The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-13
Delegations to Be Sent Among These
Will Have a Hard Time Get
ting at the Men.
MEETING FOR ARBITRATION
BOARDS OF FOUR STATES TO DIS
CUSS THE SITUATION TO-DAY.
Big Operators Stand in the Way of
Anything Looking to Peace
full Settlement.

PITTSBURG, Pa. July 12.-The miners
strike is causing the price of coal to still
advance, and to-day it was selling at $3.50.
an increase of $50 per cent. since the COM
mencement of the struggle. The feature
to-day in matters pertaining to the strike
was the presence in the city of the joint
arbitration board who are rndeavoring by
every means possible to by lg to a peace
able conclusion the strife 1ow in progress.
The board held informal sessions to-day,
and in the intervals interviewed quite a
number of operators, the big ma jorty of
whom are in favor of arbitration, provided
all Of the operators will abide by the deci-
sion rendered. One of the dssenters is w.
P. Dearmitt, president OF the New York
and Cleveland Gas and Coal Company. He
declares he has nothing to arbitrate, and
says the strike is the result of the machina-
uons of politicians.
The strikers made further advances to-
day in getting out practically every miner
in the district outside of Dearmitts men,
who still remain loyal to their employers.
AT a mass meeting held at West Newton
to-day Vice President Mckay, of the
miners association, said he believed the
West Virginia mines would be closed down
within two weeks. If they are not he said
bring work to a standstill in that State.
The operators claim the railroads will sup
ply cars sufficient to carry the entire out
put of the West Virginia fields. Many of
the operators, however still claim that
there is plenty of coal on hand, but fail to
state why the price has increased more
than $50 per cent. since the suspension Be
fore the strike began it sold at 70 cents.
+ %lo
of the river operators who have no facilities
for loading their stocks on railroad cars
agitating the advisability of placing a host
ing machine on the south side of the Mon
ongahela river for the purpose of trans
ferring coal into Pittsburg & Lake Erie
freight cars By this method it is expected
to supply all of the lake trade. If such
scheme was carried out they would get the
highest price they have in years. Nearly
all of the coal in the pools was stored in
anticipation of the river being declared
free, and it was intended to send it to the
Southern markets. Now that there is no
boating stage and the market is open in
the rail trade, the proposition is looked on
with favor One of the subordinate miners
officials was asked what the miners would
do in the event of eight million bushels of
coal being put on. the market in the man
ner referred to.
You may say that the river operators
might find it a very difficult job" he said.
Men who handle coal for a living are in
sympathy with this movement, and we
would have little trouble in getting them
to quit work if they should start. We have
no fears in that direction as yet"
Beyond the strengthening of the miners
lines along the river there was little
change in the strike situation to-day. The
ironclad contracts which were in force at
several mines in the Monogahela valley
were swept out of existence to-day and the
strike was made general in the fourth pool.
The Chamouni, Apollo, Jack Jones and
O NeilS 8 Fayette City mines, which had
been running with light force OF men and
under ironclad agreements, are idle. The
men at the ChamOuni were the last to lay
river are rejoicing over this victory. The
only mine reported in operation in the
region is the Quitable at Webster 1t is a
stock company comprising about seventy
five stockholders, and they are mining their
own coal. The Blythe Coal Company has
offered the 69-cent rate to their men at the
Redbird mine, but the officials will not al
low them to go to work at present. A mass
meeting was held at Fayette city this
afternoon to look after the strikers inter-
estS and see that no mines resume. The
men in the Stckel Hollow mines Of the
Washington Coal Company also came out
to-day, making the suspension complete in
this district except at the mines of TIE New
York and Cleveland Gas Coal Company,
where about 200 men are working. NO
effort has yet been made to get these dig
gers out and the miners at other pits who
have laid down then tools are grumbling
at the sloWness of Dearmitts men in join
ing the movement The hot-heads are ad-
vising drastic measures. They have been
kept in check so far, but there is no telling
when the fever will break out and con-
certed move on Sandy and Plum creek
made. The greatest interest is now mani
tested in the scheme to arbitrate the strike
uueStiOn.