The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1897-07-16
DOINCS OF STRIKERS.
The Lines Strengthening In All
Directions.
ARBITRATION MAY BE THE NEXT MOVE
II Something Is Not Decided Upon Soon,
the Men Nav Break Out and Thus
Complicate fairs sGreatly-They
Are Becoming Restive.

Pittsburg, July 13.-The coal miners
strike, now in its second week, gives
promise of being one of the greatest
wage struggles in the history of this
country. Nine days ago the coal opera
tors in this district and the miners
themselves little dreamed that within
one short week such an area of general
suspension could be wrought as now
exists in the bituminous mining indus
try. Then the mouths of the coal tip
pies that dot the Monongahela, Youghi-
0gheny, Allegheny and Peters Creek
valleys and the valleys of Toms and
Millers run were open and turning out
thousands and thousands of tons of the
best coal that enters into the competi
tive markets of the world. Now all is
changed. The vast caverns are like so
many graveyards. On the hillsides,
basking in the shade, there is an army
of $4,000 unemployed, who are anxious
ly waiting for more to join the troops
of idlers. On nearly every railroad
track leading to the mines there stand
empty cars, apparently anxious to be
loaded that their burdens may be car
ried to the ports along the lakes.
The success that has attended the
movement has greatly elated the min
ers, and during the next few days every
effort Will be made to bring out the men
in the few mines that are still working.
This will be a difficult task, but they
express confidence in their ability to
make the suspension complete before
the week is 4S hours old.
Getting Higher Prices For Coal.
ba ;,,fO al t,,nh IA 10
the Pittsburg operators are in no hurry
to have the difficulty adjusted, because
many of them had stock on railroad
sidings which they held for an advance.
Much of this was disposed of Saturday
at good profit One prominent opera
tor said that it would take another
week to determine the exact state of the
market. and by that time a general
cleaning up will have taken place. All
interested will be ready to begin busi-
ness on a new basis and probably at a
higher price.
This whole thing will result in a
compromise, said another prominent
operator. life operators are in a po-
sition to stand it for some time and
1 believe the miners are in about the
same condition. 1t looks as If business
will brighten up, and in that event the
operators will be able to get better
prices, and the condition of business and
the condition of the miner will be ST.
multaneously improved"
Just now the greatest obstacle In the
way of success of the miner is the ac-
tivity of the diggers in the West Vir-
ginia fields. They are working night
and day and are getting ready to sup
ply all the coal that is needed. They
are repeating what they did three years
ago, when a general suspension was
declared. At that time there were a
number of operators in the mountain
state that were on the verge Of bank
ruptcy. The general suspension was de-
clared, and there came great demand
for coal at prices that insured a big
profit. The operators rallied around
them a large number of men, whose
friendship and support they have en-
couraged ever since.
The operators profited by thousands
and thousands of dollars. When the
season had finished and the strike was
declared failure, they balanced their
books and found things on the proper
side of their ledgers. They realized that
they owed much of their profit to their
miners and rewarded them for It, On
every succeeding payday the faithful
miners were paid bonuses in the shape
of goldpieces, and naturally the best
of feeling prevailed among the en-
ployees.
Much Depends on West Virginia.
This is the condition of affairs the
organizers that will go into the West
Virginia district this week will have to
encounter. 1t is argued by the miners
that there are more men out in that
section than there were three years ago,
and they express the greatest conf
dence in bringing them out II they can
get their ears. This falling, the rail-
road organizations will be appealed to.
This plan of campaign has been out
lined by the national officers, and the
developments of the week will be watch
ed with interest.
The miners officials say that the sue
cess of the movement depends on the
action of the West Virginia miners.
They argue that many men in the
Pittsburg district who are not affiliated
with their organization sacrificed thou
sands of dollars and Joined 1t. They
will tell the Mountain State diggers Of
the success in this district and make
every effort to have them join. There
are number of operators in the Pitts
burg district who have expressed a
willingness to pay the price demanded.
But the miners have said nay. They
will insist that a majority of the opera
tors in the district pay the SO cent rate
or none. This is the ultimatum of the
national officials, from which there is
L. L. ktnN .
the miners officials would be glad to let
all the operators paying the So cent rate
operate their mines, but cannot, owing
to the decision of the national officials,
who desire to have all the surplus coal
taken from the market.
The new features in the situation are
the arrival of the Ohio and Indiana
state board of arbitration, the meeting
last night of the United Labor league
of western Pennsylvania and the report
that a movement was on foot to import
new men to take the places of the
strikers at the Pittsburg and Chicago
company's mines.
Rail coal is sold for $3.50 per ton and
was hard to get at that. Before the
strike it could be purchased at 20 cents.
To Take Peary Expedition on Board.
st. Johns, N. F.. July 13.-The steam
whaler Hope Captain John Bartlett,
sailed hence at midnight Saturday night