Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1897-10-04
FREELAND, PA, OCTOBER 4, 1897


Congressman Williams is sojourning
at Colorado Springs, Colorado. The
other day he was waited upon by Il
reporter of the Denver Republican and
the following interview took place:
IN. b. Williams, member of congress
from the center of the Wyoming valley
coal fields, Pennsylvania, was in the
city yesterday at the Brown Palace
hotel. Mr.. Williams is practical miner
himself, having risen from the ranks,
and now owns and operates one of the
largest colieries in the Wyoming fields.
Il have been greatly distressed by the
condition of affairs in the coal mining
districts, said he. i have been in bust
ness for myself since 1873, and am now
employing 700 men. and in all that time
| have never had strike and have
never had any trouble of any kind with
my men. | have always found that it
was best for all parties concerned to
treat the men right, and that when they
were treated right | was pretty certain
of fair treatment myself. Continuing,
he said:
Il have had no news from home since
the unfortunate affair at IIazleton, and
am therefore not prepared to express
decided opinion regarding it. | know
all the parties concerned, and must
admit that | was very much surprised
at the action of the sheriff, whom | have
always regarded as remarkably cool
and level-hcaded man. At the same
time | feared some trouble when the
Sheriffs force was called in, and on my
way West called at the company's office
in New York and advised them to settle
with their men on the best terms possi-
BILE.
From what | have seen in the daily
papers, am inclined to believe that the
sheriff was hasty. The right of the men
to march peaceably has not yet been
definitely settled; it will undoubtedly
be carried into the supreme court, and
pending a final decision the utmost care
and Judgment should have been exercised
in carrying out the decision of the court.
OF course, | cannot speak positively ON
Iut SuDltNls h0 lH'lt hld udNt Dttll
circumstances that have not appeared
in the published report.
MY men are nearly all Poles and
Hungarians. | have got along with
them pretty well but they are so ignor-
ant that it is difficult to handle them.
They do not understand and are extreme
ly tenacious. | do not think the en-
ployment of this class OF miners has
been an entire success.
The strikes, when they occur, are
very difficult to settle and are very
grave menace to the interests of all
parties concerned. The stories that
have been published about the low earn
ings Of the operatives refer in the main
to the soft coal regions. In the anthra-
cite section Of the state the men have
not been required to work for starvation
wages. In the Lehigh valley the wages
paid are much lower than in the Wyom-
ing valley, and | believe the men work
longer hours then they do with us
There is no doubt that very scrious
results are likely to follow this last un-
fortunate affair at Hazeton, and | am
afraid it will lead to an indefinite pro-
longation of the strike / think very
much of the trouble might have been
avoided had there been an earnest effort
to come to an understanding with the
men, such as | have aways advised
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