The sun., 1897-07-04
BIG COAL STRIKE, BEGUN.
ORDER TO QUTT WORK SAID TO BATB
BEEN OBEYED q GENERAILH. 9"

United Sinc workers. officials Say the STRIKE 5
IL Inst Resort TO Get Living wnEea-- e.
The OmcinIs Also Say tho strike win
he Observation-Disclosures ia the Centres.
COLUMBUS, o.. July 3-Rcports received by
the national officers OF the United Mino Work.
ers of America indicate that the cessation OF
work tonight by coal miners of the United
States in accordance with the orders of tho oia-
was general.
This order has been expected for some time
by tho miners in Ohio and little surprise has
been caused By the official circular calling the
mon out. In an interview National Presidents
Ratchford said: F
Our present suspension is not Of our chocel
1t is forced upon us by the continuous rcduo-
tions in wages until tho point is reached where
living by our industry is no longer possible. Our
miners everywhere throughout the country are
ready for it last resort, and there Is no doubt
that 1t will bc the greatest movement of the
kind this country has ever seen. j am not fear
full that tho miners will in any case violate law
or order This will DO n peaceful contest, and
violence must not enter in any degree" .
INDIANAPOLIS. July 3.--Nearly all the btu
minous miners in the southern part Of the
State went out to-day, anticipating the order
OF the organization to strike tomorrow,
About 1000 miners arc employed In
the district which contains the counties
Of Owen. Pike, Perry. and Vandcrburg, and IL
is expected that every minc in the State will bo
idle on Monday, with tho exception of n few in
Clinton county. where the miners do not belong
to any organization. In anticipation of a strike
attempt made during the past week to
organize the Clinton county miners but nothing
There was u meeting of the Block coal miners
At Brazil to-day, and after discussion OF
decided to strike Another meeting will be
held on Monday, owing to some dissatistae.
regarded n certain tDnt the Block pOnl uiinprn
will also go out. There are more than 1000
rnn tbs IN sns m n" &
| the demands OF the miners. but say that they
are powercss 10 do anything owing TO Illinois
Ky J"E sThe he Goet Of the
Their wages have never been large. their ex-
penses for living have been high, and they have
from their old homes and Kindred and there Is
cinnati Sout thern, itaiiroad, from Pule ski
county county south, al The mines have ave GhRps
Tennessee but they flnd little work there.
Others are trying with poor success to work work on y,
penetrated by the Chesapeako and Ohio and
Lexington and Eastern Railroads all the mines
| are closed. Possibly 500 men have been thrown
| out OF work in this region, and more than that
number along the Cincinnnti Southern. =
trict the miners seem satisfied with their wages,
% and have refused to go on strike at the call OF
| the national Board OF JnlLeu hlnewOrkers. d
| Few of them belong to the order, and those
| who do say they cannot afford TO swap a cer-
for an a. this ssGa 9
Of the Indiana district Of the United Mine
Workers OF this state was at the meeting Of
has no doubt that all of the block miners, thou gh
not members of the organization, will join in tho
He believes all OF the 5000 miners in the
State will come out It will not be known be-
who worked today left their tools in tho
Beef EhsR IS L viii be peaesu sRe
because the men have learned a lesson from
We're ordered out. Still ali miners suffered foi
will see to it that the lawlessly inclined behave
The miners of tho State are not prepared in a
| mined to have one and say they can exist on
have % had to do that in the winter @ when % the cost cost
of living is very much higher to them. -.
eds ., the qE FEs5arF h e
tGnight after approving of their National Esssa
seventy-hve delegates, representing $50 Goa
pits. took part. The meeting was enthusiastic
even tho non-unon delegates clamoring for q
strike.
The strike will begin Monday, and abou,
1000 miners rs in this district %i lay y down @
all mine operators who may withhold from their
employees the 10 per cent. Of wages retained
under the 'iron-clad contract.
Tho miners of the New York and Cleveland
Gas Coal Company. one of the biggest firms il
the district, were not represented at the conven
ton. w. p. DeArmitt, the Presidcntt of thu
company, is the man who gave the miners "a biz
fight three years ago.
BELLAIRE o., July 3.-The coal miners in Bel
mont county and the Fifth sub-ohio district an
all closed down.
The miners quit work on receipt of order
from the national headquarters, and no miner
among the 1,s0o in the county or 1000 in thu
district will go to work unless permission Il
granted from the head officers.
The only company granting the sixty-cen
rate is the James Turnbull s. Co. mines, tw'
miles west OF here, on the Baltimore and Ohi
Railroad. and II miners are allowed TO go =
work on Monday the mines viii! be placed II
operation.