The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-07-13
A COAL FAMINE
IS IMMINENT |
Strengthening of the Strikers Lines
Along the Rivers.
The EFFORTS FOR ARBITRATION
All States Directly Interested in the Strike
With the Exception of Kentucky and
Tennessee, VIII be Represented
in the Conference.

the sillke SITUATION Yesterday. The
ronclad contracts which were in force
at several mines in the MonongaheIa
valley were swept cut of existence, and
the strike was made general in this
fourth pool The Chamouni, Apollo,
lack Jones and O'Nein's Fayette City
mines, which had been running with a
ight force of men and under ironclads,
are idle. The men at the Chamouni
mine were the last to lay down their
tools. The miners along the river are
rejoicing over this victory. The only
mine reported in operation in the re-
sion is the Quitable at Webster. It is
a stock company, comprising about IS
stockholders, and they are mining their
own coal.
The Blyth Coal company has offered
the 60 cent rate to their men at the
Red Bird mine, but the officials viii
not allow them to go work at present
mass meeting was held at Fayette
city Yesterday afternoon and plans
made to look after the strikers in this
and see that no mines resume. The
men in the Stickel Hollow mines of the
Washington Coal company also came
out yesterday, making the suspension
complete in this district except at the
mines Of the New York and Cleveland
Gas Coal company, where about 200
men are working. No effort has vet
been made to get these diggers out.
and the miners at other places whe
have laid down their tools are grumb-
ling at the slowness Of De Armitts men
in joining the movement. The hotheads
are advising drastic measures. They
have been Fept IN check so far but
there is no telling when the fever win
break out and concerted move on
Sandy and Plum Creek made.
The greatest interest is now mani
Tested ia the scheme 10 arbitrate the
strike question. Labor commissioners
and official arbitrators of the several
states affected are mobolizing the city.
The state of Ohio is the only one which
has regularly appointed board Of ar
bitratlou, IT exists for Just such en-
| ergencies as this, and is naturally emf
nently well prepared for the work,
Most of the others interested are labor
commissioners and Industrial statisti-
clans, who are also we'll able to act in
the capacity of arbitrators. The Ohio
board Is composed OF s. N. owen
(chairman) of Columbus, who was for
merly chief Justice of the supreme
court Of Ohio, ex-Attorney General
John Little of Xenla. and Joseph
Bishop Of Columbus, formerly presi-
dent of the Amalgamated associa ton.
I he Indiana labor commissioners here
are i. p, Mccormack, ex-president OF
the state Typographical union, and B.
+. Schmid of Indianapolis. James M.
| Clark, industrial statistician of Penn
| sylvania arrived from Harrisburg yes
D "a fn1 g 1aa erNsa 30
| of West Virginia are expected to get
here today. The Illinois commissioners
of labor, J, d, Keefe, J. b. GIL and H,
r. Golf are on their way to Pittsburg
and viii meet the other commissioners
in this city tomorrow. Thus all the
states, with the exception of Kentucky
and Tennessee, where the strike is on,
| will be represented in the conferences
/ which are to he held here during the
next few days
Invitations have been sent to the
coal operators of the Pittsburg district
to meet the arbitrators informally and
| talk over the matter of settling the
strike. James Young, representing the
| M. A. Hanna mining interests, came
on from Cleveland yesterday and was
in consultation with the peacemalSers,
]
dropped in to look over the situation,
but no important conference has yet
been held. 1t is expected by the arbi-
traitors that a representative number
of the local operators win be gotten
together within the next "a hours.
However, persons who are well ac-
quainted with the warning factions
that exist among the coal operators
]
gether in this move, although the ex-
treme gravity of the outlook may have
the desired effect,
Those in touch with the situation say
that the attempt at conciliation will
simply reopen the old discussion OF
President De Armltt's position on the
necessity of a price differential to com,
pete with the company stores. An oper-
ator who did not wish his name to be
used said: Personally I think this plan
of conciliation will fail. President Dc
Armitt win hardly be prevailed upon
at this time to abandon the position
he has held for years. To effect a set
tlement it will be necessary for Mr.
De Armltt TO come into conference witt
us and pledge himself to pay the same
price that we are paying for the bal.
] dhiE OF the lihe hehhhll OF longer Ot
not think he win agree to this. How
ever, II Mr.. De Armitt agrees to civ,
up the fight, I think a settlement coulC
be reached very speedily"
Peace emissaries called at President
De Armitts office yesterday. and it (,
said he told them that it would be al
least a day or two before he could Civ,
them a definite answer as to the course
OF action he proposed to follow. II tn,
operators can be brought into line OF
the conference Idea, there will be NJ
obstacles interposed by the miners.
There IS a strong indication of Goa
; famine confronting the country within
the next ten days. 1t Is claimed b!
conservative operators that the mar
? ketable supply at present, which 4
placed at 10000 600 bushels, would b
only able 10 meet the demands Of tn
, market for about a month under ordi
nary conditions. With the scarcity O
coal already prevailing at the LAX
! ports, II Is claimed the supply win no
! last over two weeks at the longest. L
, anticipation of such a condition O
affairs the coal operators are not yer
anxious to fll orders, and are holdin
/ out for the advance In price that
expected to result. The only source q