The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-08-03
Thousands of Striking Mine rs
March Carrying Flags.
Great Meeting Of Strikers in
Allegheny County.
OVER 5000 ASSEMBLE
At McCrea School House and
Listen to. Speeches.
Remarkable Orderliness Of the
Strikers.

11ltSDuTS, Aug. AlC Stunning
miners have broken all records both as
to numbers attending their mass meet
fngs and excellent order and law abld-
ing behavior they have exhibited. Too
much praise cannot be given the strik-
ers for this latter condition. They have
been subject to the control of leaders,
who prOfiting by former experience
have so forcibly instilled into the minds
of their followers, the stupidity of law
breaking that the peaceful attitude
and actions of the strikers have been a
source of wonder to all the proprietors
who have from day to day predicted
dire happenings.
1t is conceded by all that in former
times, under similar circumstances riot
and bloOdShed would have resulted long
ago from the conditions under which
the miners have been placed during this
strike. 1t is the hope of all well wish
ers Of the str -kers that the peaceful war
fare will continue throughout and until
the contest is settled definitely. The
mass meeting of miners at the McCrea
school house yesterday was the great
est during the strike and probably the
largest gathering of the kind ever seen
in Allegheny county. More than 5000
striking miners were gathered for all
day session and labor leaders here
harangued them in various tongues,
while bands of music served to stir up
the enthusiasm to the highest pitch.
From early morning miners of every
nationality were gathering at the school
house. They came in big bands and
small ones, but the one that set the
camp wild with enthusiasm arrived at
10:15 in the morning from Turtle Creek,
it consisted of 1000 miners from that
camp, and when they came in sight
there was such cheering as has not
been heard since the strike started.
They came down to the camp at the
school house with bands playing stir
| ring airs and banners waving in the
breeze. Cheer after cheer went up
from the camp and the marchers re-
| turned them with will.
When the miners of the two parties
met there was some wild scenes. Men
rushed around shaking hands, shouting
| and even embracing each other. The
crowd that gathered was much larg-
| er than the men had anticipated that
they were wild with joy. A few min
utes after the arrival of the Turtle
Creek division the speakers arrived in
| carriages. They were M. P. Carrick,
president of the Painters and Decora-
| tors union; w. A Carney, vice presi-
| dent of the Amalgamated ASSOCIATION;
Mrs. Mary G. Jones, the female labor
agitator of Chicago, and NJ. P. Couna-
han of the Painters and Decorators
union. In addition to these, the leaders
of the miners were lined up to speak
! as the occasion demanded.
There was a rumOr in the camp that
Sheriff Harvey A. Lowry would appear
with deputies and force the meeting to
disperse, but it was evidently unfound-
ed. The crowd was orderly all day.
1t was announced that but 20 men
were at work today in the Plum Creek
mines, while only two or three men
policy of the miners is to form camps
at these mines as we'll as at Oak Hill
and maintain large party on guard
President Dolan announced that he
could get land from private parties on
which to pitch his camp.
The feeling in the camp was one of
triumph. The miners claim that they
are on the high road to success and the
enthusiasm was at fever heat.
j. T. Mccoy, a prominent member of
the Typogra phical union extended the
SVmnathV and the financial ri of
the printers of the country and said
the organization had made per capita
assessment for five weeks to be paid for
the benefit of the strikers.
large number of the men who at
tended the meeting were nearly dead
with hunger. Some of them had eaten
nothing since o'clock the day before
and the commissary wagon had not
yet arrived when the meeting was over
1t was not until nearly o'clock in the
afternoon that the wagon carrying the
provisions got into the camp and when
it arrived there was a mad rush for
bread. which would put to shame any
football rush ever seen on the local
gridiron. After the meeting was over
and the men had satisfied their appe-
titles, they went back to their camp at
Turtle Creek in an orderly manner
Two camps were instituted after the
meeting. The one at Plum Creek will
be known as Camp Resistance the
one at Sandy Creek will be called" Camp
Isolation" Each camp in the besieged
district will be kept constantly supplied
with guards. headquarters, as hereto
fore, will be Camp Determination" at
Turtle Creek.
One of the notable features of the
procession was a wagon drawn by four
horses, bearing diggers from the south
ern mines. On each side was a banner
advocating free speech and peaceable
assemblies. American flags seemed to
be in demand among the marchers The
delegation marching on Plum Creek
was under the impression that they
could not march with any band unless
an American flag was carried at the
front. A buttonho1e American fagthe
dimension of which were but a few
inches, fastened to small stick was
carried at the head of the procession
when the marchers reached the Center
school house.
WANAMAKER HITS TARIFF.