Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-16


III Is expected that they will also sus-
pend
"Alabama--Repcrts indicate that 3.C0
miners. or more. have suspended Con-
Ventlon today Nothing further learned
OF their action.
The supply OF coal Is fast becoming
exhausted az the various distributing
points Railroads are conhscatlng ship
nents cities are almost without sup
plies; In fact. a coal famine is near at
hand"
AID FROM SARGENT.
COLUMBUS o.. July BIN a letter
received by President Ratchford from
y. r. Sargent grand master OF the
brotherhood OF locomotive Firemen. Mr..
Sargent offers his personal assistance I'm
amy manner deemed best By Mr.. Ratch-
iCrd. and also suggests q plan for the
membership Of bis organization. number
Ing p'N. 10 assist the strikers fnan-
clally.
ANTI-STRIhE MOVEMENT.
CINCINNATI O.. July l6.--An impor-
tant couuter-TnOycmcn against the or
ganizers Of the United Mine-Workcrs
now IN West Virginia was begun here TO-
Gay. by conference Of five operators
IN That state. They determined 20 give
their miners an advance OF IL cents q
ton above the present rates, aud TO make
a corresponding increase in the price Of
coal at the mines. They have returned
TO ask al other operators IN the State
10 do the same. II Is the opinion OF coal
men here that their action VIII be ap
proved and followed by the other opera
tors IN the state The price Of coal at
the mines Is raised TO Sl2j per ton.
WEST VIRGINIA SITUATION
~
IL a decided change in the coai-felds Of
Southern West Virginia tonight and Il
is now stated as an absolute certainty
that inside Of fOrty-cight hours "a ma
1ori'y OF ali the miners IN the Norfolk
and Western and Chesapeake and Ohio
railway fields will join the strikers. on
the Kanawha to-day all the operators
raised the price OF mining one fourth Of
a cent a bushel on soft. and one half a
cent on hard coal. bat II is believed this
will not hold the men I'm line
ORGANIZERS AT WORK
WILLIAMSON. w VA. July H.
The miners in this field are still working
hut show signs Of some agitation to-day
Eight or ten organizers are working with
them. and desperate efforts are being
made 10 have them come out. j. Weller
general organizer o. the Federation OF
Labor. Of Milwaukee. IS here. and san,
gIne OF success. Dcbs is expected to-
morrow. and every effort will then be
concentrated on the Norfolk and Western
field.
IMPORTANT BREAK
PARAMOUNT. W. VA July 15-The
first important break u the FairmOunt
mining region occurred to-day. when the
Aurora and Simpson men threw in their
lots with their striking brethren OF Ohio
and Pennsylvania. The men at Fleming
ton are also out. IL Is thought a general
strike will follow. a mass-meetius has
been called for Saturday, which is pay
day at the Monongahela, when President
Ratchford and Eugene Debs are TO speak.
The result Is being awaited with great
interest.
HANDLEY MINERS STRIKE.
CHARLESTON. ". VA, July 15.-sixty
coal-miners went out at the Handley
mines to-day but the strike is said 10
nave resulted from "a misunderstanding
between the operators and their men. and
the latter promise to return to work to-
morrow. All the hard-coal operators in
the Kanawha Valley have increased the
rate for mining from IL to % Of a cent
n bushol. IL is believed that this increase
will prevent further strike.