The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-07-30
Biggest Labor Gathering Ever Known
Met Yesterday.
DE ARMITT MINERS SAID TO RE
COMING OUT.
Eugene Debs Left City Much Encouraged
Sensational Developments May Oo-
Deputies on Hand.

I
/ cur at Any Time-Big Force of Armed
1 Deputies on Hand.
/ Pittsburg, July 29.-Oakhill In the
vicinity of the Turtle Creek, Plum Greek
and Sandy Creek mine of De Armitt, was
invaded after midnight by an army of
strikers who came to attend the great
mass meeting to be held near the mines
today.
1t is estimated that by day break there
We're several thousand miners encamped
upon the hills surrounding the property
of the New York and Cleveland Gas Coal
company's property. There were no
threats of violence, and no indications of
drinking Many were supplied with food
to last two days.
Immediately upon reaching Oakhill the
strikers were prepared for camp. In the
valley leading up from Turtle Creek to
one of the New York and Cleveland
mines, the company had powerful
search light. 1t was kept shifting about
In the hope of f1anking any movement of
the strikers to creep within reach of the
mine
Long before daylight the strikers were
up About four o'clock 1900 strikers as
sembled at Turtle Creek and headed by
three brass bands, with flags and banners
flying, marched past the houses occupied
hooted and yelled and then marched to
the mines where they planted themselves
before the pits, thus compelling De Ar
mitt's men to run the gauntlet to get to
work.
A short time after, Sheriff Lowry, who
had been wired to for assistance, arrived
1 from Pittsburg with fifty deputies armed
Il wit bn OF iof1x,
withdrew and the new deputies were
Iplaced on guard. Everything is quiet
now. @M
Previous to the meeting Eugene v.
Debs, District President Dolan, Secretary
Warner and M. P. Carrick, Went among
the strikers and counseiled them to keep
within the bounds of the law.
The meeting is without doubt the
largest ever held during a strike in Penn
sylvania and the leaders are hopeful Of its
effect upon De Armitt's men. The
speakers told the miners that they were
| jeopardizing the strike by continuing at
| work and urging them to come out.
Two hundred deputies are on guard
about the mines but no trouble is ex-
pected.
| President Dolan was made chairman of
the meeting and in q short speech accused
Mr.. De Armitt of insincerity. He said
ssNhat If De Armitt men did not come out
4 Uu6FS WOufu DC d SympdUQ6GlC SUr1K6 all
| over the United States.
1 NJ. p. Carrick was next introduced and
stated that working men all over the
| United States are interested in this strike
| because 1t will have tendency to raise
wages everywhere. If you men Of the
De Armitt mines will not come out now,
we will march $4,000 men here and com
pei you to come out, not by force, but by
shame. We will shame you by our starry
| ing women and children. You are
clogging the wheels of commerce and the
whole labor world will strike in sympathy
with us If need be. Resort to no violence,
my friends. Trust in your leaders and we
will win this strike in other ways than
| by violence.
! When Eugene V. Debs was introduced
there was enthusiasm. He said in part:
II am here not to encourage passion, but
] to appeal to reason. You are in the midst
of the greatest contest the world has ever
known. Whether you succeed or fail de-
pends on yourselves. In order to win you
must remain absolutely sober until this
contest is over. Whiskey clouds the brain,
robs you of your money and makes you
brutal, and also makes you do just what
your enemies want you to do
| After the meeting the Sandy Creek
miners returned to work and the strikers
went into camp and had lunch. The
presence of the deputy sheriffs was not
| kind. President De Armitt said this
afternoon that all the mines of his COM
pany ware in operation and he was certain
his men could not be induced to quit
work.
| Pittsburg, July 29.-Mr. De Armitt to-
night makes the following statement:
ga few Of our men from the Turtle
Creek and Plum Greek mines attended
the meeting. About forty of the yonger
men in the Sandy Creek mines were
present. AS far as the effect of the meet
ing ON our men is concerned, it is fiat
failure. All our mines are in operation
and will be tomorrow"
| A large force of deputies ara on duty
and developments of sensational
character are liable to occur at any time.
| Late tonight VIM. Warner, secretary of
the miners union telephones that break
in De Armitt's mine has taken place. He
says that after the day meeting another
meeting was arranged for tonight and it
was attended by many Of the men who
have been at work. Several speakers, he
said, placed the matter before them in
such convincing way that the men from
De Arnitts Turtle Creek mine resolved
not to return to work in the morning.