The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-07-02
$4,000 MINERS IDLE NOW
100000 MORE EXPECTED TO AN
SWER GENERAL SUMMONS.
AND IN THE FACE OF STARVATION
An Open Letter to Senator Mason Which
s3as, Pictures the Horrors Of the Strike
Women and Children
In Want.

Terre Haute, Ind, July 1.-The Tx
press will say tomorrow: Next Sun
day, or prior to that day, circular will
be placed in the hands of all the blum
nous miners in the United States, call
ing them out ON a strike. 1t is estimated
that 100000 men will be involved.
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and
parts of West Virginia and Kentucky
will contribute to the movement. The
strike is to enforce the Columbus scale
of 90 cents per ton for Pennsylvania; 60
cents for Ohio; 60 cents for Indiana and
55 cents for Illinois. When the Column
bus scale was adopted it was not thought
advisable to attempt its enforcement. A
committee was then appointed to take
in hand the matter of strike and to
order one as soon as such course SEEM
ed opportune. This committee has de-
cided that the time has come to act.
Pittsburg, Pa, July las the result
of the failure of the joint wages confer
ence of the Amalgamated Association of
Iron and Steel Workers and manufacture
ers to agree upon the scale of YoungS-
town conference yesterday, all the union
tween 10000 and $1,000 men are idle.
Chicago Ills, July Nv. d. Ryan,
secretary of the United Mine Workers
of Illinois, has written an open letter to
United States Senator Mason in which
he says:
1.-The stand taken by you in behalf of
the patriots in Cuba deserves the COM
mendation of all iberty-loving people,
but let me call your attention to the con-
dition of 10000 of your constituents
the coal miners Of Illinois. The insane
competition inauguarted by the coal OPP
orators has brought about condition
of suffering and restitution which was
never equalled. We have been forced
to accept reduction after reduction until
the price now paid is so low that miners
cannot earn an average of seventy-fve
cents a day, and the mines work only
half time. Taking an average of a dol
lar a day and three days work week,
a miner earns So month. With a
family of fye-a fair average-the wife
has less than three cents for a meal to
say nothing Of clothing, rent, etc.
doubt if any more lives have lost in Cuba
since the instruction commenced than
in the mines of Illinois during the same
period, and / am certain there are no
more women and children hungry in
Cuba at present than among the fami-
lies of the miners of Illinois. Do some
thing to put the idle miners of Illinois to
work at fair rate of wages, and | will
guarantee that every miner in Illinois
will contribute at least one days wages
every month for the benefit of the down
trodden people of Cuba.
Joliet, Ills, July IA telegram to-
night from McGlacken's Grove, near
Braidwood, in the northern Illinois coal
fields, gives the following confirmation
of the report that there will be a general
strike of the miners:
''At the mass meeting to-day of the
miners every place in the northern dis
tricts agrees to come out in the national
suspension. All miners will lay down
their tools when the call is made for
suspension, which will be inside of one
week"
Streator, Ills, July IA mass-meet-
ing of miners here to-day voted unani-
mously to go on strike and not wait for
a general suspension order. AS a con-
sequence no coal is being mined here, and
nearly 1000 miners are idle.
Braidwood Ills, July 1.-The miners
of the entire Wilmington field met at
Galckens Grove to-day and decided by
a unanimous vote to go on strike when
the national officers shall order sus-
peuSinO of WORK