The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-07-12

| gives promise OF DelnB one OF the great
est wage struggles in the history of this
country. Eight days ago the coal opera
tors In this district and the miners them
selves little dreamed that within one
short week such an era of general sus-
pension could be wrought as now exists
in the bltuminous mining industry.
Then the mouths of the many coal tip
pies that dot the Monogahela, Youghlo-
gheny, Allegheny and Peters Creek val
leys, and the valleys of Toms and Mil
ler's Run. were open and turning out
thousands and thousands OF tons of the
best coal that enters Into the competitive
markets of the world. Now, all Is
! changed The vast caverns are like SO
many grave yards. on the hillsides,
basklng In the shade, there Is an army OF
1900 unemployed. who are anxlously
waiting for more TO join the troops of
| idlers. On nearly every railroad track
leading to the mines there stand empty
cars, apparently anxious to be loaded
that their burdens may be carried to the
ports along the lakes.
The success that has attended the
movement has greatly elated the miners,
and during the next few days every eff
fort will be made to bring out the men
In the few mines that are still working.
This will be difficult task, but they ex-
press confidence In their ability to make
the suspension complete before the week
is 4S hours old.
| IN No TJTIRRV -.ENfOt,, Nha hast trF Fn,.-
nation obtainable, the Plttsburg opera
tors are In no hurry to have the difficulty
adjusted. Many OF them had stocks on
railroad sldlngs which they held for an
advance. Much of this was disposed of
Saturday at good profit. One promi-
nent operator said to-day that It would
take another week to determine the ex-
act state Of the market, and by that
time q general cleaning up will have
taken place. All Interested will be ready
to begin business on new basis and
probably at higher price.
'Thls whole thing will result In a com-
promise" said another opeTatar.- THE
operators are in position to stand It for
some time,and believe the miners are In
about the same condition. 1t looks As IL
business will brighten UP and In that
event the operators will be able to get
better prices, and the condition OF bust
ness and the condition of the miners will
be simultaneously improved"
Just now the greatest obstacle In the
way OF success OF the miners Is the actlv-
ity OF the dfggers In the West Virginia
fields. They are working night and day
and ore getting ready to supply all the
coal that Is needed. They are repeating
what they did three years ago. when
general suspension was declared. At
that time there were number OF opera
tors In the mountain state that were on
the verge of bankruptcy. The general
suspension was declared, and there came
great demand for coal, at prices that
insured big profit. The operators raj
He'd around them large number OF men
whose friendship and support they have
encouraged ever since. The operators
profted by thousands and thousands OF
dollars, When the season had finished
and the strike was declared failure.
they balanced their books and found
things on the proper side OF their ledgers,
They realized that they owed much of
their profit TO their miners, md rewarded
them for It. on every succeeding pay
day the faithful miners were paid bon
uses In the shape Of gold pieces and nat
urally the best of feeling prevails among
the employers and employed.
HINGES ON WEST VIRGINIA.
This Is the condition Of affairs the or
ganizers that will go Into the West Vlr-
glnia districts this week will have to en-
counter. 1t Is argued by the minerB that
there are more men out In that section
than there were three years ago, and
they express the greatest confidence In
bringing them out II they can get their
ears. This failing, the railroad organl-
cations will be appealed In. This plan
OF campaign has been outlined by the
national officers. md the developments
of the week will be watched with inter-
est.
The miners officials say that the sue
cess OF the movement depends on tho ac-
tion Of the West Virginia miners They
argue that so many men In the Pitts
burg district who were not affiliated
with their organization sacrificed thou
sands Of dollars and Joined tho move
ment They viii tell the Mountain state
dlggers Of the success In this district.
and every effort VIII be made to have
them Join.
There are number OF operators In the
Plttsburg district who have expressed n
willingness to pay the price dememded.
But the miners have sal1 nay. They will
insist that majority OF the operators In
the district pay tho 6a-ccnt rate or none.
This IA tho ulllnatum Of tho national
officials, from which thorc IN no appeal.
II Ia known that some OF the minor OIL
II. f... A.. a. l.t .tt
tors paying the GO-cent rate operate their
mines, but cannot owing 10 tho decision
Of the national officers, who desire to
hive MI the surplus coal taken from the
market,
NEW FEATURES, Tho new features
IN the situation to-day were the arrival
OF tho Ohio aud Indiana state boards Of
arbitration. the meeting tonight Of the
United Labor league of Western Penn
sylvnnla and the report that move-
mont wnB on foot to import new men to
take the place Of the Htrlkcra nh the
pltiRburR and Chicago companies mines.
Al the United Labor league meeting, o.
ont of ~ labor organizations were rep.
resented, RESOLUTIONS were unanimously
adopted rodglng financial and moral
support to tho miners, ana calling upon
MI the trades unions In Western Penn
nylyanln 10 aid aud nnnl7t In every posi-
bic mtnncr In furlhorlnB the Interests Of
the BlrlkorA w, H. Carney vice prcH-
ldcnl of tho AmnlAmatcd association,
and Rev, Winston Green, tho coihrcd
htcfehcfsmiHcf were appointed ofktn-
lEors aud ordered 10 begin worlS nj once
Xix more organizers win ho appointed
this week. McaHrH Carney and Green
viii hold meeting At lonyolto city to-
morrow night and ON Tuesday viii have |