The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-07-05
pREsIpEET RATCHF0aDIs vlEws
Fhiuks the strike ,yiii be suses'Sful'-Ds-
psndI On West Virginia Miners.

psndl on West virginia Miners.
COLUMBUS, o.. July 4,-relegrams
received by President Ratehtord, OF the
United Mine Workers. to-day, indicate
that the order for a general strike of
the miners has been complied with gem
orally throughout the mining districts
of Ohio. Indiana. Illinois, and Western
Pennsylvania, and in sections of West
Virginia and Kentucky. 1t will take
several days, however, TO determine
with any degree OF accuracy the NUM-
Der OF men involved. President Ratch-
ford roughly estimates the number at
100000 but this Is regarded as very lid
eraL He Is pleased with the unanim-
ity shown by the miners, and says that
he has the greatest confidence in the
outcome OF the strike. .t.
He thinks the prospects are better
than In 1894 when a general strike was
inaugurated. At that time the scale OF
prices was being paid In many mining
localities, notably West Virginia, where
u majority OF the miners continued to
work and thereby greatly weakened the
strike. He has hopes that the West
Virginia miners may now be brought
into line, inasmuch as they are recely-
Ing wages far below the scale, and their
condition Is not any better than that OF
the miners in other states. The coal
production OF West Virginia has In
creased SO rapidly in the past few years
that the output Of that state now ex-
ceeds the output Of Ohio. During the
strike OF 1894 trouble was caused by tho
shipment OF West Virginia coal through
Ohio, the Ohio miners endeavoring to
uNM tu na a Nsai
les promptly appealed to the state for
protection and almost the entire Ohio
National Guard was placed In the field.
President Ratchford does not believe
there will be any repetition OF these
troubles in the present strike. Special
Efforts are 10 be made TO enlist the syms
pathy OF the West Virginia miners.
President Ratchford Is encouraged to
believe that this may be accomplished
by the fact that the miners have signi-
fed their intention TO strike in many
places where efforts to enlist their CO.
operation have failed on previous oc-
caslons.
President Ratchford has received tel
egrams from n number OF Pittsburgh
operators asking permission TO operate
their mines at scale prices, These re-
quests are oil emphatically refused, as
other operators. but their miners as
well.
AS to the probable duration of tho
strike President Ratohtord says thar
will be governed entirely by circum-
stances. II win last several weeks at,
least. The miners are in better posi-
tion to withstand long strike at this
time, as great many Of them have
garden produce on which TO subsist, and
there VIII be no great hardships en-
tailed. such as would follow strike In
the winter. The fact that there is fair
supply OF coal In stock, and the demand
for domestic consumption is small, will
have o tendency to prolong the suspen>
sion The contracts for coal for lake
shipment will cause the greatest trou-
BILE. The bulk OF these contracts are
held by Pittsburgh operators, but the
Ohio operators also have fair share.
The Ohio operators have not yet held q
conference to consider the matter, but
are considerably worried. While they
say the strike is ill-timed and likely TO
fizzle out they will close down their
mines for n short time at least until
they can determine how general the
suspension is. A partial suspension
only in the Pittsburgh district would be
ruinous to their business should the
Ohio miners refuse to work,