Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-07-29

Yesterday.
The local mining situation was de-
cidedly lively yesterday.
There were developments at Elm
Grove. at Moundsville, at Boggs Run
and at Glendale. And there will be
more to-day.
Elm Grove is out to man, for about
the first time on record, and last night
the prediction was made that by to-
night there would not be miner at
work at Elm Grove, at Boggs' run, or
along the river front of Marshall coun-
tv. These men number four hundred
and TWENTY-FIVE, and last night were
as good as idle.
Tuesday night the Elm Grove miners
met. were addressed by Mr.. Westlake'
one of their number, and agreed TO go
ont. and resolved to march, yesterday
morning, over the hills to Boggs' run.
When morning came, the men scat
tered about the mine to see II anybody
would go to work. Sure enough, seven
men slipped into the mine with their
dinner buckets, about the usual TIME
and they were followed by Westlake,
the speaker of the evening before, with
his dinner bucket. "An' did We see
that?" asked one miner of another.
Eyes. the dirty rascal" said a third,
and Mr.. Westlake got quite roast
from the men. who couldn't figure the
thing out at all. But in about an hour
they saw things clearer, for the seven
men who had gone into the mine, filed
out again, and Westlake was at their
head. with a satisfied smile on his
face AS he went home, Tuesday
night. he thought to himself that a
few of the boys might go to work, so
he packed his dinner bucket as usual
and went into the mine. There ne
found the seven men, and made them
a red hot speech, half mile under
ground. with the result that they ali
filed out, and the mine was absolutely
idle When the strikers understood the
situation. the grumblers congratulated
Westlake. and hereafter they will swear
bv him. The proposed march to Boggs'
run from Elm Grove did not material
ize in the morning, but about halt-past
twelve the men began to get together,
borrowed a bass drum, and set out
about one o'clock to see what they
could do with the men on the river
front of Marshall county. Before they
reached the run, however, the miners
there were out. The strike was pre-
cipitated at noon by the drivers, who
refused to work. and as this immedi-
ately made lack of cars, the men were
forced to stop mining. Soon after the
men came out of the mine, the Elm
Grove men appeared on the scene, and
at once began missionary work, stat
ing that they had no more grievance
than the Boggs' run men had, who had
been receiving the scale, yet they had
determined upon a strike. TO the end
that every source of coal should be
shut eff. otherwise the national miners
would lose their strike and the result
would be a 40c rate for mining every
where. These arguments appeared to
have little effect, however, and the
BOggs' run men were in quite an I'M
settled condition during the afternoon
and evening. Hence the arrangements
for the big meeting Of this afternoon,
to be hereafter narrated.
At the Office of the Boggs run Com
pany Mr.. Philip Kuntz, the superintend-
ent. stated to a representative of the
Register that none of the coal mined
there was sent out of the State: that
the capacity of the mine had not been
increased: that the regular tonnage
rate Of sixty cents was being paid, and
that he failed TO see why the men
should strike, as under these conditions
their remaining at work did not affect
the general situation. Should the
men decide to remain out" said he,
"and the strike be terminated to the
operatives satisfaction these men, who
are now receiving what they demand
will be forced to suffer the conse.
quences and accept the rate offered by
the Pennsylvania and Ohio operators. ="
At Elm Grove, too, Mr. Chambers
made a frank address to some of his
men yesterday. He told them that per-
sonally he would greatly prefer to see
the men to win the strike, as it would
be better for him, giving him more
money for his COAL but he was afraid
that with the men out his Baltimore
and Ohio contract would go to the
Benwood mines. and that his men
would suffer the consequences. Some
of the Elm Grove men also stated their
grievances, yesterday, particularly on
account of the store order system, and
they were quite equal to anything mar
rated by Debs in his Monday night
meeting. The statements would make
long story, and will not now be mar
rated
Yesterday afternoon at o'clock the
MOundsville miners held a meeting at
Hamilton's orchard, just above Mounds
vile. There were present thirty-five
men from Moundsville and about the
same number from Glendale. The adj
dress was to have been made by Mr..
Lewis, of Bridgeport, but he was unable
TO be present, and the address was made
by a Benwood miner. The men were
not organized they preferring not to
act until they could have larger at
tendance but it was agreed that all the
miners of Moundsville and Glendale
were TO meet this morning at Zane's
store. at Glendale, and march north
along the river. winding up at a gen.
eral mass meeting TO be held in the
vicinity Of Boggs' run at three o'clock
this afternoon. c. L. Lewis. of Bridge
port. will speak. The Elm Grove men
are also scheduled TO attend this meet
ing. A mine official last evening gave
the following list of men at the mines
in this vicinity, all Of whom were vir-
tually on strike last night
MOunQSNlile $500. ........... 10