New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-05
THINKS 100000 WILL GO OUT.
PRESIDENT RATCHFORD SAYS THE sIhlhE
ORDER HAS BEEN GENERALLY
COMPLIED WITH.


ORDER HAS BEEN GENERALLY
COMPLIED WITH.
Columbus. Ohio. July 4.-Telegrams received
tv President Ratchford Of the United Mine
Workers to-day indicate that the'order TOT
strike Of the miners has been comphed WIFI
generally throughout the mining distrlc's Oh
Ohio. Indiana Illinois and Western fehhsyi-
yania. and IN sections Of West Virginia ana
Kentucky 1t will take several days however
"a da,armine with any degree OF accuracy the
number Of men involved. president ha'ciioiu aeo
rougb,v estimates the number at 2Oo,ooo. but
this is regarded as liberal. He is pleased WIN
the unanimity shown by the miners, ana says
,ho, be has the greatest confidence in the sue
cessfil outcome Of the strike. He thinks the
rrosroo,s oro hotter than in 1894. when gen
eral strike was inaugurated. AT that time the
sca,e Of prices was being paid in many mining
localities notably West Virginia, where ma
tori,v ~ the miners continued at work. ana
,bo-ohv greatly weakened the strike. He mas
bo,ee tba, the West Virginia miners may now
he broueb, into line inasmuch as they are re-
ca,viny wages far below the scale, ana thelr
conA,t,on &c not any better than that OF the
miners IN other States. The coal production OF
West Virginia has increased so rapidly IN the
las, ,e,v wears that the output OF that state no"
exceeds the output Of Ohio.
During the strike Of 1894 trouble was caused
by the shipment Of West Virginia coal through
Ohio the Ohio miners endeavoring to stop this
traffic The railroad companies promptly ap-
pealed TO the state for protection, ana almost
the entire Ohio National Guard was placed IN
the field President Ratchford does nor peheVe
there will be any repetition OF these troubles III
the present strike Special efforts are 10 De fhaue
TO enlist the sympathy Of the west virginia
miners President Ratchford Is encouraged 10
believe that this may be accomplished by the
fact that the miners have signlhed their Hi'eh-
ton 10 strike in many places where e1orls 10 EN-
list their co-operation have failed on previous oc-
Casons
President Ratchford has received kilograms
from number Of Pittsburg operators. asking
Permission to operate their mines at scale prices
These requests are all emphatically refused, as
It would work an injustice not only to other
Operators, but their miners as well
AS 10 the probable duration Of the strike
President Ratchford says that will be governed
entirely by circumstances. 1t will last several
weeks at least. The miners are in better posi-
ton 10 withstand long strike at this time. as
a great many Of them have garden produce on
Which 10 subsist. and there will be no great
hardships entailed such would follow strike
an the winter. The fact that there is a fair
supply Of coal In stock and the demand for
domestic consumption is small will have a
tendency TO prOOng the suspension.
The contracts for coal for lake shipment VIII
cause the greatest trouble. The bulk OF these
contracts held by PittsOurg operators. but
the Ohio operators also have a fair share. The
Ohio operators have not yet held conference
TO consider the matter, but are considerably
worried. While they say that the strike Is Ill
timed and likely TO die out they viii close down
their mines for a short time at least until they
determine how general the suspension Is
A partial suspension only In the Pltsburg dis
trict would be ruinous 70 their business should
the Ohio miners refuse 20 work.