The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-07-27
NO MATERIAL CHANGE
IN THE STRIKE SITUATION IN
PITTsBURG DISTRICT.

only One Mine open IN the N3mDT10 DIGs
trict-More West Virginia Miners Strike.
Operators Sign q Call for q Meeting to
Consider Arbitration-Chfef Arthur De-
clines to Hold a Conference with Presi.
dent Ratchford-Strikers Marching ON
the Miners at Work
Pittsburg, July 23.-The situation in
this district has not materially changed
today. The efforts of the arbitration
commission a " been so far success
full that a call for a meeting of opera
tors on Tuesday next has been issued.
1t is signed by w. P. De Armitt for
the New York and Cleveland Gas Coal
Company; J. B. Zerbe, for the Ohio and
Pennsylvania Company; E. Young, for
NJ. A. Hanna & Co.; George w.
Schlendeberg, for the E. L. Robbins
Company, and other leading operators
of the district. These names to the no.
tice of a meeting is sufficient guaran-
tee Of the success Of the gathering in
point Of attendance. w. P. Rend will
also be asked to sanction the signing
Of his name to the call. He is now in
charge.
The Canonsburg region has produced
no sensational ~eatures today. The
striking miners are still encamped near
the Allison and Boone mines to per-
suade workers from going to work.
There are vague rumOrs Of a march
on the mines of the New York and
Cleveland Gas Goa Company. There is
no doubt among those that are in a pO-
sftiOn to know that such a move is
contemplated, but just at h time is
kept a profound secret. While all Of
At,.- ;- p~,~- ~ 49, TrT~f1 TrnnH Snn
dy Greek and Plum Creek mines are
working steadily and without interior
ence. The employees claim that they
will pay no attention to the strikers
and want to be left alone. On the other
hand, the miners officials claim that
their organizers, who have been at
work in secret have laid the foundation
for a general laying down of tools
when the proper time arrives. Much
depends on the situation in West WV
ginia. If hat section comes out the
New York and Cleveland mines will
naturally be the pivotal point.
Springfield, ILL.,, July ga coal fam
inc is imminent in this city. Several
establishments have only enough to
last a few weeks and others are burn
ing wood, being unable to procure COAL.
The Riverton paper mill has closed
for want of fuel. Railroads seize the
coal shipped to this city from other
points.
Altoona, Pa, July 23.-All the coal
mines but one in the northern Cam
bria region, which includes the OPEN
ings along the Susquehanna extension
of the Cresson n Clearfield railroad,
closed down today, the men, about
z, 1000 in number, going out on strike.
The mines affected are operated by
the Sterling Coal Company, duncan &
S%pangler, Barnes & Tucker, and the
Vintonda1e Goal Company. The Cam
bria mine operated by David E. Will
liams & Co., Of Philadelphia, is the
only one working. 1t develops hat
the miners held a meeting a few days
ago and made a deman for check
weight. They were given to under
stand tina their demand would be
complied with. and when no check
weighmen were put on this morning,
the threat to strike was put into effect.
A meeting of the miners in this dis
trict will be held at Hastings tOmOr-
row when the matter of check weigh
men will be further considered. The
failure of the operators to comply with
the law in this respect will furnish a
reason for calling out all the men. The
Altoona operators, as we'll as those in
the neighbOrhood of South Fork, Of
fer no objection to check weighmen
and will put them on as soon as re-
auired by the miners to do so. They
were discontinued by the miners and
not by the operators.
Columbus, Ohio, July 23.-President
Gompers, of the American Federation
of Labor. has wired the United Mine
Workers of America, hat he will send
Chris Evans to help in the West Vir-
ginia field. He was formerly secre-
tary of the federation and in 1889 was
president Of the Ohio miners.
Cleveland, July 23.-President Ratch-
ford sent a message today to Chief P.
M. Arthur, of the Brotherhood of LO-
connective Engineers requesting his
presence at a conference of b lead
ers to be held at Wheeling, West Vir-
ginia, on Monday. Chief Arthur re-
piled as follows: Il cannot legally
comply with your request" Chief Ar
thur in explanation said that the rules
of the brotherhood prevented his at
tendance and. that his presence might
lead to a misunderstanding. The en-
gineers we nothing to do with the
strike" aid he, and while as indi-
viduals we sympathize with the strik-
ers, we cannot as an organization, aid
them"
Scottdale, Pa, July 23.-The attempt
to organize the coke workers into the
United Mine Workers. Association is
meeting with very little success in this
part of the region. The miners are
now getting s1.O5 per hundred bushels,
within 2 cents of the highest wages
received for the past eight years, and
it will take considerable argument to
get them to go out on a sympathetic
strike at this time.
Fairmont. w. Va, July 9Th
morning the miners at Hiles mines
came out as did also forty others at
the shaft, and it is reported that some
are out at the New England mines. A
successful meeting was held at Will
Tow Tree house this afternoon by Debs,
Ratchford and MahOn. Three hundred
of the Monongahela miners, accompa-
MED by their wives and children, es-
corted by a band. marched through the
broiling sun to an intermediate point
between Monongahela and Fairmont
where they were met by a delegation
of miners from Hiles and other mines.
Monongahela Coal Company officials
were also present.