Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-07-27
AID FROM COMPERS.
Labor Leader Calls Conference Of
Trades Union Officers.
TO DISCUSS THE MINERS STRIKE.
VIII Meet Mt Wheeling Tuesday
Effort to Secure Help from Train
ulen-Situation in Illinois
and Other States.

and Other States.
Washington, July 90. - President
Gompers, of the American Federation
Of Labor, has sent kilograms to officers
of SO national trade unions calling for
conference to be held at Wheeling, W..
Va, at noon Tuesday, July 81 This was
done in response to telegram from
President NJ. d. Ratchford, of the
| United Mine Workers Of America, in
which he says that peaceable assem-
blage and free speech have been forbid
den and suppressed in West Virginia.
Cleveland, o., July 26.-The fate Of
the great coal strike seems to hang on
the action of the labor leaders at the
Wheeling conference called for next
Tuesday by President Ratchford, Of
the United Mine Workers. 1t was init
mated that his aim is to induce the
tlainmen to refuse to handle West Vir-
ginia COAL Mr.. Ratchford, 1t Is under
stood, hopes to induce the trainmen,
switchmen and conductors, through
their leaders, to refuse to handle West
Virginia coal not mined by union labor
1t he accomplishes that the operators
concede the market would talce Won
derful jump.
Miners Again Marching.
Pittsburgh, Pa, July 2o.-Sixty dep
uty sheriffs have been ordered out and
are now at the Union station awaiting
orders to move. Their destination Is
kept profound secret, but 1t Is sup
posed they are to be sent to the mines
of the New York & Cleveland Gas Coal
company, in anticipation of any raid
that may be made. But as the strikers
officials declare that the contemplated
march has been abandoned no conflict
Is expected. Another march on Canons-
burg was begun Sunday night. A big
| meeting of the miners was held at Reis-
sing at three o'clock in the afternoon.
They We're informed that the Allison
mine intended to resume work, and in a
very short time it was decided to make
another tramp across the country and
reinforce the 100 strikers that have
been on guard. They will remain until
Tuesday morning. There was great
hurrying to and fro in all the mining
settlements in that section before the
sun went down. Every man decided to
take two days. rations along. Women,
as has been the case during the pres
ent strike, were among the most active
agitators. They advised their husbands
and sweethearts to take another irk-
some tramp across the country, in or
der that their conditions might be bet
tered. Before evening, more than 500
determined men from Cecil, Reissing
and Bridgeville were modified at
Bridgeville. Shortly after seven o'clock
they started on the march, with the
American flag at their head. Nearly
all the men carried dinner pail, and
they looked like regiment of toilers
going to their work.
$3.50 a. NIT is learned that the
deputies were supplied with Winchester
rifles and dispatched to the New York
and Cleveland company mines. The re-
guest for deputies, 1t is said, came from
Mr.. De Armitt, who received word from
scout that a large body of men We're
marching towards the mines, coming
from the direction of McKeesport and
the Youghiogheny district. Nothing
more definite than the above is known
here.
| Debs Is Hopeful.
Fairmont, w. Va, July 26.-Debs held
three good meetings at the various
mines Sunday and is confident that the
men will be gotten out, although he will
not say he expects the move to-day.
The general impression is that If the
break is not made to-day it will not be
made at all. 1t is hard to tell what the
men will do.
In Illinois.
Mascoutah, ILL.,, July 26.-The entire
Belleville coal district, comprising "a
mines and employing 5000 men, is now
| tied up for the first time In its history
to remain closed until there is q ma.
tional settlement of the miners de
mands.
Joliet, Ill, July 26.-The coal strike
in this district has not only suspended
| operations in several of the mills an6
| factories, but the farmers are now com
PEELED to stack their grain because they
cannot secure coal enough to thresh the
oats and rye.
4. Canton, H., July 26.-The Cantor
Coal company's miners returned t.
work Saturday, the,operators agreeing
to pay 1874 cents a ton. A few of thu
striking miners at Dunfermline also re
turned.
Starvation Threatens Many.
Indianapolis, Ind, July 26.-Commis
sioners Conner and Terhune have re
turned from their investigation int
the condition Of the striking miners
and will submit formal report to tn,
governor. They will report that there
is as yet no widespread destitutiol
among the miners, for their condition
has been ameliorated by work in tn
harvest fields and with threshers, whicl
yielded fair wages, but some familie
are actually In want, and IL the strIk
continues hundreds of others will suf
fer for the necessaries of life. It is es
timated that another two weeks of idle
ness will bring many families to tn
verge Of starvation.
Man ana Wife killed.
Utica, N. Y, July 2e.--John Phelps
aged 2s years, clerk, and his wife
aged II, were instantly killed by
train on the West Shore railroad abou
six o'clock Sunday night. They wer
seen struggling before the train strucl
them and it is thought the man intend
ed to cause the death of his wife aY,,