The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-05
PerpIexing Question for the Organiza-
tiOn VIII BE How to Feed the
100000 Idle Men.
STRUGGLE FOR HIGHER WAGES
IT'S SUCCESS DEPENDS ON DIGGERS
IN PJTTsBURG DISTRICT.
President RatchfOrd Hopes to Brine
the West Virginia Men
Into the Strike.

PITTSBURG, July 4,-The coal miners
strike will be ION" tomorrow. The sue
cess of the struggle for high wages in five
States depends on the miners in the Pitts
burg district. If they fail to refrain from
working the movement will be a failure
Fully one hundred mines were represented
at the miners convention on Saturday by
iifty-fve delegates. This is a larger at
tendance than at any convention since the
great strike of 1894. Many. more miners
came but, having no credentials, they
could not gain admittance to the conVen-
ton. The resolution adopted was strong
enough for the emergency. a resolution
was also adopted requesting Governor
Hastings to sign the weighing and coal
commission bills passed by the Legislature
and now before him.
One of the significant points about the
convention Saturday was the fact that no
representatives. were present from the
mines where irenclad contracts and signed
agreements exist. These mines include the
first pool of F. l.. Robbins & Co.. Borland
mine of the Panhandle Company Snow and
CASTOR mines of the Pittsburg ana Chicago
Coal Company and the Oakhill, Plum Creek
and Sandy Creek mines of the New York
and Cleveland Gas Coal Company. These
employ almost 1900 men, and the indica-
tions are that if the men at one OF these
mines refuse to quit all the diggers at the
others will act accordingly. A strong
effort is being made to get the cooperation
of the river miners in the coming fight
If they work they can cut quite figure
in supplying coal, as the fuel for local
points can all be supplied by water routes.
The operators are making no effort to
conciliate the miners. Not an operator can
be found who will say the miners are en-
titled to what they demand-69 cents ton.
No effort will be made to operate the mines
unless 1t should be the river mines, hence
no trouble is anticipated Great apprehen-
sion is felt as TO what course the vast num-
ber of foreigners will take in the strike.
Many of these speak no English and care
less for the land of their adoption They do
not conform to the customs OF the Ameri-
can speaking miner and the latter has very
little influence over him.
One point made by the operators is that
more mining companies have gone into the
hands of the sheriff this year than during
any year in the history of the trade. There
are too many mines said Patrick Dolan,
mot too many miners. 1t is the surplus
of operators that cause such SutferingS and
The oI1icials of the United Mine Workers
of the Pittsburg district held a meeting to-
day and heard reports from various parts
of the district Each of these indicated
that the men would quit work. The ques-
ton of securing sustenance for the vast
army of idle men is the most serious con-
fronting the officials. The organization has
no money in its treasury. The miners have
been unable to save anything, and only
those who have little garden patches will
be able to live independently during the
cessation of work
The exodus from the fourth pool to West
Virginia has begun. The West Virginia
operators are hiring miners as fast as they
apply for work. Those who wish immunity
fpnrf1 q ipf
West Virginia, where the miners will work
unmolested. Scores of small mines in
Beaver, Mercer, Lawrence, Cambria and
other counties which have been practically
idle will resume operations in full to sup
ply coal to factories and shops in their dis
trlcts. Taking the Cannelton coal field in
Beaver county into consideration, the
Thompson run in Lawrence county and
the numerous mines in Mercer county, there
will be no shutdown of industries in these
counties. During the strike of 1894 all these
mines closed down.