittsburg tonight or tornor-
row, and he will meet the commits
sioners. District President Patrick
Dolan came from his home in Cecil
yCStCINdy, NHeIt ne IltlS bttn SICK lDT
several days. He said the strike. as
far as the miners are concerned, is
progressing in good shape. When asked
about arbitration, he said: ''lf arbitra-
tion brings a satisfactory settlement,
then arbitration is the proper course"
President Do!an said Il movement
would shortly be made on the mines
above the Pennsylvania railroad that
are stil in operation, and a strong effort
will be made to bring the men out.
Governor Atkinson, of West Virginia.
accompanied by his wife and Il number
Of state officials, spent the day in Pitts
burg, en- route to Canada where they
Will attend the convention of the Ep-
worth League. Concerning the miners
strike he said:
"Thc coal strike is not affecting West
Virginia very much, and | do .lot be-
lieve the main body of our miners will
go out I do not anticipate any trouble
whatsoever from the strike in our
state, and believe the trouble all over
the country will be speedily settled by
arbitration"
There is bare possibility that the
=, 5oint arbitration conference may yet
= lead to the termination Of the miners
strike on the basis of the true and
uniformity agreement proposed by
President DeArmitt, of the New York
and Cleyeland Coal Gas company, last
ssyear. but which failed for the reason
that the 81 per cent. Of the operators
in this district required by DeArmitt
could not be secured. Two sessions Of
the arbitration board were held yes
,tp, rty, ,t,,c
Of Pennsylvania Ohio West Virginia,
Indiana and Illinois being present. At
the afternoon session President De-
Armit appeared before the board and
told of the conditions which exist from
his point of view. lie recited the his
tory of the miners struggles for bet
ter conditions He told Of the great
uniformity movement in 1896, which
failed of its purpose, Mr.. DeArnitt
said
'If the operators OF the Pittsburg
district will abolish their company
stores, use uniform screen, give hon
est weight, 1000 pounds Of coal for
ton, pay cash every two weeks, ! will
leave to any committee to settle tho
price OF mining and pay 1t, no matter
how high, providing all my competi-
tors pay the same price Unless these
conditions can be brought about I will
not agree to abolish the contract with
my men, nor can afford to do So"
Mr.. DeArnitt pointed out the fact
that his men were working today.
when almost every other mine in the
district was idle He said that he fully
intended to pay his men the district
price whenever the other operators will
meet his terms. If true uniformity
was secured here. however, 1t would so
involve the interests of the other btu
minous states, he said, that ultimately
there would have to be chain of uni
formty agreements in all the states
that would cost much money and re-
uuire considerable time to accomplish.
He promised The board all assistance
In his power in securing settlement
upon the basis proposed, but said un-
der no consideration would he treat
with the United Mine Workers.
1t has developed that number of
the operators have been quietly PLAN
ming coup which Is expected to bring
uismay to the miners. 1t is the intcn-
ton to at once equip the mines with
machines and do away with a great
many diggers When the mines are
ready to start, miners will be imported
and put to work under heavy guard.
md the premises barricaded. With the
cooperation Of the other operators.
J. A. Beidler of tho Webster Gas Coal
company. located on the Monongahela
river, will take the initiative. The
operators claim this plan becomes nee
assary because the West Virginia peo-
pie are eolbling all of their contracts.
It goes without saying that the diggers
will resort TO every possible means to
prevent the carrying out Of the pro-
posed scheme. The Stickle Hollow
tragedy Of 1894, when seven striking
H.