The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-07-19
Striking Coal Miners Feel
Pangs Of Hunger and Are
Getting Restive.
Many Enthusiastic Meetings of
Diggers Held Yesterday and
Interest Did Not Lag.
RATCHFORD IS STILL CONFIDENT
March On Cannonsburg Began This Morning
Operators Are Now Calling For Deputies
to Protect Their Men.

Pittsburg, July 19.-Late events In the
Pittsburg coal mining district indicate
that there is trouble ahead. The strike
has been on for two weeks, with no cause
for alarm from any quarter. but the
pangs Of hunger and mutterings OF dis
content have taken tangible form. and
before noon 1000 miners will have
marched on Cannonsburg. the objective
point being the Boone and Allison mines.
"A few days ago the operators OF these
mines made a reQuisition on the sheriff
Of Washington county for additional
deputies. 1t Is supposed that there are
at least 80 deputies at each mine. well
armed for any friction that may take
place. Yesterday the miners OF the
Miller's and Toms run district held
mass meetings. The gatherings were
attended by men, women and children.
The women did not lag in the interes.
taken. Many Of them openly branded
their husbands as towards. They argued
that they might as well fight as starve.
The men said the victory could be won
providing every coal miner employed In
the sections where the lake trade is sup
piled would join the general movement
Of idleness.
Plans for bringing out the miners at
work In the Boone and Allison mines
were discussed. Special committees were
sent from one meeting to another. 1t
was decided to march on to Cannonsburg
mines last night. The procession was
made up Of three divisions from the diff
ferent sections. They will be mooilized
at Bridgeville and take up the tramp
of IL miles across the country.
Whether the miners went armed II
not yet known, but they expected to be
at the mines when the offending diggert
were ready to go to work and to use
every influence possible to keep them
from going into the mines; Some Of the
most conservative of the leaders claim
that there will be no bloodshed. They
say that when the colliers see such 9
big demonstration in favor OF what they
term a peaceful battle for bread. the,
cannot enter the mines and retain the1I
manhood.
Every effort was made to Keep the
movement a secret for fear the force Of
deputies at the mines would be further
Increased. Just what the result will bt
Is difficult at this hour to tell. The mer
are known to be in condition Of semi
insanity on the strike question. They
have been goaded on by suffering wives
daughters and sweethearts, and it ap
pers as If 1t is the beginning of the END
of the strike.
The negotiations to influence the Goa
operators OF this district to sign a uni
form agreement is still going on. Sec
retary G. Frank Schmid said that the
prospects were brighter than they have
been since negotiations began. He said
that within the next few days powerful
and potent influence would be brought
to bear on the operators, and with the
strike in the present condition the In
dications were for successful consuma-
tion Of the agreement AS an evidence
that the operators are not counting on
arbitration, 1t was announced by prom
inent operator that II the strike In West
Virginia does not prove successful, the
Pittsburg operators will make an Effort
early next week to start their mines a!
the 69-cent rate, the rate now asked by
the strikers They will claim that a
they are willing to pay the price asked
the law must protect them in the opera
tio0 OF their mines.