The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-07-22
THE LEADERS
DISCOURAGED.
Coal Strike Not Making Roadway
in West Virginia.
CoLoRED MINERS TO BE EMPLOY.
ED-TRouBLE EXPECTED IF
THEY TAKE THE STRIKERS,
PLACEs-THE MAIN INTEREST
NOW Conferred IN THE FAIR.
MOUNT REGIoN-SoME TALK OF
STRIKERS RESoRTING TO FORCE.
The Blue field Telegraph saws:

some of them shorthanded. There were
plenty of cars at each operation AID the
output was large.
There is not SO much agitation as dur
ing the past few days, GeneralueMaster
Workman Soverelgn's departure being
looked upon as an evacuation of the field
by the United Mine Workers.
MIR. Sovereign's parting injunction was
that the privilege of speech was right
accorded by the constitution and he pro-
posed to take steps to see why it was de-
MED him.
In the Clinch Valley field. at Toms
Creek, where nonunion men have taken
the places of the strikers. there was some
trouble. A body of strikers fired nun.
Der OF shots into a shanty in which the
noniunion men were rooming. Thare
were no serious results
Wheeling, w. Va, July 21.-West Vir-
ginia's mining regions were the scenes of
exciting events to-day, particularly in
the immense coal fields of which Fair
mount is the centre. This Is the main
point OF interest, and towards it all eyes
are now turned. This morning about
forty Monongah men went back to work.
which gave the operators n good deal of
encouragement. They announced imme-
had resulted in Il failure, and that in a few
days the men would again be in the
mines. To Offset this about twenty-five
men at Falatine, who have heretofore re-
manned Mt work, went out
The operators are not only straipinp
every nerve to get the old men back. but
are arranging for the importation of COL
ored miners from Pennsylvania. They
say they will be here in the morning. If
these men come and att,mpt to take the
places of the strikers there will be trou-
BILE. Opinion is about equally divided as
to whether it Is "bluff" or not. A
few strange colored men arrived at Mon
ongah to day.
president of the Monongah Coal Com.
pany. said:
The break of this morning shows that
Debs is failure as an aeitator in West
Virginia. All the mer will he back to
work before the week is out
Debs himself appears to be dscour-
aged, yet he says he will do his utmost.
This movement, said he this even
ing, us the greatest industrial struggle
of the century. There was never any
thing like it, and yet handful of men in
west Virginia, eager to benefit them.
selve Mt the expense of the general cause e,
can block it. l sometimes think the
laboring men deserve the conditions I'M
der which they merely exist, for they
have the power to free themselves and
will not do it.
"1f this strike is lost, 1 shall believe the
workingmen generally no better than the
oesats OF the field, to be bought and sold
like chattels. Their present condition is
that of convict, with the exception
that the convict has the possibility of
relief through the pardoning power,
while the wage Garner can lock forward
to nothing but death.'
Debs further said that the situation
lmperatively demanded the presence of
President Ratchford and other high Off
Gals of the mine workers and quick and
thorough organization of the men,
10 night Debs spoke Mt Rivesville to
the miners of the Montana, Opeliska and
Luther mines. He had large audience
and made n good address, but the APP
planse was limited. The men are divided
rs to the propriety of striking, and will
rot decide until tomorrow.
Around Paramount the Watson mines
are now the key 10 the situation. If the
men there will join the Monongah strk-
ers, the case of the operators will be
almost desperate. If they remain at
work, 1t looks as though this section of
the State Will continue to mine coal for
an indefinite time to come. The Wat
sons control five large miues and employ
nearly one thousand men. They are
credlted with having made half million
dollars out of the strike of three yesrs
ago, and If work is not interrupted they
will do better this time. The Watsons
are good managers, keep on the right side
OIL their men. mingle among them and
probably have a hold which not even
Oebs can break. Tomorrow will settle
the question. The shipments of coal
continue on the same large scale as here
totore, and every available car is in SER
vice.
There is possibility of trouble at the
boggs Run miues, just south of Wheel.
ing, tomorrow. These men struck ten
days ago, but got the advance ami went
back to work. Tomorrow morning the
Glendale miners, who came out this
morning, will march to the --Boggs Run
mines with band and endeavor to get
the miners out. If they do not come
there may be resort to force
a few days ago the 60 cent rate WAS
conceded to the Glendale men, with the
understanding that they would not strike.
Since then, however, the officials of the
Pan Handle district union have been mt
work on the Glendale men, and their
efforts have proved successful. The
efforts of the miners will, now be turned
toward getting the Moundsville mines
stopped, also the two or three still at
work In other parts of the Pan Handle
district
The situation in the southv estern coal
w