The record-union., 1897-07-12
Beginning of the Second Week of
the Big Strike.
Gives Promise Of Being One Of the Greatest
of Wage Struggles.
Operators in No Hurry to Have the
Difficulty Adjusted, at Least
Until They Are Enabled to Dis
pose Of the Stocks on Hand at
the Advance Which is Sure to
Follow.

the Advance Which is Sure to
Follow.
| PITTSBURG, July Ito day marks
the beginning of the second week of the
ccal miners strike, and already it gives
premise of being one of the greatest
wage struggles in the history of this
country. Eight days ago the coal oper-
ators in this district and the miners
! themselves little dreamed that within
one short week such an era of general
suspension could be wrought as now ex
] lists in the bituminous mining industry.
! Then the mouths of the many coal tip
! pies that dot the Monongahela, Youg
| hiegheny, Allegheny and Peters Creek
| Valleys and the valley of Toms and
! MillerS Run We're open and turning out
| thousands on 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 nearly every rail-
road track leading to the mines there
stands empty cars, apparently anxious
to be loaded that their burdens may be
carried to the ports along the lakes.
The success that has attended the
movement has greatly elated the miners,
ana during the next few days every eff
! fort will be made to bring out the men
| i'll 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 forty-eight hours old.
From the best information obtainable
/ the Pittsburg operators are in no hurry
/ to have the difficulty adjusted. Many of
! them had stocks on railroad sidings
which they held for an advance. Much
| Of this was disposed of Saturday at
! good profit.
| A prominent operator said to-day 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 business on a new
basis, and probably a much higher price.
This whole thing will result in
compromise" said another operator.
THE operators are in position to stand
ii for some time, and believe the miners
are in about the same condition. 1t
| looks az Enough both will brighten up,
and in that event the operators will be
business and the condition of the miner
| will be simultaneously improved"
Just now the greatest obstacle in the
way of the success of the miners is the
activity of the diggers in West Virginia.
They are working night and day, and
are getting ready to supply all the coal
that is needed. They are repeating
what they did three years ago, when
| general suspension was declared. AT
/ that time there were number of opera
! tors in the mountain States that were on
the verge of bankruptcy. The general
! suspension was declared, and there
came a great demand for coal at prices
! that insured a big profit. The operators
rallied around them a large number or
men, whose friendship and support they
! have encoura ged ever since. The opera
! tors profited by thousands and thou
sands of dollars. When the season had
] finished and the strike was declared
/ failure, they balanced their books and
! found thousands 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
each succeeding pay day the faithful
/ miners were paid bonus, in the shape or
geld pieces, and naturally the best of
! feeling prevailed between the employer
and employees.
REFUSE TO JOIN THE UNION.
MASSILON (Ohio), July 1.-THE mass
meeting of miners held at Dillonvale for
| the purpose of inducing the Wheeling
and Lake Erie miners there to join the
union failed. The men refused to join.
! pr1y
/ because of fear of the union men, it is
said Several prominent officers of the
union were present at the meeting.
DESTITUTION AMONG MINERS.
| CHATTANOOGA CTenn), July ia
special to the Times from Jellico,
/ Tenn says that there is great desttu-
ton among the miners in that region,
many of them having large families and
rot knowing where the next meal is
/ coming from. Some of the miners have
gardens, and they have been able to
make the truck raised on these supply
absolute necessities. The relief COM
mittee recently abroad to get help has
returned and reported that they had
met with poor success. Committees are
| TO besent to East Tennessee in the hope
that aid may be had while it is sorely
! needed The miners and operators have
! had no meetings since May, and there
! does not seem to be the slightest pros
rect for an amicabe adjustment of the
wage question.
The men at these mines have had little
" vork for nearly two years, and as
consequence they have nothing laid up
| for a rainy day.
This is the condition of affairs which
| the organizers who 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 district than there was three
| years ago. and they express great con-
| fidence in bringing them out if they can
get their ears. This failing. the rail-
| road organizations will be appealed to.
| This plan of campaign has been out
| lind by the national officers, and the de-
velopments of the week will be watched
with interest.
| There are number of operators in
| the Pittsburg district who have ex-
pressed a Willingness to pay the price
demanded, but the miners have said
| nay They will insist that a majority
| of the operators in the district pay the
| SO cents rate per ton.
J The new features in the situation to-